Jim Owens

Who was Jim Owens?

James Donald "Jim" Owens was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach at the University of Washington from 1957 to 1974, compiling a record of 99–82–6 in 18 seasons.

Owens played college football at the University of Oklahoma from 1946 to 1949, under head coach Bud Wilkinson. He played a year of pro football in 1950 and then was a college assistant coach for six years under the legendary Bear Bryant at the University of Kentucky and Texas A&M University. According to legend, after the 1956 season, when the Washington Huskies were looking for a head coach, Bryant indicated to reporters that Owens "will make a great coach for somebody some day."

In 1959 and 1960, he led Washington to back-to-back ten-win seasons and consecutive Rose Bowl wins. He also coached the Huskies to the 1964 Rose Bowl. Owens concurrently served as the athletic director at Washington from 1960 to 1969. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1982.

Owens resigned as head coach of the Huskies following the 1974 season at the end of his last contract, a three-year deal at $33,000 per year.