Leeman Bennett

Who is Leeman Bennett?

Leeman Bennett is a former American football coach who served at both the collegiate and professional levels, but is most prominently remembered as head coach of the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A native of Paducah, Kentucky, Bennett graduated from the University of Kentucky, playing at both quarterback and defensive back under head coach Blanton Collier for three seasons beginning in 1958. During Collier's final season with the Wildcats in 1961, Bennett began his coaching career by serving as an assistant coach with the team.

Bennett continued the following year under new head coach Charlie Bradshaw, then served in the military the next two years. In his first full year as a coach, Bennett was on the staff for Bradshaw's infamous first team that was known as the Thin Thirty. He resumed his career at Kentucky in 1965, then moved on to the University of Pittsburgh the following year. After only one year in the Steel City, Bennett accepted the offensive backs coaching position under Homer Rice at the University of Cincinnati in 1967, then was promoted to offensive coordinator the following year.

On February 7, 1969, Bennett assumed similar duties at the U.S. Naval Academy under Rick Forzano, but left on March 13, 1970 to become offensive backs coach with the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals. Bennett survived a coaching change after his first season, but left after the 1971 NFL season to become an assistant with the Detroit Lions.