Tommy West (American football)

Tommy West
Biographical details
Born	July 31, 1954 (age 69); Carrollton, Georgia, U.S.
Playing career
1972–1975	Tennessee
Position(s)	Tight end
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1979	Ole Miss (RB)
1980–1981	Appalachian State (WR/TE)
1982	Clemson (WR)
1983–1989	Clemson (LB)
1990	Tennessee (RB)
1991–1992	South Carolina (DC/LB)
1993	Chattanooga
1993–1998	Clemson
2000	Memphis (DC/LB)
2001–2009	Memphis
2011	UAB (DC/LB)
2012	Southern Miss (DC/LB)
2014–2023	Middle Tennessee (DL)
Head coaching record
Overall	84–96
Bowls	3–6
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
	Second-team All-SEC (1975);

Thomas Cleveland West (born July 31, 1954) is an American football coach and former player. He was the defensive line coach at Middle Tennessee State University from 2014 to 2023. West served as head football coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (1993), Clemson University (1993–1998) and the University of Memphis (2001–2009), compiling a career college football record of 84–96. West was fired as head coach at Memphis on November 9, 2009 after beginning the season 2–7.^[1] West finished the season with Memphis.

West attended Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Georgia, from which he graduated in 1972. There he was a letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. In football, he was an All-American selection, and was also drafted in fifth round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Chicago Cubs. He is married to the former Cyndie Smith of Germantown, Tennessee, and has one son, Turner West, who is an assistant at Georgia Southern University.^[2]

Head coaching record[edit]


Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches^#	AP^°
Chattanooga Mocs (Southern Conference) (1993)
1993	Chattanooga	4–7	2–6	5th
Chattanooga:		4–7	2–6
Clemson Tigers (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1993–1998)
1993	Clemson	1–0^{[n 1]}	^{[n 1]}	^{[n 1]}	W Peach	23	22
1994	Clemson	5–6	4–4	6th
1995	Clemson	8–4	6–2	2nd	L Gator
1996	Clemson	7–5	6–2	T–2nd	L Peach
1997	Clemson	7–5	4–4	5th	L Peach
1998	Clemson	3–8	1–7	T–9th
Clemson:		31–28	21–19
Memphis Tigers (Conference USA) (2001–2009)
2001	Memphis	5–6	3–4	7th
2002	Memphis	3–9	2–6	9th
2003	Memphis	9–4	5–3	T–3rd	W New Orleans
2004	Memphis	8–4	5–3	T–2nd	L GMAC
2005	Memphis	7–5	5–3	T–2nd (East)	W Motor City
2006	Memphis	2–10	1–7	6th (East)
2007	Memphis	7–6	6–2	T–2nd (East)	L New Orleans
2008	Memphis	6–7	4–4	T–2nd (East)	L St. Petersburg
2009	Memphis	2–10	1–7	6th (East)
Memphis:		49–61	32–39
Total:		84–96
^#Rankings from final Coaches Poll. ^°Rankings from final AP Poll.

Notes[edit]

^ ^a ^b ^c Ken Hatfield resigned after the regular season. West coached Clemson in the Peach Bowl. Clemson credits the 1993 regular season to Hatfield and the Peach Bowl to West.

References[edit]

^ Tommy West fired as Memphis Tigers football coach, The Commercial Appeal, November 9, 2009
^ "Turner West - Football Coach". Georgia Southern University Athletics. Retrieved April 12, 2024.

External links[edit]

Middle Tennessee profile

[1993season-3] Ken Hatfield resigned after the regular season. West coached Clemson in the Peach Bowl. Clemson credits the 1993 regular season to Hatfield and the Peach Bowl to West.

[1] Tommy West fired as Memphis Tigers football coach, The Commercial Appeal, November 9, 2009

[2] "Turner West - Football Coach". Georgia Southern University Athletics. Retrieved April 12, 2024.

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