Full Name:  Thomas Norman Nugent
     Born:  February 24, 1913, Lawrence, Mass.
     Died:  January 19, 2006, Tallahassee, Fla.

Legacy Bricks:  Legacy Walk Map Link
   1983 Coach HOF - Loc 19

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Arriving at Florida State in 1953, Tom Nugent's six year record as Seminole head man was 34-28-1. Two of his teams went to bowl games. As head coach, Nugent took Florida State from small college schedule to one in which Georgia, Miami, Georgia Tech, Auburn and Tennessee were opponents. Most significant schedule change in the Nugent era was FSU's first battle with Florida in 1958. Nugent's men registered the Seminoles' first victories over Miami and an SEC team (Tennessee).

Tom Nugent, who also served FSU as athletic director, brought color and visibility to Florida State football, which took a giant step forward under his able guidance.

Ex-FSU coach Nugent dies.
By Randy Beard, Democrat Staff Writer.

Time finally passed Tom Nugent, on of college football's greatest innovators and the coach who introduced Florida State to major-level competition.

A Tallahassee resident who spent his final years at the Westminster Oaks Retirement Community, Nugent died of congestive heart failure Thursday at the age of 92.

"When you look at naming the father of Florida State football, it should be Tom Nugent, and I say that without disrespect for Coach (Bobby) Bowden," said ESPN college football analyst Lee Corso, who played and coached under Nugent. "In his thinking as a coach, Tom Nugent was ahead of his time, and I mean light years ahead of everybody."

Vaughn Mancha, who coached under Nugent, and later returned to FSU as athletic director, said he last visited him a few weeks ago for another session of story-telling.

"I always enjoyed spending time with him because we could make each other laugh," Mancha said. "He was a bright coach. I learned a lot of football from him."

Nugent, who coached at FSU during the 1953-58 seasons before leaving for Maryland, created the I-formation when he was at Virginia Military Institute and was the first coach to have his players line up in a two-deep "typewriter" huddle to call plays. He also is credited with many concepts of the spread and motion offensive formations that are used today.

He was an innovator off the field as well, hosting the first national coach of the year clinics that attracted dozens of the nation's top coaches to Tallahassee. And while at Maryland, he signed the Atlantic Coast Conference's first African-American player when he offered receiver Darryl Hill a scholarship in 1962.

Nugent posted a 34-28-1 record during his six seasons at FSU, but Corso said that a 10-0 win at Tennessee and a 17-6 win at Miami during the 1958 season allowed the Seminoles to make their initial steps into the national spotlight.

"The program slipped after he left, but Coach Nugent was the one who first showed everyone what could be done at Florida State," said Corso.

Overall, Nugent posted an 89-80-3 record at VMI, FSU and Maryland. In 2000, he received the Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football award from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.

In all, Corso spent 13 years with Nugent as a player, graduate assistant and assistant coach at FSU and as an assistant at Maryland. "Obviously, I lost a hero." he said. "But there is a piece of him living in all his players, and that's the greatest thing you can say about any coach."

Ron Schomburger, who played end at FSU from 1954-57, agreed that Nugent remained a mentor for many of his players after their playing careers were over.

"Some of the lessons I learned carried right over into business for me," said the retired paper company executive. "He was instrumental in instilling in all of us a desire to win, and to plan how to win. Apart from that, he was just a fun fella to be around."

Schomburger recalled that FSU lost four consecutive games during the 1956 season when the players were told they were having a secret practice on a field located near the old barracks on the edge of campus. Then after 15 minutes of warming up, Nugent ordered them inside for a film session, only to pull a curtain to reveal a band.

"That was our practice. We listened to music and enjoyed a great meal, and then we went out and beat Villanova a few days later," said Schomburger. "At times you would think he was psychic with some of the ideas he came up with to try to inspire you to play a game."

Ted Rodrique, who played quarterback on that team, laughed when reminded of that impromptu team party.

"He had someone come get me out of the hospital so I could be at practice, so I know I thought he was crazy that day," said Rodrique. "But he was just trying to get everyone to relax, and it worked.

"He knew how to get the best out of his players."

It was Nugent's personable nature that convinced actor Burt Reynolds to sign with FSU. Reynolds issued a statement Thursday"

"Coach Nugent was an amazing man with great charisma. It's very hard for those of us who played for him because he was very much a father figure to us all," Reynolds said. "He put FSU on the map in the early years. He was an innovator who brought a whole new style of football with the I-formation.

"I love him, and I'll miss him."

Nugent's players hold a reunion every year in Tallahassee during the football season. This past season's reunion was held Nov. 4 before the North Carolina State game and drew 43 former Nugent Players.

Nugent and his wife of 61 years, Peg, who died in December 2002, are survived by nine children - five sons, Tom, T.D., Tim, Jerry and John and four daughters, Kerry, Peg, Patricia and Mimi.

Tim Nugent said his father suffered a fall last Friday, and his condition deteriorated. He was released from the hospital Tuesday so he could return to Westminster Oaks.