Curley Byrd - Coaching Career

Coaching Career

See also: Maryland Terrapins football under Curley Byrd

In 1911, injuries claimed enough Maryland Agricultural football players that the team could no longer field a practice squad to scrimmage against. The college turned to Byrd, who was serving as coach at Western High School in Georgetown, and he was willing to help his alma mater with scrimmages. Byrd later replaced head coach Charley Donnelly, who resigned mid-season after accumulating a 2–4–2 record. Byrd led the Aggies to wins in both of their final games of the season, against Western Maryland, 6–0, and Gallaudet, 6–2.

In 1913, the Maryland Agricultural College hired Byrd as an instructor in English and history, and he was named the head coach of the track and baseball teams, the latter of which he coached through 1923. According to author David Ungrady in Tales from the Maryland Terrapins, the university initially offered Byrd $300 to coach football, but he demanded $1,200. The two parties came to agree upon that salary for all of his coaching and teaching duties which spanned nine months of the year. Byrd also worked as a sportswriter for The Washington Star, a job he held until 1932.

As football coach, he developed a unique offensive scheme called the "Byrd system", which combined elements of the single-wing and double-wing formations. One of Byrd's track and football players, Geary Eppley, said, "He never yelled in practice or at a game ... He pointed out mistakes and explained what you did wrong. He took a calm approach. The strongest thing he'd say was 'for cripes sake.'"

In 1915, his duties were expanded to include those of athletic director. That same year, he requested funds for the construction of the campus's first dedicated football stadium, which was named in his honor. During his tenure as head football coach from 1911 to 1934, he compiled a 119–82–15 record.