Nathan Dougherty

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title: "Nathan Dougherty" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1886-births", "1977-deaths", "american-football-guards", "george-washington-revolutionaries-men's-basketball-coaches", "tennessee-volunteers-football-players", "tennessee-volunteers-basketball-players", "all-southern-college-football-players", "college-football-hall-of-fame-inductees", "people-from-scott-county,-virginia", "players-of-american-football-from-virginia", "basketball-players-from-virginia", "american-men's-basketball-players"] description: "American athlete, coach, and educator (1886–1977)" topic_path: "science/biology" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Dougherty" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American athlete, coach, and educator (1886–1977) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox college coach"]

Field	Value
name	Nathan Dougherty
image	NathanDougherty.jpg
caption	Dougherty with his nose protection around his neck
birth_date
birth_place	Hales Mill, Virginia, U.S.
death_date
death_place	Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
player_sport1	Football
player_years2	1906–1909
player_team2	Tennessee
player_sport3	Basketball
player_years4	1908–1909
player_team4	Tennessee
player_positions	Guard (football)
coach_sport1	Basketball
coach_years2	1914–1915
coach_team2	George Washington
overall_record	5–9
awards	All-Southern (1908)
AP Southeast All-Time football team (1869–1919 era)
Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame
CFBHOF_year	1967
CFBHOF_id	1250
::

| name = Nathan Dougherty | image = NathanDougherty.jpg | alt = | caption = Dougherty with his nose protection around his neck | birth_date = | birth_place = Hales Mill, Virginia, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_sport1 = Football | player_years2 = 1906–1909 | player_team2 = Tennessee | player_sport3 = Basketball | player_years4 = 1908–1909 | player_team4 = Tennessee | player_positions = Guard (football) | coach_sport1 = Basketball | coach_years2 = 1914–1915 | coach_team2 = George Washington | overall_record = 5–9 | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = All-Southern (1908) AP Southeast All-Time football team (1869–1919 era) Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame | coaching_records = | CFBHOF_year = 1967 | CFBHOF_id = 1250 Nathan Washington "Big'n" Dougherty (March 23, 1886 – May 18, 1977) was an American college football player for the Tennessee Volunteers football team. He later became the Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Tennessee and chairman of its Athletic Council. For this as well as his playing days Dougherty is "considered by many to be the founding father of UT Athletics." Dougherty was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1967, and was a unanimous choice for the Associated Press Southeast Area All-Time football team 1869–1919 era.

Playing career

University of Tennessee

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Nathan-dougherty-tennessee-1909.png" caption="Dougherty c. 1909."] ::

Dougherty played football and basketball at the University of Tennessee. He came to the university from Scott County, Virginia.

Football

Dougherty played guard for the Tennessee Volunteers from 1906 to 1909, standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 185 pounds. Dougherty was a standout in the sport before it became wildly popular around the country. Of the few accolades that were bestowed on individuals, Dougherty was an honoree. He was named to the All Southern team in 1907 and 1908.

1908

The 1908 team was widely considered the best Tennessee football season up to that point. The backfield included Walker Leach. Vanderbilt coach Dan McGugin noted "All things considered, Leach was perhaps the best football player of the year in Dixie."

1909

He was captain of the football team in 1909.

Basketball

1908–09

Dougherty was captain of the Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball team in 1908–09.

Coaching

Dougherty coached the George Washington University's basketball team during the 1914–15 season, and compiled a 5–9 record.

Educator

Dougherty was dean of the University of Tennessee College of Engineering at Knoxville from 1940 to 1956. He was also the chairman of the UT Athletic Council from 1917 to 1956. An engineering building at the school is named after him. The building caught fire in November 2006, but was later reopened.

Dougherty was instrumental in the establishment of the Southern Conference, being its first secretary-treasurer.

References

References

1. "Tennessee's Hall of Fame".
2. (July 27, 1969). "All-Time Football Team Lists Greats Of Past, Present". Gadsden Times.
3. (1982). "Big Orange: a pictorial history of University of Tennessee football". Leisure Press.
4. (1909). "Spalding's Football Guide". Shawnee Mission, Kansas, NCAA Publishing Service.
5. (November 25, 1909). "1909 Football Program – UT vs Transylvania University".
6. (October 2, 1909). "1909 Football Program – UT vs Central University of Kentucky".
7. "The Early SIAA/Southern Conference Atlanta Basketball Tournament".

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