Ken Donahue

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Ken Donahue was a football player for the University of Tennessee and an assistant head coach for Hall of Fame coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant. His reputation as a great defensive coordinator is still spoken of by those whom he coached. Donahue and four other men, Pat Dye, Bill Oliver, and Paul Bryant, Created the multiple defense scheme that allowed the players to switch defenses quickly. The 4-3 and 5-2 schemes are still used by NCAA and NFL teams today. The scheme became popular because it allowed players to learn a minimum amount of technique, while allowing them to maximize the use of their strengths. Donahue is widely regarded as one of the greatest assistant head coaches of the 20th century.^[who?]

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Born Feb 28 1925 Corryton TN. Died Mar 21 2001 Knoxville TN.

Lettered in football for Central HS of Knoxville 1943,44. Served in the Philippines for the US Army (1945?). Played football for Univ of Tenn under General Bob Neyland 1947, 48, and 49. Coached at Alabama from 1964 to 1984.