Willie "Jeff" Jeffries made history at Wichita State when he was hired before the 1979 season as the first African-American head football coach at an NCAA Division 1-A university.
This summer, the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame in Atlanta recognized this legendary coach with the announcement of his induction into the Hall of Fame.
Jeffries’ lifetime of achievement includes five years of coaching at WSU, with his most exciting moment as a Shocker coming in 1982 with the 13-10 upset of the Kansas Jayhawks.
Before accepting the top coaching spot at WSU, he had posted a winning record at South Carolina State, his alma mater. After leaving WSU, he spent five seasons at Howard University, then returned to South Carolina State, where he coached until retiring in 2001.
Jeffries' 29-year collegiate record stands at 179-132-6 and includes six Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships, two national titles and many coaching awards.
