Bowl Winner Passes Sunday
Jim Carlen, who coached South Carolina's only Heisman Trophy winner and also led West Virginia and Texas Tech to success, died Sunday. He was 79.
Carlen died in Columbia, according to Dale Morton at Dunbar Funeral Home. He did not know the cause of death.
Carlen was 107-69-6 in his 16-year coaching career and had just three losing seasons. He led his teams to eight bowl games.
Carlen went on to Texas Tech, where he went 37-20-2 in five seasons, including the second ever 11-win season for the Red Raiders in 1973. He was named Southwest Conference Coach of the Year twice and led Texas Tech to four bowls.
South Carolina hired Carlen to be both football coach and athletic director in 1975. He went 46-36-1 in seven seasons and ranked second in Gamecocks history in coaching wins until he was passed by Steve Spurrier last season.
A memorial service for Carlen will be at 4 p.m. Friday at Trenholm Road United Methodist Church in Columbia.
