Charles Byron Pell (February 17, 1941 – May 29, 2001) was an American college football player and coach. Pell was an Alabama native and an alumnus of the University of Alabama, where he played college football. He is most notably remembered as the head coach of the Clemson University and the University of Florida football teams. Pell was credited with laying the foundation for the later success of both programs, but his coaching career was tainted by National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules violations.
Early life and education
Pell was born in Albertville, Alabama, in 1941. Neither of his parents had completed any education beyond the fifth grade. He did not play football until his senior year of high school. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Alabama, having been recruited to play football for the Crimson Tide by coach Bear Bryant. Pell was undersized at 187 pounds, but he became an all-Southeastern Conference guard and defensive tackle. Pell played for Bryant's Crimson Tide from 1961 to 1963, including Bryant's first national championship team in 1961.
Coaching career
After graduating from the University of Alabama, Pell lived in Tuscaloosa, serving as a graduate assistant under Bear Bryant in 1964. Charlie Bradshaw, the Kentucky Wildcats football head coach, as well as a former Alabama assistant, offered Pell a position as the defensive line coach at the University of Kentucky. While coaching at Kentucky, Pell met his future wife, Ward Noel.
Jacksonville State
Pell earned his first head coaching job at age 28 when he was hired by Jacksonville State University in 1969. He coached the Gamecocks to four consecutive winning seasons, including a 10–0 record and a Gulf South Conference championship in 1970. His overall record as head coach was 33–13–1.
In 1974, Pell left NAIA Jacksonville State to become defensive coordinator for Division I Virginia Tech Hokies. He stayed for just two seasons.
Clemson
After taking the defensive coordinator position for the Clemson Tigers football team in 1976, he was elevated to head coach in 1977 when Red Parker was fired. In his first year, he led the Tigers to the 1977 Gator Bowl—their first bowl invitation in 18 years. A year later, his Tigers won their first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship in 11 years, and were ranked seventh in the final AP Poll—the highest final ranking in school history at the time. Pell was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1978, and compiled an 18–4–1 record.
Pell left Clemson after the 1978 regular season to become head coach at the University of Florida. He was succeeded at Clemson by assistant coach Danny Ford, who led the Tigers in the Gator Bowl. In 1982, it emerged that Pell and his staff had committed major NCAA infractions in player recruiting, for which the NCAA placed the Clemson football program on two years' probation. The Tigers were allowed to keep their 1978 ACC title.
Florida
Pell coached the Florida Gators football team from 1979 to 1984, posting a 33–26–3 record. The 1979 Gators suffered an 0–10–1 record—still the worst in school history. However, Pell's Gators quickly improved, with winning records and bowl invitations during the next four years. The Gators' improvement from 0–10–1 in 1979 to 8–4 in 1980 was the largest one-year turnaround in major college football history at the time. His 1983 Gators finished 9–2–1 and were ranked sixth in the final Associated Press football poll—the Gators' first-ever top-ten finish, and the highest final ranking in school history at the time.