Bob Carroll is the winningest football coach in the history of the University of Tennessee at Martin. During his coaching tenure from 1957 to 1974, UTM made the transition from a two-year college to a four-year university. Born in Fort Worth, Bob moved from Texas to Milan with his family at age six. He was football quarterback and co-captain his senior year at Milan High, then spent two years in the U.S. Marines, where he attained the rank of sergeant. Leaving the service, he went to UTM as a student and was football MVP twice and captain his second year. Recruited by Wyoming Coach Phil Dickens, he was starting defensive back and Academic All-American during his final two seasons. The Wyoming Cowboys went 8-3 his senior year and beat Texas Tech in the Sun Bowl. During his eighteen years of coaching at UTM, Carroll had a strong career, highlighted in 1967 by his team’s victory over West Chester (Pennsylvania) in the Tangerine Bowl for the NCAA Atlantic Coast Championship, the only bowl appearance in the school’s history. His teams produced nine All-Americans and sent sixteen players to the pro ranks. Carroll assumed the assistant athletic director reins in 1974 and in 1980 was made director of UTM’s alumni affairs. He became assistant vice chancellor in 1987. A charter member of the school’s hall of fame, Carroll is very active in the Martin civic community.
