Josh Cody

Joshua C. Cody (June 11, 1892 – June 17, 1961) was an American college athlete, head coach and athletics director. Cody was a native of Tennessee and an alumnus of Vanderbilt University, where he was a three-time All-American college football player. After graduation from Vanderbilt, Cody coached college football, basketball and baseball and served as the athletics director at various universities, including Clemson University, Vanderbilt, the University of Florida and Temple University.

Early life and education
Josh Cody was born and raised in Franklin, Tennessee, where he attended Battle Ground Academy.

In 1914, at the age of 22, he enrolled at Vanderbilt University and played football for legendary coach Dan McGugin. At 6 foot, 4 inches, and 225 pounds, Cody played offensive and defensive tackle, but was versatile enough to play quarterback, running back and place-kicker at times. He was known as a sure tackler and fierce blocker who helped the Commodores score 1,099 points in thirty-five games (31.4 points per game). Vanderbilt was 23–9–1 in his four seasons, including 21–3–3 in his final three years. He was also a member of the basketball, baseball and track and field teams at Vanderbilt, earning thirteen varsity letters in all.

In Cody's freshman year, Vanderbilt finished with a 2–6 record, McGugin's first losing season and only the second losing season in the school's twenty-five years of playing football. In his second game, a 23–3 loss to Michigan in Ann Arbor, Cody converted a 45-yard drop kick field goal. In his fifth game, a 20–7 loss to Virginia, Cody threw a touchdown pass to Irby "Rabbit" Curry, the team's regular quarterback.

Cody received his first All-America honor in 1914 from Outing magazine. In 1915, Vanderbilt finished with a 9–1 record, and Cody earned his second All-America honor from Walter Camp. The Commodores outscored their opponents by an incredible 514–38. Their only loss was a 35–10 setback to Virginia. In 1916, Cody helped Vanderbilt to a 7–1–1 record, but was not recognize as an All-American.

He served in the U.S. Army during World War I as a lieutenant in 1917 and 1918, then returned to Vanderbilt for his senior year in 1919. The Commodores finished 5–1–2, and Cody was named an All-American for the third time, again by Walter Camp, to become the only Vanderbilt athlete to be named a three-time All-American.

Coaching career
After he graduated in 1920, he became the head football coach and athletic director at Mercer. In 1923, he returned to Vanderbilt, where he became the head coach of the school's baseball and basketball teams. During that time, he also served as an assistant football coach to McGugin. Cody's 1926–1927 basketball team finished 20–4&mdash;the best record in school history&mdash;and won the Southern Conference tournament championship.

From 1927 to 1930, he was the head coach of the Clemson basketball and football teams. During his tenure, he compiled a 29–11–1 record as football coach, including a prefect 3–0 record against archrival South Carolina and a near-perfect 13–0–1 at home. He was 48–55 as basketball coach. Cody was popular among the Clemson student body, who called him "Big Man" because of his large stature. In May 1929, when rumors were swirling that he might leave to coach a bigger-name program, the students, faculty and staff took up a collection to buy him a brand new black Buick automobile.

In 1931, he returned to Vanderbilt as head coach of the basketball team and assistant football coach. In 1934, when McGugin retired, Cody was passed over for the head coaching job in favor of former Vanderbilt quarterback and SMU coach Ray Morrison. Morrison brought his own staff from SMU, but Cody remained basketball coach through the 1935–1936 season. His Commodores basketball teams tallied 51–50 in five seasons.

Disappointed at being passed over for the Commodores' football head coaching job, Cody left Vanderbilt in 1936 and, with McGugin's help, became athletic director and head football coach at Florida, where he compiled a 17–24–2 record in four seasons from 1936 to 1939.

In 1940, he left Florida and became the line coach under Ray Morrison at Temple. In 1942, he was appointed the head coach of the Temple basketball team. In 1944, he guided the Owls to their first NCAA Tournament berth, reaching the Elite Eight. He remained Temple's basketball coach until 1952&mdash;compiling a record of 124–103&mdash;and then became athletic director.

In 1955, after the sudden resignation of Albert Kawal, he served one year as Temple's head football coach, compiling an 0–8 record.

In 1959, at the age of 67, he retired to his 190 acre farm across the Delaware River in Moorestown, New Jersey. He died in Mount Laurel, New Jersey on June 17, 1961.

Honors
In 1969, Cody was named by the Football Writers Association to the 1869–1918 Early Era All-American Team. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1999.