Don McLeary

Howard Donald McLeary (born January 2, 1948) is an American politician and former college football player and coach. He was a member of the Tennessee Senate representing the 27th district, which is composed of Madison, Gibson, and Carroll counties.[1]

Don McLeary
Biographical details
Born (1948-01-02) January 2, 1948
Humboldt, Tennessee, U.S.
Playing career
1968–1970Tennessee
Position(s)Running back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1972White Station HS (TN)
1973–1975Morehead State (LB/WR/RB)
1976–1977Ottawa
1978–1982Kansas (assistant)
1984–1985Los Angeles Express (WR/ST)
1986–1996Tennessee–Martin
Head coaching record
Overall60–81
Tournaments1–1 (NCAA D-II playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
Gulf South Coach of The Year (1988)

Early life and education

Born in Humboldt, Tennessee, McLeary attended North Side High School in nearby Jackson.[2] McLeary then attended the University of Tennessee and played on the Tennessee Volunteers football team at running back from 1968 to 1970. At Tennessee, McLeary rushed for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns and added 198 yards and one touchdown on receiving.[3] McLeary graduated from Tennessee with a B.S. in physical education in 1970 and M.S. in educational administration in 1972.[1][2][4]

Coaching career

McLeary's first coaching job was as head coach at White Station High School in Memphis, Tennessee in 1972.[4]

In 1973, McLeary became linebackers coach at Morehead State.[4][5]

McLeary was head coach at Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas from 1976 to 1977.[6][4] He was then an assistant coach at Kansas from 1978 to 1982.[7]

From 1984 to 1985, McLeary was special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League.[2][8][9]

From 1986 to 1996, Don McLeary was the head football coach for the University of Tennessee at Martin. He is the third winningest coach in UT Martin history, leading UT Martin to a shared Gulf South Conference Championship and the NCAA Division II Quarterfinals. He was inducted into the UT Martin Athletics Hall of Fame in October 2006.[10]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Ottawa Braves (Heart of America Athletic Conference) (1976–1977)
1976 Ottawa 5–43–3T–3rd
1977 Ottawa 5–43–3T–4th
Ottawa: 10–86–6
Tennessee–Martin Pacers (Gulf South Conference) (1986–1990)
1986 Tennessee–Martin 3–82–6T–6th
1987 Tennessee–Martin 5–63–58th
1988 Tennessee–Martin 11–27–1T–1stL NCAA Division II Quarterfinal
1989 Tennessee–Martin 2–91–79th
1990 Tennessee–Martin 4–72–67th
Tennessee–Martin Pacers (NCAA Division II independent) (1991)
1991 Tennessee–Martin 5–6
Tennessee–Martin Pacers/Skyhawks (Ohio Valley Conference) (1992–1996)
1992 Tennessee–Martin 3–82–6T–6th
1993 Tennessee–Martin 6–55–33rd
1994 Tennessee–Martin 5–62–68th
1995 Tennessee–Martin 5–64–45th
1996 Tennessee–Martin 1–101–7T–8th
Tennessee–Martin: 50–7329–51
Total:60–81
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

[6][11][12][13][14]

Business career

After leaving coaching, McLeary became an investment executive and has served on the boards of both the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.[1]

Political career
Don McLeary
Member of the Tennessee Senate
from the 27th district
In office
2002–2006
Preceded byBobby Carter
Succeeded byLowe Finney
Personal details
Born
Howard Donald McLeary

(1948-01-02) January 2, 1948
Humboldt, Tennessee
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic (before 2006)
Republican (2006–present)
Alma materUniversity of Tennessee-Knoxville

Don McLeary won the 2002 general election as a Democrat to the Tennessee General Assembly for a four-year term over Republican incumbent Bobby Carter.[15] In February 2006, McLeary switched his party affiliation to the Republican Party.[16]

Don McLeary served as the vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee. He was also a member of the Senate State and Local Government Committee as well as the Lottery Information and Recommendation Committee, Select Committee on Education, and Government Operations Committee.[1]

In the 2006 general election, Don McLeary was defeated by 477 votes in a huge upset by Democratic opponent Lowe Finney.[17] In 2010, McLeary lost to Finney again, receiving 24,563 votes to Finney's 25,774.

Political views

McLeary co-sponsored Senate Joint Resolution 31 in 2005 to put on the November 2006 gubernatorial election ballot a proposed amendment to the Constitution of Tennessee to ban gay marriage.[18] He was also one of 24 state senators to favor putting on the ballot a proposal to remove any guarantees to the right to an abortion from the state constitution.[19] The proposal later failed to pass a panel in Tennessee House of Representatives.[20]

After holding a town hall meeting, McLeary proposed legislation that would direct the Tennessee Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance to develop a proposal to create an insurance pool to provide full coverage to residential and commercial property owners that are unable to obtain insurance coverage following widespread cancellation after a natural disaster. The bill, passed in April 2004, was co-sponsored by Roscoe Dixon in the state senate and by Johnny Shaw and Jimmy Eldridge in the House.[21][22]

References
  1. "Tennessee Blue Book - 102nd and 103rd General Assemblies" (PDF). 2005-2006 Tennessee Blue Book. State of Tennessee. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2007. Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  2. "UT-Martin selects ex-Vol McLeary". The Tennessean. December 24, 1985.
  3. "Don McLeary". Sports-Reference CFB. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  4. Archives of Ottawa University
  5. "Radio Tv Release". moreheadstate.edu. July 12, 1973. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  6. All time coaching records 2016 ottawabraves.com
  7. "2012 Kansas Football Media Guide".
  8. "USFL.info - Los Angeles Express". Archived from the original on October 11, 2007.
  9. DiGiovanna, Mike (May 30, 1985). "USFL Says Lack of Funds Caused Firings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
  10. "Two Former Coaches, Three Players Elected to Athletes Hall of Fame". Retrieved September 10, 2007.
  11. "Ottawa (KS) Braves College Football Scores and Schedules". college-football-results.com. Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  12. "Year-by-year results" (PDF). UT Martin Skyhawks 2016 Football Media Guide. University of Tennessee at Martin. 2016. pp. 109–110.
  13. "GSC Annual Football Standings" (PDF). 2016 GSC Football Record Book. Gulf South Conference. 2016. p. 10.
  14. "All-Time OVC Year-By-Year Final Standings" (PDF). 2016 Ohio Valley Conference Football Media Guide. Ohio Valley Conference. 2016. p. 79.
  15. Tennessee. Department of State, Division of Elections. "November 5, 2002 Election Results: State Senate. Accessed August 21, 2006.
  16. "The Voter's Self Defense System".
  17. "Former State Sen. Don McLeary Seeking Rematch". Memphis Daily News. Associated Press. January 29, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  18. "Tennessee General Assembly Legislation".
  19. "How they voted on the anti-abortion amendment". Nashville City Paper. March 10, 2006. Archived from the original on March 12, 2007. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  20. Rodgers, John (April 13, 2006). "Anti-abortion amendment killed in House panel". Nashville City Paper. Archived from the original on April 27, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  21. "McLeary sponsors bill for insurance industry reform." The Jackson Sun. January 29, 2004.
  22. Tennessee Department of State, Division of Publications. "Chapter No. 470." Public Acts, 2004.
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