Jerry David Claiborne (August 26, 1928 – September 24, 2000) was an American football player and coach. He was the head football coach at Virginia Tech (1961–1970), the University of Maryland, College Park (1972–1981), and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky (1982–1989), compiling a career college football record of . Claiborne was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1999. Early years Claiborne attended the Hopkinsville High School and the University of Kentucky and was named the College of Education's Outstanding Senior. Claiborne played halfback under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Kentucky. In 1950, he became the head football and basketball coach at Augusta Military Academy in Fort Defiance, Augusta County, Virginia. His teams won the Virginia State basketball championship in 1950 and the football championship in 1951. The following year, he left to become Bryant's assistant coach at Kentucky, following Bryant in the same capacity to Texas A&M and Alabama before he moved up to become a head coach. Head coach Virginia Tech Claiborne was head coach at Virginia Polytechnic Institute from 1961 through 1970, with an overall record of . Claiborne's legacy was carried on by Frank Beamer, who played for Claiborne at Virginia Tech. Beamer built the program into a powerhouse in the mid-1990s. Claiborne's contributions to Tech's football program earned him a place in the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame. For one season in 1971, Claiborne was the defensive coordinator (and assistant head coach) at the University of Colorado under Eddie Crowder. The third-ranked Buffaloes went 10–2, behind the teams they lost to (both on the road): undefeated national champion Nebraska and #2 Oklahoma, an unprecedented sweep of the top three slots by the Big Eight Conference. Maryland When Claiborne was hired at the University of Maryland in December 1971, the Terrapins had only won nine games in the previous five seasons. Claiborne led the Terps to a winning season after only his second year with the team. He posted a record in his decade at Maryland, including an undefeated regular season in 1976, before losing to Houston in the Cotton Bowl. For six consecutive seasons beginning in 1973, the Terrapins appeared in bowl games, and added another in 1980. During this run, Maryland won three straight ACC titles (1974, 1975, 1976). Kentucky In December 1981, Claiborne followed in the footsteps of Bear Bryant and