1. Script to Documentary
“Inside the Lines”
A Film Documentary for Television.
HBCU Coaching Legends
Among Historically Black Colleges and Universities, football sports journalists, coaches, spectators, historians
and athletes themselves, many tales exist about great coaches and their teams such as, Alonzo (“Jake”)
Gaither of Florida A&M University (FAMU) and Eddie Robinson of Grambling State University. But the tale that
originates out of Tennessee State University is the one about John Ayres Merritt (“Big John”).
The Legend.: “In HBCU coaching circles the tale was, Tennessee State University had three head football
coaches”
This is the legend of John “Big John” Merritt, Joe W. Gilliam, Sr. and Alvin “Cat” Coleman.
PH.D. SPORTS
Coach, Inc.
“Tutoring in the Fundamentals, Techniques, Strategy & Psychology of Competitive Sports”
Al “Cat” Coleman, President Maceo Coleman, Managing General Partner
CEO, NFL Alumnus
2840 Stokers Lane North, Nashville, Tennessee 37207
615- 509-2367 maceo.coleman@comcast.net
Ph.D. Sports Coach Inc. is a Tennessee Non-Profit Organization
“Doc Sports”
2. Scene: Many HBCUs and their mascots filing across the screen one by one culminating with the Jackson State
Tiger and then the Tennessee State Tiger accompanied by the statue in Olympic Plaza or W. J. Hale Stadium
(“The Hole”) or the Administration Building or Kean Hall or..…the most suitable iconic representation of
Tennessee State University that plays well to the documentary, sequenced in time.
Over the decades of the 20th century, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have made a
profound and significant impact on the very fabric of American Society and culture. However, great strides
toward equality in America’s history were also made in sports entertainment. These achievements offered
tremendous hope for African Americans to improve the quality of their lives to a significant level. A young
man or woman was able to improve their station in life through sports scholarships, which enabled them to
receive an opportunity to receive a bachelor’s degree (B.S.) which they otherwise, would not have been able
to accomplish.
For young men, football and basketball offered the best means to the end. Athletic scholarships became a
much valued commodity. It is that perspective which offers the foundation of this documentary and three
men and who led the way; beginning during the time of segregation and lasting for over 20 years.
From 1963 until 1983 John A. Merritt, Joe W. Gilliam, Senior and Alvin C. Coleman led the way for the
successful completion of a college degree for many young African American men seeking to better their lives
through student athletic scholarships. While so doing, these three men Merritt, Gilliam, and Coleman (Big
John, Joe and Cat as they were often called) during their coaching tenure at one HBCU, manage to dominate
the football arena for 20 years. A feat achieved by no other coaching triumvirate in HBCU football history. In
20 years they accumulated 173 victories, 32 losses, and seven ties. During the same period of time
matriculated numerous student athletes into the National Football League (N.F.L.) The result of these men’s
teaching and mentoring and the success the young men enjoyed was, the improvement of discipline,
character, and integrity which these young men would carry throughout the remainder of lives.
How did these three men endure each other, for two decades, remaining loyal to each other and the cause
which had brought these men together in the first place, to accomplish 5 national championships, 5
undefeated seasons, while losing only 32 games in twenty years?
Within these men’s coaching success, and among HBCU football coaching circles, it may be argued that the
saying “Tennessee State doesn’t rebuild…they reload” was coined due to these men’s ability to consistently
put a competitive football team on the field for more than 20 years.
Scene:
3. Gilliam joined coach John Merritt's coaching staff at Jackson State University in 1955 and left in 1957 to
become head coach at Kentucky State University. After compiling a record of 2-13-1 at KSU, he coached
briefly at the high school level before returning to Merritt's staff at Jackson State.
At that time, Coleman was already and assistant at Jackson under T.B. Ellis, Jr..
4. [Coleman, T.B. Ellis, Jr. (Head Football Coach). and Harrison B. Wilson. Jackson State’s Coaching staff in
1954]
College in Jackson, Mississippi won the Black College Football National Championship, handily defeating a
powerful Florida A&M University (FAMU) football team, then under the tutelage of Alonzo“Jake” Gaither,
another legend in HBCU football history. The same year, FAMU had given Tennessee State a sound thrashing.
A year earlier however, FAMU had barely escaped with a narrow margin of victory, to take the National Black
College Football Championship against non-other than a strong Jackson State team that had won the South
West Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship in 1961 repeating that feat in1962. 1962 was also the second
time Jackson State had defeated Tennessee State; this time on Tennessee State’s home field, at Homecoming,
which was at that time, celebrated on Thanksgiving Day and was the highlight of the football season.
At that time, then president, Doctor Walter S. Davis had determined that Tennessee State University should
compete at the major college level. The basketball program had already begun to play a major college
schedule and was enjoying moderate success at that level. It was now time for football to come on board.
Scene: FirstInterview
Doctor Davis dispatched messengers to Jackson, Mississippi to inform John A. Merritt, that he was the primary
choice to take the Tennessee State University football program to the next level of competition and a major
recruiting push began. Homer R. Wheaton was Dr. Davis’ emissary.
