Royal, Darrell K.
Football
b. July 6, 1924, Hollis, OK
Royal served in World War II after graduating from high school and then entered the University of Oklahoma, where he became the starting quarterback in 1948 after playing halfback for his first two years. An expert at running the split-T option play, Royal was also an accurate passer, a good punter, and a skilled defensive back who intercepted 17 passes during his career.
As head coach of the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos in 1953, he had a 17-5-0 record. Royal then took over at Mississippi State, winning 12 games while losing 8 in 1954 and 1955.
He had a 5-5-0 record at the University of Washington in 1956 and then became head coach at the University of Texas. In 20 seasons there, he won 167 games, lost 47, and tied 5. Under Royal, Texas won national championships in 1963 and 1969. The team was ranked first in the nation after the 1970 regular season, but fell to third after losing 24-11 to Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl.
In 1968, Royal became the first college coach to use the wishbone T, which had been invented at a Texas high school. Many other colleges soon followed his lead.
Royal retired from coaching after the 1976 season and served as athletic director until 1979. During his college coaching career, he had a 184-60-5 record. He ranks twenty-first in victories and his .749 winning percentage is twenty-ninth best in NCAA Division I football.