John Merritt (American football)

Biography

John Ayers Merritt (January 26, 1926 – December 15, 1983) was an American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Jackson State University from 1952 to 1962 and Tennessee State University from 1963 to 1983, compiling a career coaching record of 235–70–12. Merritt was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994. Merritt was born in Falmouth, Kentucky, and is an alumnus of Kentucky State University, where he played guard on the football team from 1947 to 1949. He earned the nickname "Big John". He graduated in 1950 and earned a master's degree from the University of Kentucky in 1952. He coached Jackson State University from 1953 to 1962, where he compiled a record of 63–37–5. Merritt led Jackson State to back-to-back appearances in the Orange Blossom Classic in 1961 and 1962 before being hired by what was then Tennessee A&I.

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