 Neely in 1922 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 4, 1898 Smyrna, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | April 9, 1983 (aged 85) Weslaco, Texas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1917 | Middle Tennessee State |
| 1920–1922 | Vanderbilt |
| Position(s) | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1924–1927 | Southwestern (TN) |
| 1928–1930 | Alabama (assistant) |
| 1931–1939 | Clemson |
| 1940–1966 | Rice |
| Baseball | |
| 1929–1930 | Alabama |
| 1932–1938 | Clemson |
| 1945, 1948 | Rice |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1931–1939 | Clemson |
| 1940–1967 | Rice |
| 1967–1971 | Vanderbilt |
| 1973 | Vanderbilt (interim AD) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 207–176–19 (football) 109–108–5 (baseball) |
| Bowls | 4–3 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4 SWC (1946, 1949, 1953, 1957) | |
| Awards | |
| Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1967) | |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1971 (profile) | |
Jesse Claiborne Neely (January 4, 1898 – April 9, 1983) was an American football player, a baseball and football coach. He was head football coach at Southwestern University (now Rhodes College) from 1924 to 1927, at Clemson University from 1931 to 1939 and at Rice University from 1940 to 1966, compiling a career college football record of 207–176–19. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1971.
Neely was also the head baseball coach at the University of Alabama (1929–1930), at Clemson (1932–1938) and at Rice (1945 and 1948), tallying a career college baseball mark of 109–108–5.