Don Hudson

For the Pro Football Hall of Fame football split end, see Don Hutson.

Don Hudson

Biographical details
Born	(1929-11-10)November 10, 1929
Died	September 30, 2018(2018-09-30) (aged 88) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Playing career
c. 1950	Lincoln (MO)
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
c. 1960	Lincoln (MO) (assistant)
1968–1970	Minneapolis Central HS (MN)
1971	Macalester (assistant)
1972–1975	Macalester
1976–1979	Lincoln (MO)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1980–?	Lincoln (MO)
Head coaching record
Overall	9–72–2 (college)

Donald Edward Hudson (November 20, 1929 – September 30, 2018) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Macalester College from 1972 to 1975 and at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri from 1976 to 1979, compiling a career college football record of 9–72–2. When he was hired at Macalester, Hudson became first African-American head football coach at a predominantly white college in the modern era.

Hudson became the head coach in December 1971 when his predecessor, Dick Borstad, resigned. Macalester College barely publicized the milestone. As a result, other predominantly white schools were subsequently reported to have hired the first African-American head football coach in the modern era: Portland State University with the hiring of Ron Stratten in 1972 and Oberlin College with the hiring of Cass Jackson in 1973. Hudson was recognized for his breakthrough at half time of a Macalester game in October 2007.

Hudson played college football as a quarterback for Lincoln University and was an assistant coach there through the 1950s and 1960s. He was offered a head coaching job at Minneapolis Central High School, where he was the first African-American coach in that school's league. He then took a coaching and teaching job at predominantly white Macalester College in 1971. He went 3–36 in his first four seasons as head coach at Macalester.

Head coaching record

College

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Macalester Scots (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1976–1979)
1972	Macalester	0–9	0–7	8th
1973	Macalester	1–9	0–7	8th
1974	Macalester	2–8	1–6	T–7th
1975	Macalester	0–10	0–7	8th
Macalester:		3–36	1–27
Lincoln Lions (Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1976–1979)
1976	Lincoln	0–11	0–6	7th
1977	Lincoln	0–10–1	0–6	7th
1978	Lincoln	2–8–1	2–4	T–4th
1979	Lincoln	4–7	1–5	T–6th
Lincoln:		6–36–2	3–21
Total:		9–72–2

Further reading

• Weiner, Jay. Macalester's Hudson: The First, but Forgotten Until Now. ESPN, February 13, 2008.
• Blount, Rachel. Macalester's Don Hudson: An Overdue Honor.Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN, October 4, 2007.