Howard C. Gentry
Howard Cornelius Gentry Sr. (April 15, 1921 – February 14, 1995) was an American college football coach. He was the 12th head football coach at Tennessee A&I State College—now known as Tennessee State University—in Nashville, Tennessee, serving for six seasons, from 1955 until 1960, and compiling a record of 42–10–1. Gentry was also the athletic director at Tennessee State from 1961 to 1976.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 15, 1921 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | February 14, 1995 (aged 73) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| c. 1942–1945 | Florida A&M |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| c. 1947 | North Carolina A&T (assistant) |
| 1948 | Wilberforce State (assistant) |
| 1949–1954 | Tennessee A&I (assistant) |
| 1955–1960 | Tennessee A&I |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1961–1976 | Tennessee A&I/State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 42–10–1 |
| Bowls | 1–0 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 Black college national (1956) 4 MAA (1956–1957, 1959–1960) | |
Gentry played college football as a tackle at Florida A&M University under head coaches William M. Bell and Jake Gaither. His coaching career began at North Carolina A&T University under Bell and was then an assistant coach at Wilberforce State College—now known as Central State University—in Wilberforce, Ohio under head coach Gaston F. Lewis. Gentry moved to Tennessee A&I in 1949 to become and assistant football coach under Henry Kean.