Discipline, caring and tradition right mix for Raiders

SEAN BLACKMON
Contributing Writer

There were not a lot of opportunities for young African-American men in Hubbard, Ohio when Rudy Hubbard was growing up. He had no idea of the places his talents and commitment would take him. The youngest son of George Sr., and Margaret Hubbard grew up in a lower middle class neighborhood, but the highlight of his childhood was being coached by Ernest Chiles, a neighbor that Hubbard describes as “another brother.”

“Mother took him up like he was one of her own,” Hubbard said. “ He coached all of the younger guys, but he really looked out for me.” After graduating from Hubbard High School in 1964, Hubbard received a football scholarship to Ohio State University, where he played under well-respected coach Woody Hayes from 1965 to 1967. Following his senior year at OSU, Hayes offered Hubbard an assistant coaching position, making him the first former black athlete to return as coach. OSU won the national championship during his first year and Hubbard’s career took off immediately thereafter. He recruited Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman trophy winner in the history of the award.

After serving as an assistant coach under Hayes for six years, Hubbard considered retiring until a chance meeting with legendary coach Jake Gaither convinced him to continue. Gaither informed Hubbard that the head coaching position was open at Florida A&M University and that he should apply. Hubbard applied and was hired. What followed was one of the brightest coaching administrations in FAMU history, which led to an undefeated season in 1977 and winning the newly formed I-AA National Championship in 1978.

Hubbard was FAMU’s head football coach from 1974 until 1985. When he accepted the head coaching position at Rickards High School in 2007, Hubbard took the philosophy and tactics he used in the past to help revitalize the program.

“Coach Hayes told me if you take a team at rock bottom and work your tail off, in four years you can bring them to respectability,” Hubbard said. “At Rickards, I’m trying to do it in three.” Albert Chester said there was a special feeling, an “it factor” about Hubbard that influenced him to be recruited to Florida A&M Univeristy in 1974 from Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Fla. Chester said that the fortitude of Hubbard’s character has a deep impact on the effectiveness of his coaching.

“All the attributes and core values you look for in a quality person, he has it,” he said. Chester believes that a mix of discipline, caring and talent created those triumphant times for Rattler football. “He was always well prepared. So it wasn’t a matter of if we were going to beat you, it was a matter of how bad we were going to beat you.” Chester became FAMU’s quarterback during their undefeated season in 1977 and led them to the Black National Championship. In 1978, they won the I-AA Division Championship. He said that it was Hubbard’s focus on consistency, not victories, that made those seasons so successful.

“We didn’t go into that season thinking about being undefeated,” Chester said. “We took it one game at a time. Rudy wouldn’t let us think beyond the next opponent.” According to Chester, part of the reason Hubbard is able to get such a good response from his players is that his relationships with them often go beyond the typical coach duties.

“He’s sensitive enough to fill all the roles that kids need. He wasn’t just your football coach he was your friend, your brother, your uncle, your confidant and mentor,” Chester said. Perhaps the strongest attribute in Hubbard is his emphasis on developing the individual beyond athletics. Chester said that for Hubbard, developing quality athletes took a backseat to developing well-rounded human beings.

“If he could have traded all the wins just for us to be productive citizens, I know he would have.” Hubbard has six children and resides in Tallahassee with his wife, Pamela.