22-07-2025
Former UK coach Mumme returns to gridiron
Former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme is returning to the sidelines in 2025 — at 73 years old and calling plays for a Division III football team.
Mumme, one of the architects of the famed 'Air Raid' offense, has been hired as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Centenary in Shreveport, La., after spending nearly a decade out of college sports.
Centenary head coach Byron Dawson, whose team went 4-6 last year in its first official football season since 1947, called Mumme 'one of the most iconic offensive minds in college football history.'
'With over 40 years of coaching experience, there's simply no substitute for the wisdom and leadership he brings,' Dawson added. 'He'll be a game-changer as he guides our young Gents with the Air Raid offense.'
Mumme served as the Wildcats' head coach from 1997-2000, mentoring Heisman Trophy finalist Tim Couch during his time in Lexington. Across his UK career, Mumme collected a 20-26 record with two bowl game appearances, including an 18-17 mark in his first three years.
Couch, who later became the first player selected in the 1999 NFL Draft, credits Mumme and his staff for keeping him at Kentucky. Before that, after primarily running the option as a freshman — and poorly — under coach Bill Curry, Couch was going to transfer.
Then Mumme was hired.
'My first meeting with Hal I walk into his office and he literally says, 'You're my starting quarterback and we're going to throw it 50 times a game. How's that sound?' ' Couch recalled on the Saturday Down South podcast in 2022. 'All right, I think I'll reconsider transferring at this point.'
Couch stayed, and the rest was history — as Mumme's offense began to permeate throughout the sport.
'I had no idea it would be so prevalent around college football and now it's even made its way to the NFL,' Couch said. 'It's really cool to see that we were on the ground floor of breaking that system into major college football and where it is today.'
Mumme resigned from Kentucky in 2001 amid NCAA rules violations within the program, including payments and illegal gifts to players. However, the NCAA concluded that Mumme was innocent of any individual rules violations.
Mumme later had head coaching stops at Southeastern Louisiana, New Mexico State, Division III McMurry and Division II Belhaven. He last coached as an offensive coordinator for the XFL's Dallas Renegades in 2020.
