REMEMBERING COACH BOB TYLER
Congressional Record Vol. 170, No. 76
(Senate - May 2, 2024) PDF
Mrs. HYDE-SMITH. Madam President, I wish to pay tribute to the
life and service of a Mississippi coaching legend and close personal
friend, Coach Bob Tyler, who passed away on April 28, 2024.
Born and raised in Water Valley, MS, Coach Tyler attended Water
Valley High School and, later, the University of Mississippi.
Following his service in the U.S. Army, Coach Tyler began his
remarkable 45-year career as a coach and teacher. This journey started
at Water Valley High School, with stops at high schools in Okalona,
Corinth, Senatobia and Meridian. After posting an impressive 91-19-6
record over 11 years at the high school level, Coach Tyler began
coaching at the collegiate level, including years at Northwest
Community College, North Texas State, Millsaps College, and on John
Vaught's Ole Miss staff, Bear Bryant's Alabama staff, and
as head football coach and athletic director at Mississippi State
University.
Induction into the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame,
the Mississippi State Athletics Hall of Fame, and the Mississippi
Sports Hall of Fame, are among the numerous honors awarded to
acknowledge Coach Tyler's achievements. In 2023, the North Mississippi
Fish Hatchery was also renamed the "Bob Tyler Fish Hatchery,'' in his
honor.
Coach Tyler's accomplishments and impact extended far beyond the
football field. Following his retirement from coaching, he would go on
to serve as deputy director of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife,
Fisheries and Parks, help start the Archery in Mississippi Schools
program, and support the Fallen Officers Memorial. He also served as
the director of economic development for Yalobusha County for 15 years
until 2022.
Coach Tyler, an active member of the First Baptist Church of Water
Valley, MS, was a dedicated family man, married to his high school
sweetheart and wife of 69 years, Dale. They raised three children--
Breck, Cam, and Drew--and wholeheartedly welcomed eight-grandchildren
and eight great grandchildren.
For myself and all those who knew Coach Tyler, I honor his years of
service and a life well lived. He will be remembered as a great
Mississippian, who dedicated his life to the game that he loved and to
the generations of players and people that he educated on the field and
in life.
I pray his family and friends find solace in that legacy. My
condolences go out to all of them.