By TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Two pioneers of Tennessee Tech University and Athletics, Everett Derryberry and Malcolm "Mutt" Quillen have been announced as two of nine inductees into the inaugural athletic hall of fame class at Columbia Central High School. The two TTU Sports Hall of Famers will be inducted on Sept. 6.
Derryberry was valedictorian of his 1924 graduating class and also played football at Central. He went on to play football and tennis at the University of Tennessee, where he was a member of Robert Neyland's first undefeated team in 1927. He was selected as a Rhodes Scholar and attended St. John's College in England, where he captained the tennis team and played doubles at Wimbledon. He was also a member of the international championship lacrosse team.
Returning stateside, Derryberry served as football coach at UT Martin, overseeing an undefeated and untied team in 1936, and was president of Tennessee Tech from 1940-74. Derryberry was presented the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame's Distinguished American Award in 1975, inducted into the Ohio Valley Conference Sports hall of Fame in 1984 and the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. Derryberry died Oct. 26, 1991 at the age of 85.
Quillen coached football at Central High School (1941-43, '45-53), compiling a 91-24-1 record and leading the Lions to a state championship in 1952 as the team finished 11-0. He went on to coach baseball at Tennessee Tech, where in three seasons his teams won two Ohio Valley Conference championships, then served as the school's Dean of Men from 1958-75. He was inducted into the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1976 and the OVC Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. Tech's playing field is named in honor of Quillen, who died Feb. 1, 1995, at the age of 84.
Photos by TTU Sports Information
