Wilburn Tucker played baseball and football at Tech, lettering in both, then returned after World War II to successfully coach those sports at his alma mater. He was head baseball coach from 1948-54, winning three division titles and the first conference championship in 1949. His teams recorded a 70-39 record over six seasons. He also served eight years as an assistant football coach before replacing Putty Overall as head coach, beginning with the 1954 season. In 1968 he left coaching with a 14-year record of 70-66-5 in football, the best of any Tech grid coach with more than one season. Tucker died in 1980, less than two weeks before the stadium was dedicated in his honor.