Fred Pancoast, Vandy coach from 1975-1978 passed away

[Charlie Nickens]

https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports ... 103582007/ Started out well,but struggled on down the line. He did beat UT in Knoxville.

[FayetteDore]

A good man. R.I.P.

[Seadog73]

He was a good man. Wrote back to me during his tenure at VU.

[BrentVU]

Fred Pancoast obituary

Tennessean story on Fred Pancoast

VUCommodores story

[janvandy66]

I went to that game in Knoxville sweet Vandy win, I talked to him a few times nice man.

[commadore]

I too was at that game. That was the game where Barry Burton finally got off a punt, but then had to make the game saving tackle for the 17-14 win.

[Nashmann]

R.I.P. Fred!!!

[charlestonalum]

I was at the game and we spent night in Gatlinburg as very proud Commodores. He had zero support for the program from administration and it was impossible to get athletes in.

[Georgiadore]

I interviewed him for our high school student newspaper in the fall of 1975. It was really interesting that at the time he expressed much optimism about the football program. In comparing Memphis State, his previous school, with Vanderbilt, he said, "I don't know how far Memphis State can go. At Vanderbilt, I think the future is unlimited." He was accurate about the first part.

It was kind of him to let a junior in high school whom he had never met come interview him in his office.

[Go Vandy!]

...zero support for the program from administration...

It's actually pretty remarkable that Vandy athletics have had the success they have. Aside from Gee and CDD, there has been very little to no support from the admin for 60+ years.

[FayetteDore]

...zero support for the program from administration...

It's actually pretty remarkable that Vandy athletics have had the success they have. Aside from Gee and CDD, there has been very little to no support from the admin for 60+ years.

Well, Chancellor Zeppos promised CJF a rocketship -- and arguably kept his promise until things turned sour with the sad events that don't need to be repeated here.

[charlestonalum]

Zep also hired Malcom Turner to turn us around...

[commadore]

Oddly,however, Pancoast was hired over an assistant coach on the VU staff. Administration wanted a head coach, not an assistant. That assistant: Bill Parcells. Apparently Parcells really wanted the job, but did ok for himself down the line, while VU football suffered for the next 35 years.
Still, it wasn't Pancoast's fault, but the fact that we had an administration that merely tolerated athletics.

[Go Vandy!]

One of the most depressing roads to go down is the coaches Vandy could have hired, but didn't. And many of them wanted the job.