SELF FIELD HOUSE DEDICATION AT UNA SATURDAY

FLORENCE -- The University of North Alabama will officially dedicate the former Flowers Hall Annex as the Henry Harold Self Field House on Saturday at 3 p.m. A brief dedication ceremony will be held with members of Self's family and University officials. The public is invited to attend.

The UNA Board of Trustees previously voted unanimously to rename the Flowers Hall Annex the Henry Harold Self Field House in honor of the late Lion football coach and athletic director.

Built in 1984, the building houses the athletic department administrative offices, coaches offices for the UNA football, volleyball, cross country, tennis, soccer and golf teams, as well as the athletic training facilities, weight room and football locker room.

Self, who passed away on June 6, 2008 at the age of 86, was hired at UNA -- then Florence State College -- in 1949 to restore the school's football program that had been dormant for 20 years. He coached the Lions for the next 21 years, then served as the school's athletic director until 1973 and as a member of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation faculty until his retirement in 1984.

During his time as coach of the Lions he posted a 109-81-8 record that included 13 winning seasons. He had a combined 31-0-2 record against state rivals Jacksonville State, Troy State and West Alabama from 1952-63 and had an all-time 48-15-5 record against state schools. While at UNA, he coached eight All-Americans, including National Football League great Harlon Hill and George “Goober” Lindsey of Mayberry/Andy Griffith fame.

A Decatur, Ala., native, Self prepped at Decatur High School under legendary coach Shorty Ogle. He then attended the University of Alabama where he enjoyed a remarkable career.

As quarterback at the University of Alabama under Hall of Fame coach Frank Thomas, Self played in the 1941 Cotton Bowl, the 1942 Orange Bowl, the 1944 Sugar Bowl and the January 1st, 1946 Rose Bow (the four major bowls). That Rose Bowl team finished the 1945 season undefeated (10-0) winning the Southeastern Conference Championship and beating the University of South California 34-14. Coach Self scored the first and last touchdown in that Rose Bowl and likewise is the last Crimson Tide player to have scored in that game. In 1946, he was awarded the “Jacobs Award,” given annually for the best blocker in the SEC and is only one of 3 quarterbacks to ever receive this award. In addition to football, he also lettered in track and lettered in baseball for the Crimson Tide.

Though drafted by the NFL’s Brooklyn Giants, he instead elected to begin his coaching career in 1947 at Athens High School where he had two 9-1 records during his three-year stint.

At one time during Self's time at UNA, there were 142 of his former players active in the coaching ranks.
During his 20 years as head coach of the Lions, he never had a player who stayed with the team four years that did not receive his college degree (a 100% graduation rate). And during his 33 total years at the University of North Alabama, he never missed a day of work.

In 1970, Self was one of a three-man committee that founded and then wrote the Gulf South Conference Constitution and By-Laws.

Self was elected to the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the inaugural class of the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame and the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame.

Self served the City of Florence as a councilman, as President of the Florence Industrial Expansion Committee, as a Charter member of the Y.M.C.A. Board of Directors, as chairman of the Florence Water and Sewer Board, as a member of the Florence Chamber of Commerce, as a member of the American Water Works and Charter member of the Research Division, as a member of the Alabama Education Association and past President of the University of North Alabama Unit, and as a member of the National Education Association.