For those who aren't into
sports, Bear Bryant might be more notable as
Forrest Gump's coach (at
Alabama, of course). The checkered hat was one of his trademarks.
Bryant's teams won 323 games, breaking the all-time record of Amos Alonzo Stagg (who had won 314). His all-time record was 323-85-17. The 323 wins was surpassed by Joe Paterno in 2001.
Every Alabama coach since Bryant retired in 1982 (he died the next year) has been compared with him...and has undoubtedly failed as a result.
The Auburn/Alabama rivalry mentioned above led Bryant to once say: "Sure I'd like to beat Notre Dame, don't get me wrong. But nothing matters more than beating that cow college on the other side of the state."
The annual college football coach of the year award (voted on by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association) is the Bear Bryant Award, in Bear's honor.
By the way, he got the nickname "Bear" for wrestling a bear at a fair when he was a child.