Great Story About Coach Hayden Fry

Green Means Go! · June 4, 2007

I had heard about this before, but this weekend (at the Letterman's Fish Fry), Coach Hayden Fry confirmed this story to me:

In 1963, Coach Fry and his SMU Mustangs played a game at Michigan. They were huge underdogs, but gave Michigan a heck of a game, before losing a close game.

After the game, Coach Fry is in the locker room talking to his team, when one of his assistants comes to him, and says that there is a gentleman who wants to speak to him.

So, Coach Fry goes over and that gentleman who wanted to speak to him was.....Lee Iacocca. Iacocca was then, one of the top executives for the Ford Motor Company. Iacocca told Coach Fry, that he and his group were so impressed with the way the Mustangs had played that day, that they had made up their minds, that they were going to name a new model of Ford car.......the Mustang.

So, the reason the Ford Mustang is called that, is because of Hayden Fry and his '63 team.

Also, Ford Motor Company sold Coach Fry the very first Mustang ever made for $1. (Coach said they had to charge him a $1 for tax reasons).

By the way, I asked him if he still has that car, and he said that he wished he did, but "no."

Edited June 4, 2007 by Green Means Go!

PlummMeanGreen · June 4, 2007

I had heard about this before, but this weekend (at the Letterman's Fish Fry), Coach Hayden Fry confirmed this story to me:
In 1963, Coach Fry and his SMU Mustangs played a game at Michigan. They were huge underdogs, but gave Michigan a heck of a game, before losing a close game.
After the game, Coach Fry is in the locker room talking to his team, when one of his assistants comes to him, and says that there is a gentleman who wants to speak to him.
So, Coach Fry goes over and that gentleman who wanted to speak to him was.....Lee Iacocca. Iacocca was then, one of the top executives for the Ford Motor Company. Iacocca told Coach Fry, that he and his group were so impressed with the way the Mustangs had played that day, that they had made up their minds, that they were going to name a new model of Ford car.......the Mustang.
So, the reason the Ford Mustang is called that, is because of Hayden Fry and his '63 team.
Also, Ford Motor Company sold Coach Fry the very first Mustang ever made for $1. (Coach said they had to charge him a $1 for tax reasons).
By the way, I asked him if he still has that car, and he said that he wished he did, but "no."

Always sorta' thought that was one of those urban tale type of things. Thanks for confirming, uh, GreenMeansGo, that is wasn't.

I'm so darn glad we had Hayden Fry for 6 (too) short years and that he is part of UNT athletic history and our legacy as well. I'm also glad most of our Mean Green Nation (of all eras) seem to have set their bars higher now and think we can still do the kind of things many of us got a brief glimpse when Fry was in the midst of his 6 year run in Denton; in fact, most now seem to feel we can exceed anything that happened in the 1970's and that is what most would call progress in light of what (mostly) we've seen the last 2 1/2 decades (with not near enough bright spots for MG football in that period of time).

Our new football stadium's eventual grand opening at the Mean Green Village is really going to be a most historic moment for our school and every academic department at our main campus will (in one way or another) benefit from that strategic edifice's presence at the Eagle Point Campus, ie, the Mean Green Village.

Edited June 4, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

FirefightnRick · June 4, 2007

I had heard of this story as well. One thing that has never been clear though is that who actually came up with the logo? SMU, or Ford?

Rick

Mean Green 93-98 · June 4, 2007

. . . And in return for the favor, SMU named their football stadium "Ford Stadium."

Green Means Go! · June 4, 2007

I had heard of this story as well. One thing that has never been clear though is that who actually came up with the logo? SMU, or Ford?
Rick

Rick, from what I understand.....because of the fact that the car was named after the SMU Mustangs.......there has been a gentleman's agreement that both Ford and SMU can use the logo. So, I'm guessing that probably means that Ford came up with the logo.

KRAM1 · June 4, 2007

For those of us who are old enough to remember Hayden here at UNT...his games were fun to watch...even when he got beat! There was ALWAYS a play or two that really was "unique", and his teams played hard. I do not recall any game where the team "gave up" even when behind. I long for those times, and I think we may well have a chance to get back to some exciting football...win or lose...with coach Dodge. Proof will be in the pudding as they say, but I'll be there to see it happen. Bring it on...by the way, I remember being in a meeting with Coach Fry one day at a local bank where I worked here in Denton when Coach Fry drew a picture of the "flying worm" and told us he wanted to change the logo....also was with him at the bank when he told us privately that he was heading to Iowa! The first meeting was fun...the second...not so much.

Go get 'em Coach Dodge...

Mean Green 93-98 · June 4, 2007

I found a little something about that. It leaves off the part of Hayden Fry and the game against Michigan.

Coming from a Ford engineer’s college mascot, the Ford Mustang gets its name from the SMU Mustangs.

Link

Green Means Go! · June 4, 2007

Thanks for feeling the need to verify my story, 93-98. Obviously, you're the Snopes of the board, and assumed it was bullshit.

Geez........btw, your link is to a site run by Mustang enthusiasts and is not affiliated with Ford Motor Company.

The next time I post something about the great Hayden Fry, I'll be sure to run it past someone who went to school 15 years after he left our campus.

June 4, 2007

Hayden Fry was about as easy to talk to as anyone I've met.

I ran into him in the Student Union the year after he retired at Iowa. I forget his reason for being here but he was just as I'd known him. I said, "Coach, danged if you don't look better now than you did when you were here." He looked at me and smiled then said, "Well I'm not under as much pressure now."

Mean Green 93-98 · June 4, 2007

Thanks for feeling the need to verify my story, 93-98. Obviously, you're the Snopes of the board, and assumed it was bullshit.
Geez........btw, your link is to a site run by Mustang enthusiasts and is not affiliated with Ford Motor Company.
The next time I post something about the great Hayden Fry, I'll be sure to run it past someone who went to school 15 years after he left our campus.

That was out of line. I did not doubt a word of your post, I just went looking for more information on it because I thought it was an interesting story.

Green Means Go! · June 4, 2007

That was out of line. I did not doubt a word of your post, I just went looking for more information on it because I thought it was an interesting story.

Okay, I apologize then. I took your response the wrong way.

Mean Green 93-98 · June 4, 2007

Just a note to readers of this thread--I went back and read my posts in this thread, and saw why Green Means Go thought I was trying to cast doubt on his story. My first one

. . . And in return for the favor, SMU named their football stadium "Ford Stadium."

was just me being a smart aleck. I was not trying to imply that it was just as likely as the Hayden Fry/SMU story. In the second

I found a little something about that. It leaves off the part of Hayden Fry and the game against Michigan.

I was just seeing what else the Internet had to say about this good story. I probably left the wrong impression with others than Green Means Go as well--I will try not to leave the wrong impression in the future.

rcade · June 4, 2007

Thanks for feeling the need to verify my story, 93-98. Obviously, you're the Snopes of the board, and assumed it was bullshit.

That's a good assumption most of the time. When a story's this good, 99 percent of the time it's total BS. As a reader of Snopes.Com, you ought to appreciate that fact more than most.

What would that Mustang be worth today if he kept it? And how has SMU not made the naming of the Ford Mustang -- an incredible, legendary American car -- a well-known part of its lore?

ShopMeanGreen · June 4, 2007

I did watch NTSU football when Coach Fry was here and loved it. I would love to see him with some role in UNT football again...however, sure makes me less likely to like, want or buy a Mustang now with the story relating somehow back to SMU.

FirefightnRick · June 4, 2007

I bought my first car, this '66 Pony for $500 back in High School and have owned it ever since. So I have always kept great interest in the cars for many years. Although the official story from FoMoCo is that the final decision to name Ford's new '65 mid-sized muscle car the Mustang after the wildly successful WWII fighter plane, the P51 Mustang, I had heard of GMG's story above as well and often wondered if it were true. It now makes sense that since Iococca cut ties with Ford long ago that they wouldn't use that story today. However, I recall an interesting story that I read in my Mustang Monthly magezine last year about Ford turning up the heat on protecting it's trademark and thinking about what a rotten thing to do to so many loyal customers. Considering how far they are going, according to the story below, I wonder how far the logo protection will go as well?

http://www.mustangmonthly.com/thehistoryof...tang_trademark/

Rick

Edited June 4, 2007 by FirefightnRick

Green Means Go! · June 4, 2007

That's a good assumption most of the time. When a story's this good, 99 percent of the time it's total BS. As a reader of Snopes.Com, you ought to appreciate that fact more than most.
What would that Mustang be worth today if he kept it? And how has SMU not made the naming of the Ford Mustang -- an incredible, legendary American car -- a well-known part of its lore?

I don't know the answers to your questions.

All I do know, is that I asked Coach Fry if what I had heard was true. He confirmed everything that I had ever heard about the incident.

I have always known him to be an honorable, decent man. So, I believe him.

gksmith · June 5, 2007

. . . And in return for the favor, SMU named their football stadium "Ford Stadium."

I think that they named it for Gerald Ford...and not the Ford Moter Company.

Till I see actual credible documantation on this story...I have to call BS. That sounds pretty hokey. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, I just don't think it did.

:thumbdown:

PlummMeanGreen · June 5, 2007

I think that they named it for Gerald Ford...and not the Ford Moter Company.
Till I see actual credible documantation on this story...I have to call BS. That sounds pretty hokey. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, I just don't think it did.

Actually talked to an alum today who said the SMU/Ford Mustang story was even in Lee Iococa's autobiography.

NT80 · June 5, 2007

I think that they named it for Gerald Ford...and not the Ford Moter Company.
quote]
Gerald J Ford Stadium:
The building is named for Gerald J. Ford, a 1966 SMU graduate and a 1969 SMU Law graduate. Ford , a Texas panhandle native, now is the CEO, Chairman of the Board and a principal shareholder of a west coast bank. He donated $20 million toward the stadium that now bears his name. To answer a common question, Gerald J. Ford was never president of the United States of America. Gerald R. Ford followed Richard Nixon and preceded Jimmy Carter in that role. Incidentally, the "J." stands for Joseph.

Edited June 5, 2007 by NT80

ADLER · June 5, 2007

And once again the masses cry out "Oh Adler, please enlighten us to the truth".

Let's never let a few facts stand in the way of a good fable.

The Mustang name was suggested for the Ford concept car by designer John Najjar in 1961. Najjar, who had no college affiliation as he was hired by Ford in 1936 out of high school, was an avid WWII warbird enthusiest and intentionally incorporated similarities between his vehicle and the legendary P-51 Mustang. The Ford sports viehicle marketing group considered several other names (Cougar, Cheetah, Thunderbird II) before ultimately staying with Mustang.

The Mustang 1 concept car (with current logo) was already being displayed on college campuses throughout the midwest prior to the SMU-Michigan game in 1963, and marketing strategy and design were already complete for the initial production vehicles which first came off the assembly line on March 9, 1964.

The SMU logo during this period was also more of a 'bucking horse" style design. It wasn't until several years later (1968) that SMU changed to Ford's Mustang design. Many high schools across the country had alreay switched to Ford's running mustang logo and Ford never challenged any of them for copyright infringement. (The logo is still quite common for high schools) Ford had decided that it was all good publicity and didn't challenge any schools.

Now, if Hayden patronized somebody by saying "that's how the legend goes", or "that's what has been said" doesn't exactly make him a liar. It's a fun story, but nothing more.

Here's a site which has a few photos and links to the original Ford Mustangs. Please note that the quarterpanel logos of the 1962 Mustang 1 already incorporate the "running mustang" logo.

Ford Mustang

Edited June 5, 2007 by ADLER

UNT_playmaker · June 5, 2007

.

Edited June 5, 2007 by UNT_playmaker

ADLER · June 5, 2007

Also, Ford Motor Company sold Coach Fry the very first Mustang ever made for $1. (Coach said they had to charge him a $1 for tax reasons).
By the way, I asked him if he still has that car, and he said that he wished he did, but "no."

Also pure bullshit.

The first Mustang was sent to a dealership in Canada where it was for display purposes only. The car erroneously was sold that first week to a buyer who paid cash for the vehicle. Ford attempted to buy back the car, or trade for another but the buyer wouldn't budge.

In the early 2000s Ford was finally able to purchase the original car back for un undisclosed price. It was still in near immaculate condition, and now resides in the Henry Ford museum.

first Ford Mustang

PlummMeanGreen · June 5, 2007

And I always thought it was for the ex-President.
Green Means Go: Did I sware at you and call you a dirty lier? I said it sounds a little far fetched. Like EVERYTHING you read on the Internet HAS to be true. The proof you posted is a pretty reliable source. Your case is proven. But then to drop the F Bomb because someone doubts a story is just sad and wrong.

Peace! Brethren, Peace! :blink:

I do happen to know Green Means Go gives more money to UNT than probably about 20 of most of us on this board combined, so if he wants to use a few F bombs to get his point across, for heaven's sake let him use a few F bombs (albeit not his usual method of communicating).

Shit (can I say that), :rolleyes: some of you who weren't around in the 1970's might want to lay off Hayden Fry until you find somone with any semblance of a UNT affiliation who (themselves) have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as far as ex NT coaches are concerned. I count only one at this point in time, but hope Todd Dodge becomes the 2'nd with a UNT affiliation and if he does so because of what he did at UNT, even more power to Mean Green HFC Todd Dodge!

And as far as a Ford Mustang is concerned, it for damn sure beats any Buick I've ever seen or driven.

Edited June 5, 2007 by PlummMeanGreen

ADLER · June 5, 2007

Here's some documentation:
http://smumustangs.cstv.com/sports/m-footb...moments-60.html
Sorry, my word and the word of one of the principals in the event, wasn't ENOUGH for you non-believing MOTHER FUCKERS.
Fuck you GK Smith
Fuck you rcade.
Ban me from the board< Harry......with Trash like that on here, who cares to post anyway?

Would you like some Ketchup with that?

FirefightnRick · June 5, 2007

That's a pretty good find as I had never seen this photo before( probably because I had never given a rats @ss about it since I've been an owner of an ORIGINAL mustang for 27 years). The Mustang I being test driven by Dan Jones in late 1961. The the running horse logo is on the side in front of the drivers door.

I'd almost swear that from the back of the door on through the back of the rear quarter panel that it looks very similar to the corvair?

Also notice the huge air scoops on the sides? The mustang has retained smaller versions of those all these years although unlike this first prototype has never again used a rear, midship-mounted engine.

Good stuff.

Rick

Edited June 5, 2007 by FirefightnRick