{{Short description|American football coach (1925–1983)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Cleophus Hatcher | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|6|18}} | birth_place = | death_date = August 1983 | death_place = | alma_mater = | player_sport1 = Football | player_years2 = late 1940s | player_team2 = West Virginia State | player_sport3 = Baseball | player_years4 = late 1940s | player_team4 = West Virginia State | player_sport5 = Track and field | player_years6 = late 1940s | player_team6 = West Virginia State | player_positions = Tackle | coach_sport1 = Football | coach_years2 = 1951 | coach_team2 = Claflin | coach_years3 = 1953 | coach_team3 = Mississippi Vocational | coach_years4 = 1956–1957 | coach_team4 = Morris | coach_years5 = 1962–1965 | coach_team5 = Howard (backfield) | coach_years6 = 1966–1968 | coach_team6 = Cheyney | overall_record = 18–35–2 | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = | coaching_records = }} '''Cleophus C. Hatcher''' (June 18, 1925 – August 1983)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fold3.com/record/52342272-cleophus-hatcher|title=Cleophus Hatcher|publisher=Fold3|access-date=November 28, 2019}}</ref> was an American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Claflin College (now known as Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Mississippi Vocational College (now known as Mississippi Valley State University) in Itta Bena, Mississippi, Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina, and Cheyney State Teachers College (now known as Cheyney University of Pennsylvania) in Cheyney, Pennsylvania.
Hatcher attended West Virginia State University, where he played football as a tackle. There he also played baseball and ran track. He later did graduate work at West Virginia University.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Cleophus Hatcher Named Claflin College Coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31833402/alabama_tribune/ |newspaper=Alabama Tribune |location=Montgomery, Alabama |date=September 28, 1951 |page=6 |access-date=May 22, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Solomon |first=James |title=Hornets Hopeful |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-item/128402262/ |newspaper=The Item |location=Sumter, South Carolina |date=August 22, 1956 |page=11 |access-date=July 17, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Cheyney College Replaces Coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31833641/shamokin_newsdispatch/ |newspaper=Shamokin News-Dispatch |location=Shamokin, Pennsylvania |agency=Associated Press |date=August 27, 1966 |page=9 |access-date=May 22, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref> Hatcher was the executive secretary of the Shenago Street branch of the YMCA in New Castle, Pennsylvania for four years before being hired, in 1962, as a teacher and coach at Howard University in Washington, D.C.<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Cleophus Hatcher Accepts Position With University |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-castle-news/195400880/ |newspaper=New Castle News |location=New Castle, Pennsylvania |date=August 29, 1962 |page=2 |access-date=April 12, 2026 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref>
==Head coaching record== {{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Claflin Panthers | conf = Southeastern Athletic Conference | startyear = 1951 | endyear = single }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1951 | name = Claflin | overall = 4–4–1 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Claflin | overall = 4–4–1 | confrecord = }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Mississippi Vocational Delta Devils | conf = Independent | startyear = 1953 | endyear = single }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1953 | name = Mississippi Vocational | overall = 2–4 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Mississippi Vocational | overall = 2–4 | confrecord = }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Morris Hornets | conf = Southeastern Athletic Conference | startyear = 1956 | endyear = 1957 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1956 | name = Morris | overall = 1–7–1 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1957 | name = Morris | overall = 4–4 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Morris | overall = 5–11–1 | confrecord = }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Cheyney Wolves | conf = Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference | startyear = 1966 | endyear = 1968 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1966 | name = Cheyney | overall = 4–3 | conference = 3–3 | confstanding = T–3rd <small>(Eastern)</small> | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1967 | name = Cheyney | overall = 3–5 | conference = 1–5 | confstanding = T–6th <small>(Eastern)</small> | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1968 | name = Cheyney | overall = 0–8 | conference = 0–6 | confstanding = 7th <small>(Eastern)</small> | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Cheyney | overall = 7–16 | confrecord = 4–14 }} {{CFB Yearly Record End | overall = 18–35–2 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no }} <ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=NCAA Statistics; Coach; Cleophus Hatcher |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/people/35313 |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=April 12, 2026 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Claflin Panthers football coach navbox}} {{Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football coach navbox}} {{Morris Hornets football coach navbox}} {{Cheyney Wolves football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatcher, Cleophus}} Category:1925 births Category:1983 deaths Category:American football tackles Category:Claflin Panthers football coaches Category:Cheyney Wolves football coaches Category:Howard Bison football coaches Category:Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football coaches Category:Morris Hornets football coaches Category:West Virginia State Yellow Jackets baseball players Category:West Virginia State Yellow Jackets football players Category:West Virginia State Yellow Jackets men's track and field athletes Category:West Virginia University alumni Category:YMCA leaders Category:African-American coaches of American football Category:African-American track and field athletes Category:American men track and field athletes Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen Category:20th-century American sportsmen
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