Remembering Bill Oliver: 'He would always build you up'

AUBURN, Ala. – Unbeaten Florida came to Jordan-Hare Stadium in November of 1969 expecting to pass its way to another high-scoring victory, but the Gators were in for a record-setting shock. 

Auburn defensive backs coach Bill “Brother” Oliver had a plan and the players to pull it off. Florida quarterback John Reaves threw 66 passes that day. Auburn intercepted nine of them, an NCAA record that stands 56 years later.

Oliver, who enjoyed two successful stints as an Auburn assistant coach and served as the Tigers’ interim head coach in 1998, passed away Sunday at the age of 85. 

“Brother Oliver came up with a defense,” recalled All-American Buddy McClinton, who made two of the Tigers’ interceptions in Auburn’s 38-12 win. “We absolutely drove them crazy. It was magical. He was just that smart. He was ahead of his time.”

An early devotee of film study and a mastermind at identifying opponents’ tendencies, Oliver devised a plan to neutralize the speed of Florida All-American receiver Carlos Alvarez.

“’How did y’all know what we were going to do? Y’all knew every play we were going to run before we ran it,’” Alvarez said to McClinton at a postseason awards event. “I explained to him how Brother Oliver had broken down the film, the tendencies, and came up with a scheme. When the ball came, I was sitting there waiting for it. It drove them crazy. Alvarez said they had never seen anything like it.

“When we came up on anybody, we knew exactly what to expect.”

A two-sport letterwinner at Alabama, Oliver began his coaching career at Guntersville High School in Alabama before joining Shug Jordan’s Auburn staff to coach defensive backs from 1966-70. 

“He made such an impression on me, the secondary and the entire defense,” said McClinton, who made an Auburn record nine interceptions in 1969 and holds the program career record with 18 interceptions. “His enthusiasm was through the roof. It was one of total encouragement. He would always build you up.”

“Brother Oliver plays an important part in Auburn football history,” said former Auburn sports information director and athletic director David Housel. “Brother Oliver’s defense, especially his pass defense, were major factors in Auburn’s renaissance during the late ‘60s.

“He added to the defense what Terry Beasley and Pat Sullivan added to the offense. His players loved him and rightly so.”

Sorrowed by the news of Coach Bill Oliver passing. I would not have been an Auburn Tiger if not for him. He was the most prepared, detailed coach I ever played for and was able to squeeze more out of players because he positioned and prepared us for success. Love you Coach!

— Rob Pate (@robpate) April 14, 2025

Born Nov. 1, 1939, in Epes, Alabama, in Sumter County, Oliver was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. 

Oliver returned to his alma mater from 1971-79 before becoming the head coach at Chattanooga from 1980-83.

“Brother was a good man,” Housel said. “He was my friend and he contributed greatly to the success of Auburn football during his time. When he went back to Alabama, he contributed to some painful memories and Auburn disappointment, but that’s part of the game.”

After six additional seasons at Alabama in the 1990s, Oliver returned to the Plains as defensive coordinator from 1996-98, assuming head coaching responsibilities following Terry Bowden’s mid-season resignation and leading the Tigers to a 2-3 record before retiring from coaching. 

“After the 1995 season, when Terry Bowden hired Brother away from Alabama, in one of the most stunning moves of that era, it was a shocker to people on both sides of the divide,” Housel said. “Brother came back and helped Terry to some good years, particularly in 1997 when Auburn won the SEC West.”

As a player and coach, Oliver won five national championships and 10 SEC championships along with three ACC titles in four seasons at Clemson. 

“I’m heartbroken about his loss,” McClinton said. “He wasn’t just a great coach. He was a dear friend.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer