Hall of Fame

Felton Gayles

  • Class
  • Induction
    2001
  • Sport(s)
    Football , Administration
  • Arkansas Pine-Bluff
  • Caesar Felton “Zip” Gayles (May 22, 1900 – November 5, 1986) was a highly successful coach whose career had a lasting impact on historically Black College Athletics and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
  • He served as head football coach at Langston University from 1930 to 1957, leading his teams to seven SWAC championships, and coached the Langston basketball program from 1930 to 1965, compiling a remarkable 571–281 record.
  • Gayles’ leadership, strategic acumen, and sustained excellence in both football and basketball established him as one of the most influential figures associated with the SWAC era and a pioneer in developing competitive Black college athletics.