Read the full stored bill text
S. R. No. 128 *SS08/R1668* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2
26/SS08/R1668
PAGE 1 (rdd\tb)
To: Rules
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026
By: Senator(s) Michel, Hopson, Boyd,
Chassaniol, Sparks, Suber, Parks, McCaughn,
McLendon
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 128
A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES OF THE 1
MISSISSIPPI SENATE TO THE SURVIVING FAMILY OF LEGENDARY UNIVERSITY 2
OF MISSISSIPPI ATHLETICS DIRECTOR WARNER ALFORD, JR., OF MCCOMB, 3
MISSISSIPPI. 4
WHEREAS, we join the Ole Miss family in mourning the passing 5
of legendary former Ole Miss Athletics Director Warner Alford, 6
Jr., on March 27, 2026; and 7
WHEREAS, a student-athlete, coach, and administrator, Alford 8
has been recognized for his success and dedication to Ole Miss 9
athletics. He was inducted into the M-Club Alumni Hall of Fame in 10
1999, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, the University 11
of Mississippi Alumni Hall of Fame in 2009, and the National 12
Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Hall of 13
Fame in 2018. In 2018, he received the University of Mississippi 14
Alumni Service Award. The School of Business Administration at 15
the University of Mississippi inducted Alford into its inaugural 16
Hall of Fame in 2024. He was also honored with the Service Award 17
for his numerous contributions to the school; and 18
S. R. No. 128 *SS08/R1668* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1668
PAGE 2 (rdd\tb)
WHEREAS, a guard for legendary Head Coach John Vaught, Alford 19
and quarterback Jake Gibbs were permanent co-captains of the 1960 20
squad, defeating the Rice University Owls 14-6 in the Sugar Bowl, 21
and were named National Champions by the Football Writers 22
Association of America (FWAA). The Rebels also won the 1960 23
Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship with a 5-0-1 league 24
record; and 25
WHEREAS, graduating with a BBA degree in June of 1961, Alford 26
was a young business executive in McComb for four years. In 1965, 27
he decided that he wanted to return to football. After earning 28
his Master's degree in Economics, he joined the collegiate 29
coaching ranks at Davidson College in North Carolina, where he 30
served 14 months as defensive coordinator before spending the next 31
three years as an assistant coach at Georgia Tech. Alford 32
returned to Ole Miss after six years, when he was named the 33
Rebels' defensive line coach in 1971 and served in that position 34
for three seasons; and 35
WHEREAS, in 1974, Alford was named Assistant Director of 36
Athletics and Director of Rebel Recruiting. In 1977, he 37
relinquished his recruiting duties in order to devote full 38
attention to administrative duties, before being named Director of 39
Athletics in 1978; and 40
WHEREAS, during his 16 years as director, Alford helped 41
produce one of the nation's finest athletics programs, including 42
progress on the fields of competition, in the classroom, and in 43
S. R. No. 128 *SS08/R1668* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1668
PAGE 3 (rdd\tb)
facilities. With the culmination of the Drive for Athletics, a 44
$10-Million-Dollar effort, Vaught‑Hemingway Stadium received a 45
major facelift, a new press box, and 29 sky boxes. Included in 46
the stadium project was the addition of a lighting system 47
installed in the summer of 1990, bringing night football to the 48
campus. Additionally, 7,000 end zone seats were installed and 49
natural grass replaced the artificial turf; and 50
WHEREAS, Alford oversaw the construction of Swayze Field, a 51
new tennis center, renovations to the golf course and the track 52
facility. Also constructed during his tenure was the capstone of 53
the Drive for Athletics, a $3.5-Million-Dollar Athletics Training 54
Center addition to the "Doc" Knight Field House; and 55
WHEREAS, Alford's efforts did not stop with physical 56
improvements. When he took over as athletics director in 1978, 57
Ole Miss sponsored eight sports, increasing that number to 15 when 58
he left the position in 1994, including eight sports for men and 59
seven sports for women. Alford also served on the committee to 60
formulate plans to bring women's athletics into the Southeastern 61
Conference; and 62
WHEREAS, a strong leader in the field of athletics, Alford 63
served on the NCAA Council, as President-elect of the Division I-A 64
Athletics Directors Association, as the first Vice President of 65
the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics 66
(NACDA), as Chair of the CFA Athletic Directors Committee, and was 67
a member of the CFA Board of Directors. He was also a member of 68
S. R. No. 128 *SS08/R1668* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1668
PAGE 4 (rdd\tb)
the NCAA Professional Sports Liaison Committee, a member of the 69
NCAA Honors Committee, and a member of the NCAA Certification 70
Committee. Alford served on the Southeastern Conference Executive 71
Committee, was on the SEC Basketball Tournament Site Selection 72
Committee and on the CFA Television Committee; and 73
WHEREAS, after retiring as Director of Athletics in 1994, 74
Alford returned to Ole Miss and held positions as Executive 75
Assistant for Development for the University of Mississippi 76
Foundation, coordinator of external programs for the Trent Lott 77
Leadership Institute and worked with the Ole Miss First 78
scholarship program. He served as Executive Director of the Ole 79
Miss Alumni Association from 2004 to 2008, overseeing significant 80
growth in the club program and the addition of the tower to The 81
Inn at Ole Miss; and 82
WHEREAS, in 2013, to honor the Alford's longtime service and 83
lasting contributions, the University of Mississippi Foundation 84
created the Warner and Kay Alford Ole Miss Opportunity Endowment 85
with a $50,000.00 gift and invited alumni and friends to help 86
build the fund. Annual income from the endowment provides Ole 87
Miss Opportunity scholarships to academically deserving students 88
from lower-income families in Mississippi. 89
WHEREAS, Alford married the former Kay Swayze of Oxford, 90
Mississippi, on February 11, 1961. After almost 64 years of 91
marriage, Kay passed away on February 3, 2025. They have three 92
children: Swayze Alford (Melinda), John Alford III (Michelle), 93
S. R. No. 128 *SS08/R1668* ~ OFFICIAL ~
26/SS08/R1668
PAGE 5 (rdd\tb)
ST: Extend condolences of Mississippi Senate on
the passing of former Ole Miss Athletic Director
Warner Alford, Jr.
and Phyllis Alford Daniels (Darrell); grandchildren: Lilly, Grace 94
(Christian), Grant, Clayton, John Swayze, John Warner, and Jude; 95
and 96
WHEREAS, we pay tribute and cherish fondly the memory of this 97
most dedicated university athlete and administrator whose enormous 98
civic energy will be missed: 99
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF 100
MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby extend the heartfelt condolences of 101
the Mississippi Senate to the surviving family of legendary 102
University of Mississippi Athletic Director Warner Alford, Jr., of 103
McComb, Mississippi, and recognize his lasting impact on the 104
University of Mississippi and on our state. 105
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to 106
the surviving family of Warner Alford, forwarded to the Chancellor 107
of the University of Mississippi, and made available to the 108
Capitol Press Corps. 109