Thad "Pie" Vann (September 22, 1907 â September 7, 1982) was an American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Southern MississippiâÂÂknown as Mississippi Southern College prior to 1962âÂÂfrom 1949 to 1968. During his tenure, he compiled a 139âÂÂ59âÂÂ2 record and helped transform Mississippi Southern into one of the nation's elite programs. His only losing season came in 1968, after 19 consecutive winning seasons. His 1953 team went 9âÂÂ2, including a major upset against Alabama. His 1954 team went 6âÂÂ4 and upset Alabama once again. He was also the head baseball coach at Mississippi Southern from 1948 to 1949, tallying a mark of 21âÂÂ21. Van died on September 7, 1982, at Veterans Administration Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, following long illness. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987.