ST. PAUL, Minn. – Don Hudson, the first African American head football coach at a predominantly white college in the modern era, passed away at the age of 88 on September 30 in Charlotte, N.C. Mr. Hudson was Macalester's head football coach from 1972 to 1975.

After serving as an assistant coach in Missouri at the high school and collegiate levels, Mr. Hudson was hired as the head football coach at Minneapolis Central High School in 1968, becoming the first African American football coach in the city conference. He came to Macalester as an assistant coach in 1970, and was hired as the head coach in December of 1971. At the time, no other college football team outside of the historically black colleges and universities had been led by an African American in the modern era.

Mr. Hudson left Macalester in 1975 to return as head coach of his alma mater, Lincoln University. He later was a teacher and coach in Colorado.

In 2007, Macalester welcomed back Mr. Hudson, his family and former players to honor him at halftime of a football game. In 2008, following the completion of the Leonard Center, the football coach's office was named the Coach Don Hudson Football Office.

"Every day I see his name on my wall and I'm consistently reminded of the legacy he left," current head coach Tony Jennison said. "It inspires me to help the young men in our program to lead lives of integrity and purpose, and to try to make the world a better place."

A memorial service for Mr. Hudson will be held on November 2 at 1:00 p.m. at Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, 3355 North 4th Street in Minneapolis.