The defense behind the 1976 championship
The Industrial Bowl account says Corlew worked with the Greenbrier defense while Donnie Jones handled the offensive line. The night began with a goal-line stand after an interception and ended 35–6.
23–18 · 716–596 · nine shutout wins
Corlew began 5–1 in 1979, produced four shutouts and a positive point margin in 1980, then reached 8–3 and the Industrial Bowl in 1981. Greenbrier entered the closing stretch of 1982 at 5–2.
1979–1987 · 35–57
The school coaching record lists Corlew as head coach for nine seasons after five years as a Greenbrier assistant. The 1981 team remains the high point by wins in that head-coaching run.
The complete Corlew arc
Corlew’s nine Greenbrier seasons total 35–57. The run opened with back-to-back 5–5 teams, peaked at 8–3 and an Industrial Bowl berth in 1981, reached its low at 0–10 in 1984 and answered with five wins and the 1985 Tobacco Bowl.
His closing five seasons, 1983–87, went 12–39. Within that difficult stretch, the 1985 rebound and the 1986 team’s late playoff chance stand as the major recoveries. The 1987 Portland game closed his head-coaching tenure.
