Alva Tabor Jr. was an American football player and coach whose career spanned collegiate and professional leagues during the mid-to-late twentieth century. Born in 1925, Tabor established himself as a dedicated leader on the sidelines, serving as the head coach for several prominent historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). His head coaching tenure included leadership roles at Wiley College from 1954 to 1955, Fort Valley State University from 1957 to 1959, Southern University from 1969 to 1971, and Virginia State University in 1980. Over his collegiate head coaching career, he compiled a lifetime record of 39–40–4.
In addition to his head coaching roles, Tabor contributed significantly to collegiate athletics as an assistant coach. He worked as an assistant at Southern University from 1962 to 1966, helping to develop the program before transitioning to the professional ranks. In 1967, he made the leap to the National Football League (NFL), where he served as a scout and assistant coach for the New Orleans Saints.
Tabor achieved a historic milestone in 1972 when he was hired by the Cleveland Browns as an assistant coach in charge of special teams. This appointment made him the first African-American to be hired as a full-time coach in the franchise's history. Through his pioneering roles in both collegiate and professional football, Tabor broke barriers and left a lasting legacy in the sport before his passing in August 2002.
