What Is 1941 Tulane Green Wave football

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Last updated: April 14, 2026

Quick Answer: The 1941 Tulane Green Wave football team represented Tulane University during the 1941 college football season, finishing with a 5–4 record under head coach Ted Cox, playing their home games at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.

Key Facts

1941 Tulane Green Wave finished with a 5–4 overall record
Team played home games at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans
Head coach Ted Cox led the team in his second season
Played as an independent with no conference affiliation
Outscored opponents 129 to 86 on the season

Overview

The 1941 Tulane Green Wave football team represented Tulane University during the 1941 college football season. Competing as an independent, the team was led by head coach Ted Cox in his second year at the helm and played its home games at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans.

The season reflected a modest improvement from the previous year, though the team failed to secure a bowl invitation. Despite a balanced schedule featuring regional rivals and national programs, the Green Wave finished with a losing record, highlighting inconsistencies on both offense and defense.

Tulane finished the 1941 season with a 5–4 overall record, showing slight improvement from their 4–5 mark in 1940.
The team played as an independent, meaning they were not affiliated with any conference, which was common for Southern schools at the time.
Home games were held at Tulane Stadium, a 30,000-seat venue that opened in 1926 and served as the Green Wave's home for decades.
Head coach Ted Cox led the program through a transitional period, compiling a 5–4 record in his second and final full season before World War II disrupted college football.
Tulane was outscored 129 to 86 over the course of the season, indicating defensive struggles despite several close contests.

Season Performance

The 1941 campaign featured a challenging non-conference schedule typical of independent programs aiming for national recognition. Tulane faced a mix of regional and national opponents, including several teams from the Southeastern region.

September 27: Defeated Mississippi College 26–0, opening the season with a dominant shutout performance led by a strong rushing attack.
October 4: Lost to Tennessee 19–0, falling to a powerful Volunteers squad that finished the season ranked No. 2 nationally.
October 11: Beat Texas Tech 19–13, securing a narrow victory over a solid Southwest Conference opponent on a muddy field.
October 25: Lost to Alabama 20–7, struggling against a Crimson Tide team known for its physical style of play.
November 8: Defeated Rice 14–7, rebounding with a key win against a Southwest Conference foe in a hard-fought contest.
November 15: Lost to LSU 19–7, dropping a crucial in-state rivalry game before a packed crowd in New Orleans.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a comparison of Tulane’s 1941 season against key performance metrics from the previous and following years.

Season	Record (W-L)	Head Coach	Points For	Points Against	Bowl Game
1939	6–4	Red Dawson	147	93	No
1940	4–5	Ted Cox	98	105	No
1941	5–4	Ted Cox	129	86	No
1942	5–4	Ted Cox	121	107	No
1943	2–4	Raymond Wolf	76	109	No

The table illustrates that the 1941 season marked a stabilization under Ted Cox, with a slight uptick in scoring and defensive performance compared to 1940. However, the lack of a bowl game and inconsistency against top-tier opponents limited the team's legacy. The war years soon after would further disrupt the program’s continuity.

Why It Matters

The 1941 season is a snapshot of Tulane football during a transformative era, just before World War II significantly impacted collegiate athletics. It reflects the challenges faced by Southern independents striving for national relevance without conference backing.

Pre-war transition: The 1941 season was one of the last before wartime enlistments depleted rosters and led to temporary program suspensions at many schools.
Independent status limitations: Without a conference, Tulane lacked automatic bowl tie-ins and struggled to gain national rankings despite competitive showings.
Development of Tulane Stadium: The venue became a key site for college football and later hosted the Sugar Bowl, enhancing Tulane’s regional profile.
Coaching continuity issues: Ted Cox’s tenure was interrupted by the war, exemplifying how global events reshaped college sports leadership.
Rivalry intensity: The annual LSU game drew major local attention, cementing the in-state rivalry as a cornerstone of Tulane’s football culture.
Historical context: The 1941 season occurred just months before the U.S. entered WWII, making it a cultural and athletic marker of a bygone era.

While not one of Tulane’s most celebrated seasons, the 1941 campaign remains a documented chapter in the program’s long history, illustrating resilience and regional pride during uncertain times.