Hugo Bezdek
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hugo Bezdek | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 1, 1884 |
| Place of birth |  Prague, Czech Republic |
| Date of death | September 19, 1952 |
| Place of death |  Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Position(s) | Head Coach |
| Career Record | 1-13 |
| Team(s) as a coach/administrator | |
| 1937-1938 | Cleveland Rams |
| Hugo Francis Bezdek | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sport | Football | |
| Career highlights | ||
| Overall | 127-58-16 | |
| Coaching stats | ||
| College Football DataWarehouse | ||
| Playing career | ||
| 1905 | Chicago | |
| Position | Fullback | |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | ||
| 1906, 1913-1917 1908-1912 1918-1929 1949 |
Oregon Arkansas Penn State Delaware Valley |
|
| College Football Hall of Fame, 1954 (Bio) | ||
Hugo Francis Bezdek (April 1, 1884 in Prague, Czech Republic – September 19, 1952 in Atlantic City, New Jersey) was a Czech-American sports figure in the first half of the 20th century.
Contents |
[edit] Coaching history
After playing as a fullback at the University of Chicago, Bezdek began his football coaching career at the University of Oregon in 1906 but left after a year to become head coach at the University of Arkansas. Arkansas athletic teams carried the name of Cardinals until the close of 1909 season. Coach Bezdek referred to his team as “a wild band of Razorbacks” at a post-season rally following an unbeaten season. This nickname has been applied to Arkansas teams since that time. After five seasons at Arkansas, he returned to Oregon for six seasons.
While coaching in Oregon he also served as a scout for Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, who hired him as their manager in the middle of the 1917 season. He managed the Pirates through 1919, achieving a 166-187 record.
While managing the Pirates he continued his football coaching career, moving from Oregon to Penn State in 1918; he was head coach there until 1929, amassing a 65-30-11 record that included two undefeated seasons and a Rose Bowl appearance. In the 1923 Rose Bowl, the Nittany Lions worked out in the Rose Bowl stadium, alternating with the Trojans. Lions coach Bezdek was noted for changing their play style frequently.[1]
He also served as athletic director from 1918 to 1936, was interim basketball coach in 1919 (garnering an 11-2 record), and director of the School of Physical Education and Athletics from 1930 to 1937.
In 1937 Bezdek was hired by the Cleveland Rams as their first head coach after the team joined the NFL. His career with the team was brief, ending 3 games into the 1938 season with an abysmal 1-13 record. Nevertheless, he holds the distinction of being the only person to have served as both manager of an MLB team and head coach in the NFL.
As a college football coach, Bezdek achieved an overall 127-58-16 record. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
[edit] Coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Bowl | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Ducks (1906, 1913 – 1917) | ||||||||
| 1906 | Oregon | 5-0-1 | ||||||
| 1913 | Oregon | 3-3-1 | ||||||
| 1914 | Oregon | 4-2-1 | ||||||
| 1915 | Oregon | 7-2-0 | ||||||
| 1916 | Oregon | 7-0-1 | W Rose | |||||
| 1917 | Oregon | 4-3-0 | ||||||
| Oregon: | 30-10-4 | |||||||
| Arkansas Razorbacks (1908 – 1912) | ||||||||
| 1908 | Arkansas | 5-4-0 | ||||||
| 1909 | Arkansas | 7-0-0 | ||||||
| 1910 | Arkansas | 7-1-0 | ||||||
| 1911 | Arkansas | 6-2-1 | ||||||
| 1912 | Arkansas | 4-6-0 | ||||||
| Arkansas: | 29-13-1 | |||||||
| Mare Island Marines (1917) | ||||||||
| 1917 | Mare Island | 1-0 | W Rose | |||||
| Mare Island: | 1-0-0 | |||||||
| Penn State Nittany Lions (1918 – 1929) | ||||||||
| 1918 | Penn State | 1-2-1 | ||||||
| 1919 | Penn State | 7-1-0 | ||||||
| 1920 | Penn State | 7-0-2 | ||||||
| 1921 | Penn State | 8-0-2 | ||||||
| 1922 | Penn State | 6-4-1 | L Rose | |||||
| 1923 | Penn State | 6-2-1 | ||||||
| 1924 | Penn State | 6-3-1 | ||||||
| 1925 | Penn State | 4-4-1 | ||||||
| 1926 | Penn State | 5-4-0 | ||||||
| 1927 | Penn State | 6-2-1 | ||||||
| 1928 | Penn State | 3-5-1 | ||||||
| 1929 | Penn State | 6-3-0 | ||||||
| Penn State: | 65-30-11 | |||||||
| Delaware Valley Aggies (1949) | ||||||||
| 1949 | Delaware Valley | 2-5-0 | ||||||
| Delaware Valley: | 2-5-0 | |||||||
| Total: | 127-58-16 | |||||||
[edit] See also
- List of College Football Hall of Fame inductees (coaches)
- List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association
- Penn State Nittany Lions football under Hugo Bezdek
- Arkansas Razorbacks football, 1900-1909 and 1910-1919
[edit] References
- Hugo Bezdek Managerial Record. Sports Reference, Inc.. Retrieved on 2005-12-05.
- College Football Hall of Fame: Hugo Bezdek. College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
- Hugo F. Bezdek Records by Year. College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved on 2007-02-28.
- ^ COACH BEZDEK CHANGES TEAM'S STYLE OF PLAY FOR THIRD TIME TROJANS TO TACKLE A REORGANIZED ELEVEN; Nittany Lions to Take Field With Almost a Completely New Bunch of Regulars. Los Angeles Times, December 27, 1922. Hugo "Spinx" Bezdek, commander-in-chief of the Penn State football squad, which is to meet the University of Southern California in the annual East-West Tournament of Roses New Year's Day game, changes the style of his eleven's play almost as much as a woman changes her mind.
| Preceded by Bruce Shorts Louis Pinkham |
University of Oregon Head Coach 1906 1913-1917 |
Succeeded by Gordon Frost Shy Huntington |
| Preceded by Frank Longman |
University of Arkansas Head Coach 1908-1912 |
Succeeded by E. T. Pickering |
| Preceded by Honus Wagner |
Pittsburgh Pirates Manager 1917–1919 |
Succeeded by George Gibson |
| Preceded by Dick Harlow |
Penn State Nittany Lions Head Football Coach 1918-1929 |
Succeeded by Bob Higgins |
| Preceded by Damon Wetzel |
Cleveland Rams Head Coach 1937-1938 |
Succeeded by Dutch Clark |
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