Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

. He served as the head football coach at the International

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

Training School (now called Springfield College) (1890–1891), the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

(1892–1932), and the College of the Pacific (1933–1946), compiling a career

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

record of . His undefeated

Chicago Maroons The Chicago Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon. Team colors are maroon and gray, and the Phoenix is their mascot. They now compete in the NCAA Division III, mostly as ...

teams of 1905 and 1913 were recognized as

national champions National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...

. He was also the head

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

coach for one season at Chicago (1920–1921), and the Maroons' head

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

coach for nineteen seasons (1893–1905, 1907–1913). At Chicago, Stagg also instituted an annual prep basketball tournament and track meet. Both drew the top high school teams and athletes from around the United States. Stagg played football as an

end End, END, Ending, or variation, may refer to: End *In mathematics: ** End (category theory) ** End (topology) **End (graph theory) ** End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) **End (endomorphism) *In sports and games **End (gridiron footbal ...

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and was selected to the first

All-America Team The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

in 1889. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach in the charter class of 1951 and was the only individual honored in both roles until the 1990s. Influential in other sports, Stagg developed basketball as a five-player sport. This five-man concept allowed his 10 (later 11) man football team the ability to compete with each other and to stay in shape over the winter. Stagg was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in its first group of inductees in 1959, and was elected Fellow #71 in the National Academy of Kinesiology (formerly American Academy of Physical Education) in 1946. Stagg also forged a bond between sports and religious faith early in his career that remained important to him for the rest of his life.

Early years

Stagg was born in a poor

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

neighborhood of

West Orange, New Jersey West Orange is a suburban township in Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from the 46,207 counted in the 2010 Census.

, and attended

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

Yale

Stagg entered Yale University in 1884 and received his bachelor's degree in 1888. He spent two additional years at Yale studying in the Divinity School under

William Rainey Harper William Rainey Harper (July 24, 1856 – January 10, 1906) was an American academic leader, an accomplished semiticist, and Baptist clergyman. Harper helped to establish both the University of Chicago and Bradley University and served as the ...

before deciding he could have more influence on young men through coaching than through the pulpit. He was very active in the Yale YMCA where he served as general secretary during his last two years.

Baseball

Stagg was a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

; he declined the offers to play for six different professional baseball teams. He nonetheless influenced the game through his invention of the

batting cage A batting cage (or tunnel) is an enclosed area for baseball or softball players to practice the skill of batting. The optimal material for batting cages is netting, and they are typically rectangular in shape. Chain-link fence is not required bu ...

Football

Stagg played on the 1888 team, and was an end on the first

in 1889.

Springfield

Stagg later gave up his desire for the ministry and decided to become a coach and athletic director. He spent two years at the International YMCA Training School , now known as Springfield College, from 1890 to 1892.

Basketball

Basketball had been invented in 1891 by

James Naismith James Naismith (; November 6, 1861November 28, 1939) was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball. After moving to the United States, he wrote ...

, a teacher at the YMCA School in Springfield. On March 11, 1892, Stagg, still an instructor at the YMCA School, played in the first public game of basketball. A crowd of 200 watched as the student team defeated the faculty, 5–1. Stagg scored the only basket for the losing side. He popularized the five-player lineup on basketball teams.

Coaching career

Stagg became the first paid football coach at

Williston Seminary Williston Northampton School (simply referred to as Williston) is a private, co-educational, day and boarding college-preparatory school in Easthampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1841. History Williston Seminary was ...

, a

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...

, in 1890. This was also Stagg's first time receiving pay to coach football. He coached there one day a week while also coaching full-time at the International YMCA Training School. Stagg then coached at the

from 1892 to 1932. He was the head football coach and director of the Department of Physical Culture.Shprintzen, Adam D. (2013). ''The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of an American Reform Movement, 1817-1921''. University of North Carolina Press. p. 199. Eventually, university president

Robert Maynard Hutchins Robert Maynard Hutchins (January 17, 1899 – May 14, 1977) was an American educational philosopher. He was president (1929–1945) and chancellor (1945–1951) of the University of Chicago, and earlier dean of Yale Law School (1927–1929). His& ...

forced out the 70-year-old Stagg, who he felt was too old to continue coaching. At age 70, Stagg moved on to the College of the Pacific in

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquir ...

, where he led the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus ''Panthera''. It is most recognisable for its dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. An apex predator, it primarily preys on un ...

for 14 seasons, from 1933 through 1946, then was asked to resign. One of his players at Pacific in 1945-46 was Hall of Fame coach of Navy and Temple Wayne Hardin. In the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, Stagg served as a coach with the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team. He played himself in the movie ''

Knute Rockne, All American ''Knute Rockne, All American'' is a 1940 American biographical film that tells the story of Knute Rockne, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame's legendary football coach. It stars Pat O'Brien (actor), Pat O'Brien as Rockne and Ronald Reagan as pl ...

'', released in 1940. From 1947 to 1952 he served as co-coach with his son, Amos Jr., at

Susquehanna University Susquehanna University is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Its name is derived from the original Susquehannock settlers of the region. Founded in 1858 as a m ...

in Pennsylvania. Stagg's final job was as kicking coach at the local junior college in Stockton, California, which was then known as Stockton College. "The Grand Old Man of Football" retired from Stockton College at the age of 96 and died in Stockton six years later.

Vegetarianism

Stagg was reportedly an activist for vegetarianism and banned his players from using alcohol and tobacco.Mcthenia, Tal. (2018)
"How a Football Team Became Mascots for Vegetarianism"
Atlasobscura.com. Retrieved 6 October 2021. In 1907, he trained his Chicago football team on a strict vegetarian diet. This was widely reported in newspapers and vegetarian literature. Stagg had spent time at the vegetarian

Battle Creek Sanitarium The Battle Creek Sanitarium was a world-renowned health resort in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. It started in 1866 on health principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and from 1876 to 1943 was managed by Dr. John H ...

in 1907 and was inspired by

John Harvey Kellogg John Harvey Kellogg (February 26, 1852 – December 14, 1943) was an American medical doctor, nutritionist, inventor, health activist, eugenicist, and businessman. He was the director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. The ...

's vegetarian diet. Although Stagg was cited in vegetarian literature as advocating a strict vegetarian diet throughout his life, in his memoir he stated that he was a vegetarian for only two years and did it in an attempt to relieve his chronic

sciatic The sciatic nerve, also called the ischiadic nerve, is a large nerve in humans and other vertebrate animals which is the largest branch of the sacral plexus and runs alongside the hip joint and down the lower limb. It is the longest and widest s ...

pain. Stagg did not consume alcohol, coffee, or cigarettes and promoted the consumption of vegetables over red meat.

Family

Stagg was married to the former Stella Robertson on September 10, 1894. The couple had three children: two sons, Amos Jr. and

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

, and a daughter, Ruth. Both sons played for the elder Stagg as

quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...

s at the University of Chicago and each later coached college football. In 1952, Barbara Stagg, Amos' granddaughter, started coaching the high school girls'

team for

Northern Lehigh High School Northern Lehigh High School is a public high school located in Slatington, Pennsylvania. It is the only high school in the Northern Lehigh School District. Students in grades 9 through 12 from Slatington, Pennsylvania, Slatington, Walnutport, Penn ...

Slatington, Pennsylvania Slatington is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census, it had a population of 4,232. Slatington is located northwest of Allentown, Pennsylvania ...

Legacy

Two high schools in the United States, one in

Palos Hills, Illinois Palos Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago. The city was established in 1958 and had reached a population of 18,530 in the 2020 census. It is the home of Moraine Valley Community College as ...

, and the

other Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and an elementary school in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, are named after Stagg. The

NCAA Division III National Football Championship The NCAA Division III Football Championship began in 1973. The Division III playoffs begin with 32 teams selected to participate in the Division III playoffs. The Division III championship game, known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl or Stagg Bowl ...

game, played in Salem, Virginia, is named the Stagg Bowl after him. The athletic stadium at Springfield College is named Stagg Field. The football field at

is named Amos Alonzo Stagg Field in honor of both Stagg Sr. and Jr. Stagg was also the namesake of the University of Chicago's old Stagg Field. At University of the Pacific in

, one of the campus streets is known as Stagg Way and Pacific Memorial Stadium, the school's football and soccer stadium, was renamed Amos Alonzo Stagg Memorial Stadium on October 15, 1988.

also has a field named for him and a statue. A field in

on Saint Cloud Avenue is also named for him. The

Amos Alonzo Stagg Award :''There is a separate " Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award". The Amos Alonzo Stagg Award is presented annually by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to the "individual, group or institution whose services have been outstanding in t ...

is awarded annually to the "individual, group, or institution whose services have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football." The winner of the

Big Ten Football Championship Game The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The game, held after the regular season has been completed, matches the division champions ...

, started in 2011, receives the Stagg Championship Trophy, named in his honor. At the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (officially The College of William and Mary in Virginia, abbreviated as William & Mary, W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693 by letters patent issued by King William III ...

, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Society was organized during 1979–1980 by students and faculty opposed to a plan by the institution's Board of Visitors to move William and Mary back into big-time college football several decades after a scandal there involving grade changes for football players. The Society was loosely organized but successful in combating, among other plans, a major expansion of the William and Mary football stadium. Collections of Amos Alonzo Stagg's papers are held at the University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center and at the University of the Pacific Library, Holt Atherton Department of Special Collections. The Alonzo Stagg 50/20 Hike goes through

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

. The

Stagg Tree Stagg is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Amos Alonzo Stagg (1862–1965), American collegiate coach in multiple sports, primarily football * Amos Alonzo Stagg Jr. (1899–1996), American football player and football and basketb ...

, a giant sequoia in the

Alder Creek Grove Alder Creek Grove is a giant sequoia grove located both on private land and within the Giant Sequoia National Monument in the western Sierra Nevada of California. The grove is spread out over approximately of land and contains 483 giant sequoias ...

and the fifth largest tree in the world, is named in honor of Amos Alonzo Stagg. Stagg is also an elected Fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology (née the American Academy of Physical Education).

Stagg Bowl

The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, otherwise known as the

NCAA Division III Football Championship The NCAA Division III Football Championship began in 1973. The Division III playoffs begin with 32 teams selected to participate in the Division III playoffs. The Division III championship game, known as the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl or Stagg Bowl ...

Game since 1973, is competed annually as the final game of the NCAA Division III Football Tournament. The Stagg Bowl can be traced back to 1969, prior to the inception of the D-III national championship. At that time—from 1969 to 1973—the Stagg Bowl was one of two bowls competed at the College Division level—the

Knute Rockne Bowl The Knute Rockne Bowl (named after football coach Knute Rockne) was played as the NCAA College Division East Regional championship from 1969 to 1972, one of four national quarterfinals. After an absence of three seasons, it was a Division II nati ...

and the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. In 1973, the NCAA instituted the D-III national championship, and the Stagg Bowl was adopted as the moniker for that game. The first 10 Stagg Bowls were played in Phenix City, Alabama, from 1973 to 1982. Wittenberg University (Ohio) won the inaugural game via a 41–0 result over Juniata College (Pa.). The game moved to Kings Island, Ohio, for the 1983 and 1984 editions, with Augustana College (Ill.) winning the first two of its four straight NCAA titles. The Stagg Bowl returned to Phenix City for five more years, before spending three seasons in Bradenton, Florida. In 1993, the Stagg Bowl moved to Salem, Va., where it remained until 2017. The

University of Mount Union The University of Mount Union is a private university in Alliance, Ohio. Founded in 1846, the university was affiliated with the Methodist Church until the spring of 2019. In the fall of 2020, Mount Union had an enrollment of 1,958 undergraduate ...

(formerly Mount Union College) won the first of its NCAA Division III-record 13 football national championships in 1993. The Championship was held in Shenandoah, TX, in 2018 and 2019.

Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, formerly Fawcett Stadium, is a football stadium and entertainment complex in Canton, Ohio. It is a major component of ''Hall of Fame Village'', located adjacent to the grounds of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The ...

at Hall of Fame Village powered by

Johnson Controls Johnson Controls International is an American Irish-domiciled multinational conglomerate headquartered in Cork, Ireland, that produces fire, HVAC, and security equipment for buildings. As of mid-2019, it employed 105,000 people in around 2,00 ...

in Canton, Ohio, was originally awarded the 2020 and 2021 Stagg Bowls; however, the 2020 Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Stagg Bowl will be held at

December 2-4, 2021.

Innovations

The following is a list of innovations Stagg introduced to American football. Where known, the year of its first use is annotated in parentheses. Stagg is noted as a 'contributor' if he was one of a group of individuals responsible for a given innovation. * Ends-back formation (1890) *

Reverse play A reverse (sometimes referred to as an end reverse or criss cross) is a relatively common trick play in American football that involves one or more abrupt changes in the lateral flow of a rushing play. History The invention of the reverse is credite ...

(1890) * 7–2–2 defense (1890) * First indoor game (1891) * First book on football with diagrams (1893; with Minnesota's Henry Williams) * First intersectional game (1894) * center snap (1894; John Heisman and

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage and the system ...

claimed to have invented it in 1893) *

onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a typical kickoff, in which the kicking team intends to give the ball to the ...

(1894; possibly contributor)College Football: The Coach
''Time'' magazine, March 26, 1965. *

huddle In sport, a huddle is the action of a team gathering together, usually in a tight circle, to strategize, motivate or celebrate. It is a popular strategy for keeping opponents insulated from sensitive information, and acts as a form of insulation ...

(1896) *

quick kick In gridiron football, a quick kick is any punt made under conditions such that the opposing team "should not" expect a punt. Typically this has been a kick from scrimmage from a formation that is, or resembles, one usually used other than for pu ...

(1896) * Short punt (1896) * Spiral snap (1896; contributor alongside

George Washington Woodruff George Washington Woodruff (February 22, 1864 – March 24, 1934) was an American football player, rower, coach, teacher, lawyer and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Pennsylvania (1892–1901), the University ...

and

Germany Schulz Adolph George "Germany" Schulz (April 19, 1883 – April 14, 1951) was an All-American American football center for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1904 to 1905 and from 1907 to 1908. While playing at Michigan, Schulz is credited wit ...

) * line shift (1897) * placement kick (1897; Stagg believed

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

used it earlier) * lateral pass (1898) * tackling dummy (1899) *

unbalanced line In telecommunications and electrical engineering in general, an unbalanced line is a pair of conductors intended to carry electrical signals, which have unequal impedances along their lengths and to ground and other circuits. Examples of unbalanc ...

(1900) *

Notre Dame Box The Notre Dame Box is a variation of the single-wing formation used in American football, with great success by Notre Dame in college football and the Green Bay Packers of the 1920s and 1930s in the NFL. Green Bay's coach, Curly Lambeau, learne ...

(1905) *

varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. Description ...

s (1906) * Statue of Liberty play (1908) * uniform numbers (1913) *

T formation In American football, a T formation (frequently called the full house formation in modern usage, sometimes the Robust T) is a Formation (American football), formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about ...

(contributor) *

forward pass In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The forward pass is one of the main distinguishers between gridir ...

(contributor alongside

Eddie Cochems Edward Bulwer Cochems (; February 4, 1877 – April 9, 1953) was an American football player and coach. He played football for the University of Wisconsin from 1898 to 1901 and was the head football coach at North Dakota Agricultural College—no ...

and

) * man in motion * sleeper play *

quarterback keeper A quarterback keeper or keeper in American football is a designed play in which the quarterback does not pass or hand off the ball to another player and instead rushes forward with it in an effort to gain yardage. The play typically is run in in ...

* delayed buck''Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Volume 44''
p. xviii, American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, 1973. *

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, p ...

position * hip pads * numerical designation of

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

* padded goalposts *

end-around The end-around is a play in American football in which an end or wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two thing ...

Coaching tree

In addition to Stagg's championships and innovations, another aspect of his legacy is in his players and assistant coaches who went on to become head football and basketball coaches at other colleges and universities across the countries. Played under: *

Assistant coaches who became head coaches: *

John Anderson John Anderson may refer to: Business *John Anderson (Scottish businessman) (1747–1820), Scottish merchant and founder of Fermoy, Ireland * John Byers Anderson (1817–1897), American educator, military officer and railroad executive, mentor of ...

: Knox (1917), Rice (1918) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Hugo Bezdek Hugo Francis Bezdek (April 1, 1884 – September 19, 1952) was a Czech American athlete who played American football and was a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He was the head football coach at the University of Oregon (1906, 1913– ...

: Oregon (1906, 1913–1916), Arkansas (1908–1912), Penn State (1918–1929), Cleveland Rams (1937–1938) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler (; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and ...

: Minnesota (1930–1931), Princeton (1932–1937), Michigan (1938–1947) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) * Ira Davenport: Columbia (IA) (1920–1921) *

Leo DeTray Leo Carter DeTray (November 20, 1888 – October 9, 1967) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football the Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio in 1910, University of Mississippi (Ole ...

: Ole Miss (1912), Knox (1915–1916) *

Clarence Herschberger Clarence Bertram "Herschie" Herschberger (July 24, 1876 – December 14, 1936) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a fullback, punter and placekicker at University of Chicago from 1896 to 1898. He became ...

: Lake Forest (1902–1904) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Harlan Page Harlan Orville "Pat" Page (March 20, 1887 – November 23, 1965) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was one of basketball's first star players in the early 1900s. The 5'9" Chicago native played guard at the Un ...

: Butler (1920–1925), Indiana (1926–1930), College of Idaho (1936–1937) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

James M. Sheldon James Milton Sheldon Sr. (c. 1880 – July 7, 1965) was an American football player, coach of football and basketball, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Indiana University from 1905 to 1913, while also se ...

: Indiana (1905–1913) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) * Frederick A. Speik: Purdue (1908–1909) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) * Amos Alonzo Stagg Jr.: Susquehanna (1935–1954) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Paul Stagg Paul Stagg (March 18, 1909 – September 4, 1992) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Moravian College (1934–1936), Springfield College (1937–1940), Worcester Po ...

: Moravian (1934–1936), Springfield (1937–1940), Worcester Tech (1941–1946), Pacific (1947–1960) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Wayne Hardin Irving Wayne Hardin (March 23, 1926 – April 12, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Naval Academy from 1959 to 1964 and at Temple University from 1970 to 1982, compiling a c ...

: Navy (1959–1964), Philadelphia Bulldogs (1966), Temple (1970–1982) (also played under Stagg at Pacific) * Larry Siemering: Pacific (1947–1950), Arizona State (1951), Calgary Stampeders (1954) Former players who went on to become head coaches * W. J. Keller: Vanderbilt (1893) (played for Stagg at Springfield) *

Art Badenoch Arthur Hill Badenoch (November 13, 1884 – September 15, 1972) was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator. Badenoch played college football at the University of Chicago. Th ...

: Rose Poly (1906), New Mexico A&M (1910–1913) * William Boone (American football): Hillsdale (1906) * Mark Catlin Sr.: Iowa (1906–1908), Lawrence (1909–1918, 1924–1927) *

Maurice Gordon Clarke Maurice Gordon Clarke (May 2, 1877 – June 5, 1944) was an American football and baseball player and coach. The Omaha, Nebraska native served as head football coach at the University of Texas at Austin in 1899, at Western Reserve University—now ...

: Texas (1899), Western Reserve (1900), Washington (1901) *

Paul Des Jardien Paul Raymond "Shorty" Des Jardien (August 24, 1893 – March 7, 1956) was an American football, baseball and basketball player. He played for the University of Chicago where he was selected as the first-team All-American center in both 1913 a ...

: Oberlin (1916) * Campbell Dickson: Beloit (1928), Hamilton (1942) * Ivan Doseff: Kalamazoo (1910), Iowa State Normal (1919–1920), Luther (1921–1922) * Daniel Dougherty: Grinnell (1909) * Shorty Ellsworth: Colorado Mines (1904–1907) * A. A. Ewing: Northwestern (1894) * J. C. Ewing: Colorado College (1900–1901), Baylor (1902) *

Frederick Feil Frederick Feil was an American football player and coach. He was the 14th head football coach at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana serving for one season, in 1901, and compiling a record of 4–7. Fiel played college football at the Uni ...

: Wabash (1901) * Sherman W. Finger: Cornell (IA) (1907–1923) * Charles Firth: VPI (1897), Hillsdale (1913) * Charles G. Flanagan: Morningside (1902) *

Ralph C. Hamill Ralph C. Hamill (February 13, 1877 – July 5, 1961) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in 1900. Hamill later worked as a neurologist and psychiatrist. He is cr ...

: Centre (1900) *

Jesse Harper Jesse Clair Harper (December 10, 1883 – July 31, 1961) was an American football and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Alma College (1906–1907), Wabash College (1909–1912), an ...

: Alma (1906–1907), Wabash (1909–1912), Notre Dame (1913–1917) * James R. Henry: DePauw (1902), Vanderbilt (1903) *

Frank E. Hering Frank Earl Hering (April 30, 1874 – July 11, 1943) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1896 to 1898, compiling a record of 12� ...

: Notre Dame (1896–1898) * A. C. Hoffman: Ripon (1911), Tulane (1913) *

Tony Hinkle Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle (December 19, 1899 – September 22, 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletic administrator. He attended the University of Chicago, where he won varsity letters in three spo ...

: Butler (1926, 1935–1941, 1946–1969), Great Lakes Navy (1942–1943) * A. F. Holste: Wisconsin–Whitewater (1900), Denison (1902), Rose Poly (1903), Fairmount (1904), Hastings (1908–1910?, 1922–1925) *

Harold Iddings Harold Jonathan Iddings (May 16, 1885 – August 25, 1952) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball and track and field. A 1909 graduate from the University of Chicago, he served as head football coach at Miami University ...

: Miami (OH) (1909–1910), Simpson (1911–1913), Otterbein (1916), Penn (IA) (1921) * Thomas Kelley: Muhlenberg (1911–1913), Missouri Mines (1914), Alabama (1915–1917), Idaho (1920–1921), Missouri (1922) * Walter S. Kennedy: Albion (1904–1920) * E. Pratt King: Delaware (1907) *

Elmer A. Lampe Elmer Andrew Lampe (December 11, 1900 – January 30, 1978) was a basketball coach and American football player and coach. Lampe was the head basketball coach at the University of Georgia from 1938 to 1946 and at Dartmouth College from 1946 to 195 ...

: Carleton (1932–1933) *

Lester Larson Lester Lamont Larson was an American football player and coach. He was the first head football coach in the history of the University of Louisville, serving in that position form 1912 to 1913. At the time of his hiring, he was working as a typewri ...

: Texas A&M (1907), Louisville (1912–1913) * Fred Luehring: Ripon (1906–1909) * Walter E. Marks: Indiana State (1927–1930, 1933–1941, 1946–1948) *

Hal Mefford Harry Lee "Hal" Mefford (June 18, 1882 – December 24, 1932) was an American football player, coach of football and basketball, and college athletics administrator. He played for the Chicago Maroons football team in 1905 and 1906 and was the firs ...

: Rose Poly (1916), Kendall (1917) *

Ned Merriam Ned Alvin Merriam (October 26, 1884 – July 9, 1956) was an American track athlete, college football player, and coach of track and football. Merriam attended the University of Chicago, where he starred in football and track between 1905 and 190 ...

: Texas A&M (1908) * Theron W. Mortimer: Colorado (1900), Alma (1901) *

Nelson Norgren Nelson H. Norgren (September 10, 1891 – December 31, 1974) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. As a coach, he led the University of Utah to a national AAU basketball championship in 1916. He later served as t ...

: Utah (1914–1917) *

Norman C. Paine Norman Carr Paine (January 6, 1893 – February 13, 1955) was an American football and basketball player and coach, college athletics administrator, and physician. He served as the head football coach at Baylor University (1913), the University ...

: Baylor (1913), Arkansas (1917–1918), Iowa State (1920) *

Ed Parry Edwin Eugene Parry (March 11, 1885 – November 30, 1966) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, now Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Oklahoma Sta ...

: Oklahoma A&M (1907–1908) * Alfred W. Place: Buchtel (1903) * Raymond L. Quigley: Northern Normal and Industrial (1910–1911), Arizona (1912) *

Charles M. Rademacher Charles Martin Rademacher was an American football player and college sports coach. He served as the head football coach (1915), basketball coach (1915–1916) and baseball coach (1916) at the University of Idaho. Rademacher later served as the he ...

: Idaho (1915), St. Louis (1917, 1919–1920) *

Joseph Raycroft Joseph Edward Raycroft (November 15, 1867 – September 30, 1955) was the head men's basketball coach for the University of Chicago between 1906–07 and 1909–10. In his four seasons as coach, the Chicago Maroons compiled an overall record of 66 ...

: Lawrence (1894), Stevens Point Normal (1895–1896) * Clarence W. Russell: West Virginia (1907), Colorado Mines (1908), New Mexico A&M (1914–1916) * A. G. Scanlon: Purdue (1918–1920) * Lewis D. Scherer: Nebraska State Normal (1907–1908), Baker (1910–1912) *

Walter Steffen Walter Peter Steffen (October 9, 1886 – March 9, 1937) was an American college football player and coach, lawyer, politician, and judge. He emerged on the national scene as a high school quarterback, leading his North Division High School team ...

: Carnegie Tech (1914–1932) *

Herman Stegeman Herman James Stegeman (January 21, 1891 – October 22, 1939) was a player and coach of American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field athletics, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Beloit C ...

: Beloit (1915), Monmouth (1916–1917), Georgia (1920–1922) *

John Webster Thomas John Webster Thomas (February 13, 1900 – August 19, 1977) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback at the University of Chicago from 1921 to 1923 under Amos Alonzo Stagg. T ...

: Haskell (1927–1928) *

John F. Tobin John Frederick Tobin (January 1, 1880 – October 26, 1954) was an American college football player and coach. Tobin attended the University of Chicago, where he played college football under head coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. He was a "star guard" for ...

: Tulane (1905) *

Mysterious Walker Frederick Mitchell Walker (March 21, 1884 – February 1, 1958), nicknamed "Mysterious", was an American athlete and coach. He was a three-sport athlete for the University of Chicago from 1904 to 1906 and played Major League Baseball as a right-h ...

: Utah Agricultural (1907-1908), Williams (1917), New York Agricultural (1919), DePauw (1921), Drury (1924-1925), Wheaton (1936-1939) *

Horace Whiteside Horace Eugene Whiteside (June 5, 1891 – June 9, 1956) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at Earlham College Earlham College is a private liberal arts college in Richmond, ...

: Earlham (1914–1916) *

Sherburn Wightman Sherburne Henry Wightman (September 5, 1882 – October 2, 1930) was a professional American football player-coach in the "Ohio League", which was the direct predecessor to the modern National Football League (NFL). He is best remembered for coach ...

Massillon Tigers The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the "Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championships i ...

(1906), All-Massillons (1907), Dover Giants (1908) * Ralph H. Young: DePauw (1915), Kalamazoo (1916–1917, 1919–1922), Michigan State (1923–1927)

Head coaching record

College football

College basketball

References

Books

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External links

University of Chicago profile
* * * * *
Guide to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Papers 1866-1964
at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stagg, Amos Alonzo 1862 births 1965 deaths 19th-century players of American football All-American college football players American centenarians American football ends American football fullbacks American football halfbacks American Olympic coaches American vegetarianism activists Baseball coaches from New Jersey Basketball coaches from New Jersey Chicago Maroons athletic directors Chicago Maroons baseball coaches Chicago Maroons football coaches Chicago Maroons football players Chicago Maroons men's basketball coaches Coaches of American football from New Jersey College Football Hall of Fame inductees College track and field coaches in the United States High school football coaches in Massachusetts Junior college football coaches in the United States Men centenarians Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Pacific Tigers football coaches People associated with physical culture People from West Orange, New Jersey Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Player-coaches Players of American football from New Jersey Springfield Pride football coaches Springfield Pride football players Susquehanna River Hawks football coaches Yale Bulldogs baseball players Yale Bulldogs football players Yale Divinity School alumni Players of American football from Chicago Players of American football from Stockton, California