Balpha Lonnie Noojin (August 10, 1885 – September 7, 1950) was an American sports coach, educator, politician, and businessman. Noojin completed his education at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

, earning a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in 1908. At Alabama, Noojin was associate editor of the student newspaper and annual and a member of the university's baseball team. Along with these groups he was also member of the Alpha Kappa chapter of

Phi Kappa Sigma Phi Kappa Sigma () is an international all-male college secret society and social fraternities and sororities, fraternity. While nicknames differ from institution to institution, the most common nicknames for the fraternity are Skulls, Skullhous ...

social fraternity. Following graduation, he played baseball briefly for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

. Noojin then moved from baseball to

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

Education

Noojin was born in

Attalla, Alabama Attalla is a city in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,048. History The town occupies the site of an Indian village which was of considerable importance during the Creek War. It was in Attalla ...

. He taught at the Agricultural School in Blountsville and Albertville. In Albertville, he met Willie Lucille McNaron, and married her in 1916. Noojin served as director of athletics at

Howard College Howard College is a community college in the U.S. state of Texas with its main campus in Big Spring and branch campuses in San Angelo and Lamesa. History Howard County Junior College was established in Big Spring in 1945. 148 students be ...

. At the

, Noojin coached both

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 ...

and

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 ...

and served as

athletic director An athletic director (commonly "athletics director" or "AD") is an administrator at many American clubs or institutions, such as colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and ...

and instructor of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

, and

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

Business

In 1919, he resigned from the University to join his brother in the hardware business. The Noojin brothers operated a hardware store until 1923, when they founded the Noojin Supply Company. Three years later, Noojin bought his brother's interest and managed the company on his own. Noojin became active in a number of civic activities. He was on the board of directors of the American National Bank of Gadsden,

Alabama Power Company Alabama Power Company, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, is a company in the southern United States that provides electricity service to 1.4 million customers in the southern two-thirds of Alabama. It also operates appliance stores. It is one ...

and the Gadsden Chamber of Commerce. Noojin was the president of the National Alumni Association and member of the Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama. *Inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame (1979)

Politics

Noojin was also an active politician, serving on the Republican State Committee and the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

. *Delegate to Republican National Convention from

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

, 1924 (alternate), 1932, 1940, 1944, 1948 *Member, Republican National Committee from Alabama, 1940–1943 *Chairman,

Alabama Republican Party The Alabama Republican Party is the state affiliate of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party in Alabama. It is the dominant political party in Alabama. The state party is governed by the Alabama Republican Executive Committee. T ...

, 1928–1931

Coaching

Baseball

Noojin led the Crimson Tide to five

Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Formed in 1913, it consists mostly of historically black co ...

(SIAA) titles in his six-year tenure. He compiled a 70–20 (.778) overall record coaching on the diamond.

Basketball

Lonnie Noojin coached the Alabama men's basketball team for a single season in 1918 to a 2–5 (.286) record

Football

From 1912 through 1914, Noojin was head football coach at Howard College (now

Samford University Samford University is a private Christian university in Homewood, Alabama. In 1841, the university was founded as Howard College by Baptists. Samford University describes itself as the 87th oldest institution of higher learning in the United Sta ...

). During his tenure as head coach, Noojin compiled an overall record of 10–13–2. He later served as an assistant coach at

, and was to serve as head coach for the 1918 season prior to its cancellation due to the effects of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Head coaching record

Football

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Noojin, B. L. 1885 births 1950 deaths Alabama Crimson Tide athletic directors Alabama Crimson Tide baseball coaches Alabama Crimson Tide football coaches Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball coaches Basketball coaches from Alabama Samford Bulldogs baseball coaches Samford Bulldogs football coaches University of Alabama alumni Alabama Republicans People from Etowah County, Alabama