Thomas Cyril "Cy" Kasper (May 27, 1895 – December 28, 1991) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at

Alfred University Alfred University is a private university in Alfred (village), New York, Alfred, New York. It has a total undergraduate population of approximately 1,600 students. The university hosts the New York State College of Ceramics, which includes The ...

in Alfred, New York from 1923 to 1924, Columbus College in

Chamberlain, South Dakota Chamberlain is a city in Brule County, South Dakota, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Missouri River, at the dammed section of the Lake Francis Case, close to where it is crossed by Interstate 90. The population of Chambe ...

from 1925 to 1927, and

South Dakota State University South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The ...

from 1928 to 1933. Kasper played

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 ...

at the University of Notre Dame from 1919 to 1920 under head coach

Knute Rockne Knut (Norwegian and Swedish), Knud (Danish), or Knútur (Icelandic) is a Scandinavian, German, and Dutch first name, of which the anglicised form is Canute. In Germany both "Knut" and "Knud" are used. In Spanish and Portuguese Canuto is used whi ...

. He originally played inter-hall football until being recommended to play varsity football by other football players. Rockne pushed Kasper to take the 1927 head coaching position at the University of Wyoming, but he headed to South Dakota State instead. Kasper was born on May 27, 1895, in Faribault, Minnesota, where he attended Shattuck Preparatory School. He was commissioned a lieutenant in the United States Army in 1917 and served overseas during World War I with the 88th Infantry Division. During his time in the service, he played on the

Camp Dodge Camp Dodge is a military installation in the city of Johnston, Iowa, Johnston, Iowa. Centrally located near the capital of Iowa, it currently serves as the headquarters of the Iowa National Guard. History Original construction of the post began i ...

basketball team coached by

John L. Griffith John Lorenzo Griffith (August 20, 1877 – December 7, 1944) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, track and field, track athlete, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the first commissioner of the Big Te ...

and played football for the 88th Division team with

Frank McCormick Frank Andrew McCormick (June 9, 1911 – November 21, 1982) was an American baseball first baseman who played fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "Buck" in honor of Frank Buck, he played for the Cincinnati Reds, Philadelph ...

and

Obe Wenig Ervine Carl Wenig (December 23, 1895 – September 25, 1959) was an American football end who played three seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Rock Island Independents. Early life and education Wenig was born on December 23, 189 ...

. Kasper died on December 28, 1991, in

Bismarck, North Dakota Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan popula ...

Head coaching record

College

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kasper, Cy 1895 births 1991 deaths American football fullbacks American football halfbacks Alfred Saxons football coaches Columbus Mariners athletic directors Columbus Mariners football coaches Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Rochester Jeffersons players South Dakota State Jackrabbits athletic directors South Dakota State Jackrabbits football coaches High school football coaches in Minnesota United States Army officers United States Army personnel of World War I People from Faribault, Minnesota Coaches of American football from Minnesota Players of American football from Minnesota Military personnel from Minnesota