Fielding Yost (1903)
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Fielding Harris Yost (; April 30, 1871 – August 20, 1946) was an
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 ...
player, coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at:
Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...
, the
University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
, the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
,
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
,
San Jose State University San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sys ...
, and the
University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
, compiling a
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 ...
career record of 198–35–12. During his 25 seasons as the head football coach at
Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...
, Yost's
Michigan Wolverines The Michigan Wolverines comprise 29 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA inter-divisio ...
won six
national championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
, captured ten
Big Ten Conference The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
titles, and amassed a record of 165–29–10. From 1901 to 1905, his "Point-a-Minute" squads had a record of 55–1–1, outscoring their opponents by a margin of 2,821–42. The 1901 team beat
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
, 49–0, in the
1902 Rose Bowl Originally titled the "Tournament East–West football game," what is now known as the Rose Bowl Game was first played on January 1, 1902, at Tournament Park in Pasadena, California, starting the tradition of New Year's Day bowl games. The inaugu ...
, the first college football
bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
. Under Yost, Michigan won four straight national championships from 1901 to 1904 and two more in 1918 and 1923. In 1921, Yost became Michigan's
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 served in that capacity until 1940. He was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
as a coach in 1951. Yost was also a successful business person, lawyer, and author; but he is best known as a leading figure in pioneering the development of college football into a national phenomenon.


Early life

Yost was born in
Fairview, West Virginia Fairview is a town in Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 374 at the 2020 census. The town took its name from the old Fairview Inn near the original town site. Geography Fairview is located at (39.592698, -80.2471 ...
, in April 1871. Yost's family had settled in West Virginia, in 1825. He was the oldest of four children of Parmenus (sometimes Permenus) Wesley Yost (1845–1920) and Elzena Jane (Ammons) Yost (1852–1943), both natives of West Virginia. His father was a farmer and a Confederate veteran. His family had been in Fairview since 1825 when his second great grandfather, David Yost, settled there and took up a grant of over 2,000 acres. Yost was educated in the local schools and became a deputy marshal in Fairview as a teenager. At seventeen, he earned a public-school teaching certificate.


College

Yost began his college education at Fairmont Normal School in
Fairmont, West Virginia Fairmont is a city in and county seat of Marion County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 18,313 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Fairmont Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Marion County, a ...
. He then taught school at
Patterson Creek, West Virginia Patterson Creek is an unincorporated community in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It lies at the northeastern end of the county, and is named for Patterson Creek, which empties into the North Branch Potomac River The North Branch ...
, during the 1889–90 school year. He next enrolled at the Ohio Normal School (now known as
Ohio Northern University Ohio Northern University (Ohio Northern or ONU) is a private United Methodist Church–affiliated university in Ada, Ohio. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It offers over 60 programs to ...
). Yost played for the Ohio Normal baseball team. After three years at Ohio Normal, he returned to West Virginia to work in the oil fields. In 1895, Yost enrolled at
West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College ...
where he studied law, earning an
LL.B. Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...
He also played football for the West Virginia University football team.Maramba, Kris Wise, "Fielding Yost, another son of Marion County, excelled with Wolverines"
''
Charleston Daily Mail The ''Charleston Daily Mail'' was a newspaper based in Charleston, West Virginia. On July 20, 2015, it merged with the ''Charleston Gazette'' to form the ''Charleston Gazette-Mail''. Publishing history The ''Daily Mail'' was founded in 1914 b ...
'', December 18, 2007
A 6-foot, 200 pounder, Yost was a standout at tackle at West Virginia into the 1896 season.


"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."

In October 1896, after his team lost three home games to
Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757 ...
, played on three different fields over the course of three days, Yost became a remarkable personification of "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em." He transferred in mid-season to join Coach Parke H. Davis's national championship team at Lafayette. Just a week after playing ''against'' Davis in West Virginia, Yost was playing ''for'' Davis in Lafayette's historic 6-4 win over the
Penn Quakers The Penn Quakers are the athletic teams of the University of Pennsylvania. The school sponsors 33 varsity sports. The school has won three NCAA national championships in men's fencing and one in women's fencing. School colors There are se ...
. The fortuitous timing of his appearance on the Lafayette roster did not go unnoticed by Penn officials. They called it "the Yost affair." The Philadelphia ''Ledger'' quoted Yost as saying that he came to Lafayette only to play football. The fact that he appeared in a Lafayette uniform only once, in the Penn game, and that he returned to West Virginia within two weeks of the contest did not help appearances. He assured all concerned that he would return to Lafayette for at least three years of study.


Coaching career


Ohio Wesleyan

Yost began his coaching career at age 26 as head coach of the 1897 Ohio Wesleyan football team. Yost's team compiled a 7–1–1 record, shut out six of its nine opponents (including a 6–0 victory over
Ohio State The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best public ...
and a scoreless tie with
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
), and outscored all opponents by a total of 144 to 32. Yost played at left tackle against Michigan, leading to a protest that Ohio Wesleyan had assured Michigan that Yost, a paid coach and non-student, would not play and had engaged in trickery by introducing another individual as Yost. One week later, Michigan announced that it would no longer schedule games against Ohio Wesleyan.


Nebraska

In 1898, Yost was hired to coach the Nebraska football team with compensation of $1,000 for 10 weeks of service. The 1898 Nebraska team compiled an 8–3 record, including victories over Iowa State (23–10), Missouri (47–6), Kansas (18–6), and Colorado (23–10), and losses to Drake (6–5) and Iowa (6–5).


Kansas

In June 1899, the University of Kansas Athletic Association offered Yost $350, and an additional $150 conditionally, to coach the school's football team. After spending the summer in Colorado, Yost arrived in
Lawrence, Kansas Lawrence is the county seat of Douglas County, Kansas, Douglas County, Kansas, United States, and the sixth-largest city in the state. It is in the northeastern sector of the state, astride Interstate 70, between the Kansas River, Kansas and Waka ...
, on September 4, 1899. During the 1899 season, the Kansas football team "lived separate from the rest of the students and ate specially selected and prepared food . . . with Coach Yost as their only mentor". The team compiled an undefeated 10–0 record, outscoring opponents 280–37. The season included victories over the Haskell Indians (12–0 and 18–0), Nebraska (36–20), and Missouri (34–6). During the 1899–1900 academic year, Kansas had Yost as its football coach and
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 ...
as its basketball coach. Naismith also served as an assistant football coach during the 1899 season.


Stanford

In May 1900, Yost was hired as the football coach at
Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
, and, after traveling home to West Virginia, he arrived in
Palo Alto, California Palo Alto (; Spanish language, Spanish for "tall stick") is a charter city in the northwestern corner of Santa Clara County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area, named after a Sequoia sempervirens, coastal redwood tree kno ...
, on August 21, 1900. Yost led the 1900 Stanford team to a 7–2–1, outscoring opponents 154–20.


Michigan

After first applying at Illinois, Yost was hired in 1901 by
Charles A. Baird Charles A. Baird (January 17, 1870 – November 30, 1944) was an American football manager, university athletic director, and banker. He was the manager of the University of Michigan football team from 1893 to 1895 and the school's first athlet ...
as the head football coach for the
Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football team represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins in college football history. The team is known for its ...
team. Yost coached at Michigan from 1901 through 1923, and again in 1925 and 1926. He was highly successful at Michigan, winning 165 games, losing only 29, and tying 10 for a winning percentage of .833. Under Yost, Michigan won four straight
national championships A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, indi ...
from 1901 to 1904 and two more in 1918 and 1923.


Point-a-minute

Yost's first Michigan team in 1901 outscored its opposition by a margin of 550–0 en route to a perfect season and victory in the inaugural Rose Bowl on January 1, 1902, over
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
, the team Yost had coached the year before. From 1901 to 1904, Michigan did not lose a game, and was tied only once in a legendary game with the
Minnesota Golden Gophers The Minnesota Golden Gophers (commonly shortened to Gophers) are the college sports teams of the University of Minnesota. The university fields a total of 25 (12 men's, 13 women's) teams in both men's and women's sports and competes in the Big Te ...
that led to the establishment of the Little Brown Jug trophy. Yost's teams used the
short punt formation The short punt formation is an older formation on both offense and defense in American football, popular when scoring was harder and a good punt was itself an offensive weapon.Retyl, Richard U-M's Shotgun Offense is Older than the Winged Helmets T ...
. He also developed a play called "Old 83" resembling an option. Before Michigan finally lost a game to
Amos Alonzo Stagg Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfie ...
's
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 ...
squad at the end of the 1905 season, they had gone 56 straight games without a defeat, the second longest such streak in college football history. During their first five seasons under Yost, Michigan outscored its opponents 2,821–42, earning the Michigan team the nickname "Point-a-Minute." The team featured running back
Willie Heston William Martin Heston (September 9, 1878 – September 9, 1963) was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University ...
, who Yost called the greatest player he ever saw. In 1904,
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 with ...
stood up from the center position and created the position of
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 ...
. Yost was horrified at first, but came to see the wisdom in Schulz's innovation.


Independent

In 1908, Michigan lost to Penn 29–0, the worst defeat suffered by a Michigan team during the Yost era. Yost said of Schulz's performance: "He gave the greatest one-man exhibition of courage I ever saw on a football field." In 1909, Michigan suffered its first loss to Notre Dame. In 1910, Michigan was led by All-Americans
Albert Benbrook Albert "Benny" Benbrook (August 24, 1887 – August 16, 1943) was an American football guard who played for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1908 to 1910. He was chosen by Walter Camp as a first-team All-American in 1909 and 1910 and ...
and Stanfield Wells and played its only undefeated season of the independent years, compiling a 3–0–3 record. In 1916,
John Maulbetsch John Frederick Maulbetsch (June 20, 1890 – September 14, 1950) was an All-American football halfback at Adrian College in 1911 and for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1914 to 1916. He is also a member of the College Football Hall ...
led Michigan to one of its finest records. The Wolverines won seven straight games.


Return to Western Conference

Led by fullback
Frank Steketee Frank Wallder Steketee (April 26, 1900 – December 26, 1951) was an American football player. A native of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Steketee played college football as a fullback and halfback for Fielding H. Yost's 1918, 1920, and 1921 Michigan ...
, the 1918 team went undefeated in the war-shortened season. The
1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
and 1923 teams went undefeated, led by punter
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 1937 ...
. The only blemish was a tie with Yost protege and brother-in-law
Dan McGugin Daniel Earle McGugin (July 29, 1879 – January 23, 1936) was an American football player and coach, as well as a lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from ...
's Vanderbilt. At the end of the season, Yost called the 1925 Michigan team "the greatest football team I ever coached" and "the greatest football team I ever saw in action". The team featured quarterback Benny Friedman and left end
Bennie Oosterbaan Benjamin Oosterbaan ( ; February 24, 1906 – October 25, 1990) was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team, and an All-Big Ten C ...
, sometimes referred to as "The Benny-to-Bennie Show". In tribute to the school where Yost began his coaching career, he arranged for Michigan to play its first game at
Ferry Field Ferry Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It opened in 1906 and was home to the Michigan Wolverines football team prior to the opening of Michigan Stadium in 1927. It had a capacity of 46,000. It is currently used as a tai ...
(September 30, 1905) and its first game at
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
(October 1, 1927) against Ohio Wesleyan.


Athletic director

After retiring from coaching, Yost remained at Michigan as the school's
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 ...
, a position he held until 1940, then held the title of athletic director emeritus. Under his leadership,
Michigan Stadium Michigan Stadium, nicknamed "The Big House," is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the largest stadium in the United States and the Western Hemisphere, the third largest stadium in the world, and the ...
, Yost Fieldhouse (now
Yost Ice Arena Yost Ice Arena, formerly the Fielding H. Yost Field House, is an indoor ice hockey arena located on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the home of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team which plays in ...
), and the university's golf course were constructed.


Later years and death

Yost was in poor health for several years before his death and was hospitalized at the
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 ...
in May 1946. He reportedly suffered from a stroke, but was released after two weeks and returned to his home in
Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...
. In August 1946, Yost died of a
gall bladder In vertebrates, the gallbladder, also known as the cholecyst, is a small hollow organ where bile is stored and concentrated before it is released into the small intestine. In humans, the pear-shaped gallbladder lies beneath the liver, althoug ...
attack at his home. He was survived by his wife, whom he had married in 1906, a son, Fielding H. Yost, Jr., two brothers, Ellis and Nichola, and a sister, Mrs. Charles Barry. Yost was buried at Ann Arbor's Forest Hill Cemetery near the University of Michigan campus.


Personal

A native of West Virginia, Yost's unusual pronunciation of the school's name, "MEE-she-gan," copied by long-time Michigan football broadcaster Bob Ufer, is affectionately carried on by many Michigan football fans and often referenced by
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
sportscaster
Chris Fowler Chris Fowler (born ) is an American sports broadcaster for ESPN, who serves as the play-by-play announcer for '' Saturday Night Football'' on ABC and ESPN’s tennis coverage. He is also known for his work on '' College GameDay'', which he h ...
. A devout
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
, he was among the first coaches to allow
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
players on his teams, including
Joe Magidsohn Joseph Magidsohn (December 20, 1888 – February 14, 1969) was an American football player and official. He played halfback for the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1909 and 1910 and was selected as a second-team All-American by Walter Camp ...
and Benny Friedman. However,
Murray Sperber Murray Sperber taught at Indiana University, Bloomington, from 1971-2004 and is a Professor Emeritus of English and American Studies of the school. He subsequently taught (2008-2017) in the Cultural Studies of Sport in Education program in the Gradu ...
's book ''Shake Down the Thunder'' places principal responsibility for the Big Ten blackballing and boycotting of Notre Dame on Yost. It also claims this was motivated by anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant prejudice common in the early 20th century, though John Kyrk's book ''Natural Enemies'' points out that there was a bitter feud between Yost and
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 ...
, head coach of the Notre Dame football team.


Legacy

Yost had a profound impact on the Michigan athletics department. "No other man has ever given as much heart, soul, brains, and tongue to the game he loved—football" said
Grantland Rice Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (November 1, 1880July 13, 1954) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio. Early years Rice wa ...
. A longtime football coach and athletic director, his career was marked with achievement. Yost was among the inaugural class of inductees to the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
in 1951.
Tommy Hughitt Tommy Hughitt (born Ernest Fredrick Hughitt; December 27, 1892 – December 27, 1961) was a Canadian-American National Football League utility player, coach, referee and politician. He was also an All-American quarterback for the University ...
was heavily inspired by Yost's system and used it to great success, later adapting it to the professional game with the
Youngstown Patricians The Youngstown Patricians were a semi-professional football team based in Youngstown, Ohio.McClellan (1998), p. 98. In the 1910s, the team briefly held the professional football championship and established itself as a fierce rival of more exper ...
and
Buffalo All-Americans Buffalo, New York had a turbulent, early-era National Football League team that operated under multiple names and several different owners between the 1910s and 1920s. The early NFL-era franchise was variously called the Buffalo All-Stars from ...
.


Innovation

Yost invented the position of
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 ...
with center
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 with ...
; co-created the first ever
bowl game In North America, a bowl game is one of a number of post-season college football games that are primarily played by teams belonging to the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). For most of its history, the Division I Bowl Subdivis ...
, the 1902 Rose Bowl, with then legendary UM athletic director Charles Baird; invented the fieldhouse concept that bears his name; and supervised the building of the first on-campus building dedicated to intramural sports.


Hurry up

Yost was also known for a series of admonitions to his players beginning with the words, "Hurry up," for example, "Hurry up and be the first man down the field on a punt or kick-off." This inclination earned him the nickname, "Hurry up" Yost. He was also an innovator of the hurry up offense.


Professional coach

Yost initiated the concept of coaching as an actual profession near the turn of the century when he was paid as much as a UM professor. The professionalization of coaches that started with Yost and later,
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 ...
at
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 ...
, symbolized how serious college football was becoming, and Yost symbolized this more so than any of his peers. It was he who first articulated the now accepted premise about student-athletes in the sport that: "Football builds character."


Coaching tree

No fewer than 77 men who either played for Yost, or coached under him as an assistant, went on to become head coaches in college football; two, Benny Friedman and
Tommy Hughitt Tommy Hughitt (born Ernest Fredrick Hughitt; December 27, 1892 – December 27, 1961) was a Canadian-American National Football League utility player, coach, referee and politician. He was also an All-American quarterback for the University ...
, helmed teams in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). In addition
Dan A. Killian Dan Arnold Killian (February 5, 1880 – January 15, 1953) was an American college football and college baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Louisiana State University (LSU) from 1904 to 1906, compiling a record of 8–6–2. K ...
, who was the head coach for the
LSU Tigers The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a ...
(1904–1906), reportedly played
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 ...
on the Michigan football team under Yost, but if he did, he apparently did not qualify for a letter and is not listed below. Yost's
coaching tree A coaching tree is similar to a family tree except it shows the relationships of coaches instead of family members. There are several ways to define a relationship between two coaches. The most common way to make the distinction is if a coach work ...
includes: #
Dave Allerdice David Way Allerdice (March 26, 1887 – January 10, 1941) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as the University of Michigan as a halfback from 1907 to 1909. Allerdice served as the head football coach at Butler U ...
: played for Michigan (1907–1909), assistant for Michigan (1910), head coach for
Butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some a ...
(1911),
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
(1911–1915) #
Ernest Allmendinger Ernest John "Aqua" Allmendinger (August 25, 1890 – May 7, 1973) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a guard for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1911 to 1913. He was also selected to Walter Cam ...
: played for Michigan (1911–1913), head coach for
South Dakota School of Mines The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (South Dakota Mines, SD Mines, or SDSM&T) is a public university in Rapid City, South Dakota. It is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents and was founded in 1885. South Dakota Mines offers ba ...
(1914) # George Babcock: played for Michigan (1923–1925), head coach for
Akron Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...
(1926) and
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
(1927–1930). #
Ted Bank Theodore Paul Bank (December 13, 1897 – June 3, 1986) was an American college football player, coach, and Bank was a starting quarterback for Fielding Yost's 1920 and 1921 Wolverine football teams. He graduated from the university in 192 ...
: played for Michigan (1919–1921), head coach for
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
(1935–1940). # Roy Beechler: played for Michigan (1904), head coach for Mount Union (1905). #
Jack Blott Jack Leonard Blott (August 24, 1902 – June 11, 1964) was an All-American football center and place kicker for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1922–1923. He was also a baseball catcher for the Wolverines from 1922–1924. After ...
: played for Michigan (1922–1923), assistant for Michigan (1924–1933), head coach for
Wesleyan Cardinals Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the ...
(1934–1940). # Thomas A. Bogle, Jr.: played for Michigan (1910–1911), head coach for
DePauw Pauw (Dutch for "peacock"), de Pauw or DePauw are variants of a Dutch or Flemish surname and may refer to: People ;Pauw * Adriaan Pauw (1585–1653), Dutch Grand Pensionary of Holland *Jacques Pauw, South African investigative journalist * Michiel ...
(1913–1914). # Stanley Borleske: played for Michigan (1908–1910), head coach for North Dakota Agricultural (1919–1921, 1923–1924, 1928),
Fresno State California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...
(1929–1932). #
Alan Bovard Alan J. Bovard (September 24, 1906 – July 11, 1983) was an American football player and coach. He was an All-Big Ten Conference center at the University of Michigan in 1929. He later served as the athletic director at Michigan Technological Uni ...
: played for Michigan (1926–1929), head coach for
Michigan Tech Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech, MTU, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Houghton, Michigan, founded in 1885 as the Michigan Mining School, the first post-secondary institution in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. ...
(1947–1956). #
Franklin Cappon Franklin C. "Cappy" Cappon (October 17, 1900 – November 29, 1961) was an American college football and college basketball player and coach. He played football and basketball at Phillips University and the University of Michigan and coached at ...
: played for Michigan (1920–1922), assistant for Michigan (1925, 1928–1937), head coach for Luther (IA) (1923–1924) and
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
(1926–1927). # Otto Carpell: played for Michigan (1909–1912), head coach for Albion Britons football, Albion (1913) # Abe Cohn: played for Michigan (1917–1918, 1920); head coach for Whitworth Pirates football, Whitworth (1922–1923). # William C. "King" Cole: played for Michigan (1902), assistant for Michigan (1904), head coach for Marietta Pioneers football, Marietta (1903), Virginia Cavaliers football, Virginia (1905–1906), Nebraska Cornhuskers football, Nebraska (1907–1910). # James B. Craig: played for Michigan (1911–1913), head coach for Arkansas Razorbacks football, Arkansas (1919). # Wilbur M. Cunningham: played for Michigan (1907–1910), head coach for Transylvania (1912). # Joe Curtis: played for Michigan (1903–1906), head coach for Tulane Green Wave football, Tulane (1907–1908), Colorado Mines Orediggers football, Colorado Mines (1909). # James DePree: played for Michigan (1903–1904), head coach for Tennessee Volunteers football, Tennessee (1905–1906) # Prentiss Douglass: played for Michigan (1907–1908), assistant for Michigan (1909–1910), head coach for Kentucky Wildcats football, Kentucky (1911). # David L. Dunlap: played for Michigan (1901–1903, 1905), head coach for Kenyon Lords football, Kenyon (1906), North Dakota Fighting Sioux football, North Dakota (1908–1911), Allegheny Gators football, Allegheny (1912). # William P. Edmunds: played for Michigan (1908–1910), head coach for West Virginia Mountaineers football, West Virginia (1912), Washington University Bears football, Washington University (1913–1916), Vermont Catamounts football, Vermont (1919). # Benny Friedman: played for Michigan (1925–1926), head coach for New York Giants (1930) and Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL), Brooklyn Dodgers (1932) of the NFL, head coach for CCNY and Brandeis Judges football, Brandeis (1951–1959). # Joe Gembis: played for Michigan (1926–1929), head coach for Wayne State Warriors football, Wayne State (MI) (1932–1945). # Herb Graver: played for Michigan (1901–1903), head coach for Marietta Pioneers football, Marietta (1904). # George W. Gregory: played for Michigan (1901–1903), head coach for Kenyon Lords football, Kenyon (1905). # Thomas S. Hammond: played for Michigan (1903–1905), head coach for Ole Miss Rebels football, Ole Miss (1906). # Albert Hansen: played for Yost at Nebraska (1898), head coach for Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State (1899). # Albert E. Herrnstein: played for Michigan (1899–1902), head coach for Haskell Indian Nations Fighting Indians football, Haskell Institute (1903–1904), Purdue Boilermakers football, Purdue (1905), Ohio State Buckeyes football, Ohio State (1906–1909). #
Willie Heston William Martin Heston (September 9, 1878 – September 9, 1963) was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University ...
: played for San Jose State Spartans football, San Jose State Normal under Yost in 1900 and for Michigan (1901–1904), head coach for Drake Bulldogs football, Drake (1905), NC State Wolfpack football, North Carolina A&M (1906) # Herbert Huebel: played for Yost (1911-1912), head coach for Rose–Hulman Fightin' Engineers football, Rose Polytechnic (1913-1914). #
Tommy Hughitt Tommy Hughitt (born Ernest Fredrick Hughitt; December 27, 1892 – December 27, 1961) was a Canadian-American National Football League utility player, coach, referee and politician. He was also an All-American quarterback for the University ...
: played for Michigan (1912–1914), head coach for Maine Black Bears football, Maine (1915–1916) and Buffalo (1920s NFL teams), Buffalo All-Americans/Bison of the NFL (1920–1924). # Emory J. Hyde: played for Michigan in 1901, head coach for TCU Horned Frogs football, TCU (1905–1907). # Roy W. Johnson (coach), Roy W. Johnson: played for Michigan (1919), head coach for New Mexico Lobos football, New Mexico (1920–1930). # Paul Jones (judge), Paul Jones: played for Michigan (1901–1903), head coach for Case Western Spartans football, Western Reserve (1904–1905). #
Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 1937 ...
: played for Michigan (1920–1923), assistant for Michigan (1924–1927), head coach for Michigan State Spartans football, Michigan State (1928), Michigan (1929–1937). # James Knight (coach), James C. Knight: played for Michigan (1901), head coach for Washington Huskies football, Washington (1902–1904) # Jesse R. Langley: played for Michigan (1904–1907), head coach for TCU Horned Frogs football, TCU (1908–1909) # Belford Lawson Jr.: played for Michigan (1921–1923) head coach for Jackson State Tigers football, Jackson College (1925–1926, 1928) # George M. Lawton: played for Michigan (1908–1910) head coach for Detroit Titans football, Detroit (1913–1914). # George Little (American football coach), George Little, assistant for Michigan (1922–1923), head coach for Michigan (1924), Wisconsin Badgers football, Wisconsin (1925–1926). # Frank Longman: played for Michigan (1903–1905), head coach for Arkansas Razorbacks football, Arkansas (1906–1907), Wooster Fighting Scots football, Wooster (1908), Notre Dame Fighting Irish football, Notre Dame (1909–1910) # Jay Mack Love: played for Michigan (1904–1905), head coach for Southwestern Moundbuilders football, Southwestern (KS) (1906–1907) # Joe Maddock (coach), Joe Maddock, played for Michigan (1902–1903), head coach for Utah Utes football, Utah (1904–1909), Oregon Ducks football, Oregon (1924). # Paul Magoffin: played for Michigan (1904–1907), assistant for Michigan (1909), head coach for North Dakota Agricultural (1908), George Washington Colonials football, George Washington (1910). #
John Maulbetsch John Frederick Maulbetsch (June 20, 1890 – September 14, 1950) was an All-American football halfback at Adrian College in 1911 and for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1914 to 1916. He is also a member of the College Football Hall ...
: played for Michigan (1914–1916), head coach for Phillips Haymakers football, Phillips (1917–1920), Oklahoma State Cowboys football, Oklahoma A&M (1921–1928), Marshall Thundering Herd football, Marshall (1929–1930). # Thomas L. McFadden: played for Yost at
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
(1900), head coach for Pacific Boxers football, Pacific (1901–1902), Oregon State Beavers football, Oregon Agricultural (1903), DePauw Tigers football, DePauw (1904). #
Dan McGugin Daniel Earle McGugin (July 29, 1879 – January 23, 1936) was an American football player and coach, as well as a lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee from 1904 to 1917 and again from ...
: played for Michigan (1901–1902), assistant for Michigan (1903), head coach for Vanderbilt Commodores football, Vanderbilt (1904–1917, 1919–1934). # William Melford: played for Nebraska (1898), head coach for Washburn (1899) # Bo Molenda: played for Michigan (1925–1926), head coach for Menlo College (1950–1969); also an assistant coach in professional football for the New York Giants 1936–1941 (interim head coach for the 1939 NFL season#NFL Championship Game, 1939 NFL Championship Game); Green Bay Packers (1947–1948); Chicago Hornets (1949) # Wade Moore: played for Yost at
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
(1899), head coach for Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State (1901). # Fay Moulton: played for Yost at
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
(1899), head coach for Kansas State Wildcats football, Kansas State (1900) # Fred Norcross: played for Michigan (1903–1905), head coach at Oregon State Beavers football, Oregon Agricultural (1906–1908). #
Bennie Oosterbaan Benjamin Oosterbaan ( ; February 24, 1906 – October 25, 1990) was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team, and an All-Big Ten C ...
: played for Michigan (1925–1927), assistant for Michigan (1928–1947), head coach for Michigan (1948–1958). # Bennie Owen: played for Yost at
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
(1899), assistant for Michigan (1901), head coach for Bethany College Terrible Swedes football, Bethany (KS) (1902–1904), Oklahoma Sooners football, Oklahoma (1905–1926). # Andrew G. Reid: played for Michigan (1901), head coach for Monmouth Fighting Scots football, Monmouth (IL) (1907–1909) # Curtis Redden: played for Michigan, head coach for Transylvania. # Walter Rheinschild: played for Michigan (1904–1907), head coach for Washington State Cougars football, Washington State (1908), Loyola Marymount Lions football, St. Vincent (CA) (1909), Caltech Beavers football, Throop (1913), Occidental Tigers football, Occidental (1916–1917). # George Rich (American football), George Rich: played for Michigan (1926–1928), head coach Denison Big Red football, Denison (1931–1934) # Thomas J. Riley: played for Michigan (1908), head coach for Maine Black Bears football, Maine (1911–1913), Amherst Mammoths football, Amherst (1914–1916) # Tod Rockwell: played for Michigan (1923–1924), head coach for North Dakota Fighting Sioux football, North Dakota (1926–1927), Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football, Louisiana Tech (1928–1929) # Frederick Schule: played for Michigan (1903), head coach for Montana Grizzlies football, Montana (1905–1906). # Henry Schulte: played for Michigan (1903–1905), head coach for Eastern Michigan Eagles football, Eastern Michigan (1906–1908), Cape Girardeau (1909–1913), Missouri Tigers football, Missouri (1914–1917), Nebraska Cornhuskers football, Nebraska (1919–1920) #
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 with ...
: played for Michigan (1904–1905, 1907–1908), assistant for Michigan (1913–1915), head coach for Detroit Titans football, Detroit (1922–1923). # Bruce Shorts: played for Michigan (1900–1901), head coach for Nevada Wolf Pack football, Nevada (1904), Oregon Ducks football, Oregon (1905). # Andrew W. Smith: played for Michigan (1909), assistant coach under Yost (1911–1912), head coach at Throop College of Technology, now California Institute of Technology (1914–c. 1917) # Theodore M. Stuart: played for Michigan (1904–1905), head coach for Colorado School of Mines (1910–1911). # Everett Sweeley: played for Michigan (1899–1902), head coach for Morningside Mustangs football, Morningside (1903), Washington State Cougars football, Washington State (1904–1905) # William I. Traeger: played for Yost at Stanford (1900), head coach for Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens football, Pomona (1902) and Occidental Tigers football, Occidental (1903) # Joseph Truskowski: played for Michigan (1926–1929), head coach for Olivet Comets football, Olivet (1931) # Leigh C. Turner: assistant for Michigan (1905), head coach for Purdue Boilermakers football, Purdue (1907) # Irwin Uteritz: played for Michigan (1921–1923), head coach for Washington University Bears football, Washington University (1949–1952). # George F. Veenker: assistant for Michigan (1926–1929), head coach for Iowa State Cyclones football, Iowa State (1931–1936). # Billy Wasmund: played for Michigan (1907–1909), head coach for
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
(1910–1911) # Boss Weeks: played for Michigan (1900–1902), head coach for
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
(1903), Beloit Buccaneers football, Beloit (1904) # Hugh White (American football), Hugh White: played for Michigan (1898–1901), head coach for Washington University Bears football, Washington University (1902) # Tad Wieman: played for Michigan (1915–1917, 1920), assistant for Michigan (1921–1926), head coach for Michigan (1927–1928), Princeton Tigers football, Princeton (1938–1942). # Eben Wilson: played for Michigan (1899–1901), head coach for Wabash Little Giants football, Wabash (1902–1903), Alma Scots football, Alma (1904–1905). # Hugh E. Wilson: played for Michigan (1918–1921), head coach for Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football, Louisiana Tech (1926–1927)


Hockey arena

The
Yost Ice Arena Yost Ice Arena, formerly the Fielding H. Yost Field House, is an indoor ice hockey arena located on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is the home of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team which plays in ...
was named in his honor. In 2021, there were calls to remove his name.


Head coaching record


See also

* List of college football head coaches with non-consecutive tenure * University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * * * * *Kryk, John (2015), ''Stagg vs. Yost: The Birth of Cutthroat Football''. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. * * *


External links


Profile at Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan Athletics History
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yost, Fielding 1871 births 1946 deaths 19th-century players of American football American football tackles Kansas Jayhawks football coaches Lafayette Leopards football players Michigan Wolverines athletic directors Michigan Wolverines football coaches Nebraska Cornhuskers football coaches Ohio Northern Polar Bears baseball players Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops football coaches San Jose State Spartans football coaches Stanford Cardinal football coaches West Virginia Mountaineers football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees Fairmont State University alumni People from Fairview, West Virginia Coaches of American football from West Virginia Players of American football from West Virginia