Henry E. Frnka ( ; March 16, 1903 – December 18, 1980) 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 coach at the
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...
from 1941 to 1945 and at
Tulane University
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
from 1946 to 1951, 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 71–32–5. Frnka was also the
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 ...
at Tulsa from 1941 to 1945.
Coaching career
High school
Frnka began his coaching career at the high school level. He served as the head football coach at
Lubbock High School
Lubbock High School is a 5A high school serving grades nine to twelve in Lubbock, Texas, as part of the Lubbock Independent School District,
The school was founded in 1891 as the first high school in Lubbock County. Lubbock High School preda ...
in
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
from 1926 to 1930 before moving to
Greenville High School in
Greenville, Texas
Greenville is a city in Hunt County, Texas, United States, about northeast of Dallas. It is the county seat and largest city of Hunt County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,557, and in 2019, its estimated population was 28,827. ...
in 1931. He led the Greenville Lions to a Texas state championship in 1933. He used the
fumblerooski In American football, the fumblerooski is a trick play in which the football is intentionally and stealthily placed on the ground (fumbled) by an offensive player, usually the quarterback. The offensive team then attempts to distract and confuse th ...
for the very first time in the 1933 Texas High School Championship game.
Vanderbilt
Frank left Greenville in 1936 to become freshman coach at
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
. He was briefly succeeded at Greenville by his assistant,
Dennis Vinzant.
Tulsa
From 1941 to 1945, Frnka coached at the
University of Tulsa
The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...
, and compiled a 40–9–1 record. The
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
The Golden Hurricane are the athletic teams that represent the University of Tulsa. These teams are referred to as the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (or variously as TU or Tulsa). Before adopting the name Golden Hurricane in 1922, the University of Tu ...
had never been to a bowl game before, and he took them to five straight, becoming Tulsa's most prolific coach. The Golden Hurricane won three league titles, and outscored opponents 1,552 to 375. He led the team to their first bowl game and a school-best national ranking of No. 4 at the end of the 1942 season.
Tulane
From 1946 to 1951, Frnka coached at
Tulane University
Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
, and compiled a 31–23–4 record. Since the 1920s, the
Tulane Green Wave
The Tulane Green Wave are the athletic teams that represent Tulane University, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tulane competes in NCAA Division I as a member of the American Athletic Conference (The American). There are 14 Green Wave interco ...
had been a national power in college football, and Frnka-led teams produced records of 9–1 in 1948, 7–2–1 in 1949, and 6–2–1 in 1950. In a 1949 issue devoted to a preview of that year's college football season,
''SPORT'' magazine declared that Tulane was the best team in the country.
Death
Frnka died on December 18, 1980 in
San Antonio, Texas
("Cradle of Freedom")
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at the age of 77.
Head coaching record
College
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frnka, Henry
1903 births
1980 deaths
American football halfbacks
Austin Kangaroos football players
Temple Owls football coaches
Tulane Green Wave football coaches
Tulsa Golden Hurricane athletic directors
Tulsa Golden Hurricane football coaches
Vanderbilt Commodores football coaches
High school football coaches in Texas
People from Colorado County, Texas
Players of American football from Texas