John Bain Sutherland (March 21, 1889 – April 11, 1948) 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 wi ...

player and coach. He coached

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 in the United States, American football rules first gained populari ...

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

(1919–1923) and the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

(1924–1938) and professional football for the

Brooklyn Dodgers The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the club moved to Los Angeles, Californi ...

(1940–1941) and

Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...

(1946–1947). 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 vo ...

in 1951.

Biography

A native of

Coupar Angus Coupar Angus (; Gaelic: ''Cùbar Aonghais'') is a town in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, south of Blairgowrie. The name Coupar Angus serves to differentiate the town from Cupar, Fife. The town was traditionally on the border between Angus and P ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, Sutherland got his start in football by playing end at the

, commonly known as Pitt, under legendary coach Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner. Sutherland was named an

All-America 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 ...

n and played on Pitt's national championship teams in 1915 and 1916. Sutherland also played on Pitt's undefeated 1917 team. The 1917 team was known as "The Fighting Dentists" because on occasion every position was filled by dental students. The dental students on the 1917 team included Sutherland,

Katy Easterday Roy Alexander "Katy" Easterday (June 29, 1894 – May 26, 1976) was an American football and basketball player, track and field athlete, coach, college athletics administrator, and dentist. He played at the halfback position for the Pittsburgh Pan ...

Skip Gougler Roscoe A. "Skip" Gougler (August 11, 1894 – July 16, 1962) was an American football player and coach, dentist, and professor of dentistry. He played at the halfback and quarterback positions for the Pittsburgh Panthers football teams from 1914 ...

, "Tank" McLaren and "Jake" Stahl. Sutherland also lettered in

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...

and captained the track and field team at Pitt for which he specialized in the

hammer throw The hammer throw is one of the four throwing events in regular track and field competitions, along with the discus throw, shot put and Javelin throw, javelin. The "hammer" used in this sport is not like any of the tools also called by that na ...

, discus, and

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's c ...

. He was also a member of the

Sigma Chi Sigma Chi () International Fraternity is one of the largest North American fraternal literary societies. The fraternity has 244 active (undergraduate) chapters and 152 alumni chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more t ...

fraternity, Psi Omega national dental fraternity,

Omicron Delta Kappa Omicron Delta Kappa (), also known as The Circle and ODK, is one of the most prestigious honor societies in the United States with chapters at more than 300 college campuses. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington and Lee University i ...

, and the Druids Society, a secret society at the university. Sutherland graduated from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Dentistry, where he also held a professorship in the instruction of bridge and crown.

Coaching

In 1919, Sutherland played in a few games with the

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 ...

of the

Ohio League The Ohio League was an informal and loose association of American football clubs active between 1902 and 1919 that competed for the Ohio Independent Championship (OIC). As the name implied, its teams were mostly based in Ohio. It is the direct pr ...

, which was the direct predecessor to the modern

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 majo ...

. However, he soon left the team and began his head coaching career at

from 1919 to 1923, leading the Leopards to the 1921 Eastern Collegiate Championship.

University of Pittsburgh

In 1924, Sutherland replaced "Pop" Warner, his former coach and mentor, as head coach at Pitt. Sutherland, who was described as "a national hero" in a ''

Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...

'' article, became a highly admired and influential coach at the University while compiling a record of 111–20–12. On offense, he ran a double-wing formation known as the " Sutherland Scythe". He was known for his calm and direct demeanor, never shouting or ranting to motivate his team. During his tenure, Sutherland's teams were named Eastern football champions seven times including 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, and 1937. During this time, Pitt appeared in four Rose Bowl games (1928, 1930, 1933, and 1937) and turned down a bid for the 1938 Rose Bowl. Sutherland's teams were named "National Champions" by various selectors for nine different seasons including 1925, 1927, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1936, 1937, and 1938. Of these, the University of Pittsburgh officially recognizes five of those years as national championship seasons (1929, 1931, 1934, 1936, and 1937), while one of them, 1937, includes the Associated Press national championship designation which, at the time, was only the second instance in which the AP poll had been published. Sutherland coached the famed "Dream Backfield" of

John Chickerneo John Louis Chickerneo (March 13, 1917 – October 3, 1995) was an American football player who played one season with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the New York Giants in the third round of the 1939 ...

, Dick Cassiano, Harold Stebbins, and

Marshall Goldberg Marshall Goldberg (October 24, 1917 – April 3, 2006) was a National Football League (NFL) All-Pro American football player. He played college football as a halfback and fullback at the University of Pittsburgh. At Pittsburgh, Goldberg wa ...

, which at the time was considered to be the best backfield in history by some, including Don Miller, a member of The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame. After years of struggling with the University for sustained financial support, Sutherland resigned in 1938 because the school's Chancellor,

John Gabbert Bowman John Gabbert Bowman (May 18, 1877 – December 2, 1962) was the tenth Chancellor (1921–1945) of the University of Pittsburgh and the ninth President (1911–1914) of the University of Iowa. He is best known for initiating and complet ...

, instituted a policy of de-emphasis for the football program, eliminating athletic scholarships, student athlete stipends, and the recruiting funds. Bowman's moves, which resulted in Sutherland's departure, were controversial among students and supporters of the football program. As of 2009, his career coaching record of 144–28–14 in 20 seasons at the collegiate level, an .812 winning percentage, is the 25th best winning percentage in all divisions of college football and 11th best among coaches from the top division, currently known as the

Division I FBS The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). ...

. His .812 winning percentage is also the 5th best such mark during the first 20 years of any coaches' career. He is also tied for the 23rd fewest games to reach 100 victories, accomplished in his 132nd game as coach.

Professional football and military service

Sutherland later coached in the National Football League with the

for two seasons, 1940–41, before leaving the team to serve the United States during World War II. During the war, Sutherland served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and achieved the rank of

Lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

. Upon returning to the United States, Sutherland landed with the

, where he was head coach and team vice president. He led the Steelers to their first playoff appearance in 1947.

Sudden illness and death

While on a scouting trip for the Steelers in April 1948, Sutherland was found in his car in

Bandana, Kentucky Bandana is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ballard County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 177. History A post office has been in operation at Bandana since 1880. Some say the community was so named for ...

, where he was experiencing confusion and was then taken to a hospital in

Cairo, Illinois Cairo ( ) is the southernmost city in Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County. The city is located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Fort Defiance, a Civil War camp, was built here in 1862 by Union General Ulysse ...

, where he was initially diagnosed with "nervous exhaustion". He was flown back to Pittsburgh for further treatment. An exploratory surgery was required to determine whether he was suffering from a hemorrhage or a tumor. Sutherland died in Pittsburgh on April 11, 1948, following surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor. He is interred in Pittsburgh's

Homewood Cemetery Homewood Cemetery is a historic urban cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Point Breeze and is bordered by Frick Park, the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill, and the smaller Smithfield Cemetery. It was established i ...

Honors

Sutherland was inducted into the

in 1951 as a coach. He is memorialized on the Pitt campus with a street, Sutherland Drive, and the student residence

Sutherland Hall The upper campus residence halls at the University of Pittsburgh include Sutherland Hall, Panther Hall, K. Leroy Irvis Hall, the fraternity housing complex, and the Darragh Street Apartments. Among the newest residence facilities at the universit ...

Head coaching record

College

David DeLassus
All-Time Coaching Records:Dr. John B. "Jock" Sutherland
College Football Data Warehouse, August 5, 2010. *The Pittsburgh Panthers claim a share of the 1934 national championship per a 1970 ''Sports Illustrated'' study on national championships that the school has used since its publication as the basis of its claims. However, this championship is not included in the Official NCAA Records Book's list of national champions.

References

Bibliography

* * * ''Jock Sutherland: Architect of Men''. Harry G. Scott. New York, NY: Exposition Press, 1954.

Citations

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sutherland, Jock 1889 births 1948 deaths American football ends Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) coaches Lafayette Leopards football coaches Massillon Tigers players Pittsburgh Panthers football coaches Pittsburgh Panthers football players Pittsburgh Panthers men's track and field athletes Pittsburgh Panthers wrestlers Pittsburgh Steelers coaches Pittsburgh Steelers executives All-American college football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees United States Navy officers United States Navy personnel of World War II People from Perth and Kinross British emigrants to the United States Scottish players of American football Deaths from brain tumor Burials at Homewood Cemetery Pittsburgh Steelers head coaches