Paul J. Schissler (November 11, 1893 – April 16, 1968)
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 ...
,
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
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 ...
coach. He coached football at the high school, college, and professional levels, and is credited with starting 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 ...
's annual
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
.
[
]
Coaching career
Schissler first coaching position was as the head football coach at Hastings High School in Hastings, Nebraska
Hastings is a List of cities in Nebraska, city and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is known as the town where Kool-Aid ...
. He had been a stand-out athlete at HHS, graduating in 1911. He coached there for two seasons, from 1913 to 1914.
College
Schissler's first collegiate position was as the 16th head football coach at Doane College
Doane University is a private university in Crete, Nebraska. It has additional campuses in Lincoln and Omaha, as well as online programs.
History
Doane College was founded on July 11, 1872, by Thomas Doane, chief civil engineer for the Burling ...
in Crete, Nebraska
Crete is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,099 at the 2020 census.
History
The railroad was extended to the area in 1870, bringing settlers. In 1871, two rival towns merged to form a new town, which was name ...
. He only coached one season with Doane College during the 1915 season and had a record of 5–3. Schissler left Doane to become the head football coach at St. Viator College
St. Viator College was a Catholic liberal arts college in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It is no longer in operation. Today, the site is home to Olivet Nazarene University.
History
St. Viator's grew out of the original Bourbonnais, Illinois, Bourbonna ...
in Bourbonnais, Illinois
Bourbonnais ( ) is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,164 at the 2020 census.
History
The village is named for François Bourbonnais Sr., a fur trapper, hunter and agent of the American Fur Company, who ...
where he coached again for only one season in 1916.[
In 1919, Schissler went to 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 ...
. There he was an assistant football coach, the head basketball coach, and the head baseball coach. Schissler was the head coach of the basketball team for two seasons, posting a 37–5 overall record. As the head baseball coach at Nebraska, Schissler posted a three-year record of 20–14.
In 1921, Schissler was appointed as the athletic director at Lombard College
Lombard College was a Universalist college located in Galesburg, Illinois.
History
Lombard College was founded in 1853 by the Universalist Church as the Illinois Liberal Institute. In 1855, however, a major fire damaged much of the college, p ...
in Galesburg, Illinois
Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria. At the 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal city of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical ...
.
Schissler was the head football coach for Oregon State
Oregon State University (OSU) is a public land-grant, research university in Corvallis, Oregon. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate-degree programs along with a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees. It has the 10th largest engineering col ...
from 1924 to 1932. During his nine-year tenure, he compiled a 48–30–2 (.613) record.OREGON STATE FOOTBALL HISTORY DATABASE.
NationalChamps.net. Retrieved on December 2, 2007. He led the Beavers
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
to three seven-win seasons in 1925, 1926, and 1930. He was known for opening seasons strong, having had a 76–0 win against Willamette University
Willamette University is a private liberal arts college with locations in Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States. Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated ...
, a 67–0 win against Multnomah Athletic Club, and a 51–0 win against Willamette.
NFL
Schissler first foray in to coaching in the NFL was with the Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ca ...
from 1933 to 1934. In his time as the Cardinals head coach he posted a record of 6–15–1.
From 1935 to 1936, he was the head coach for the Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
NFL team in New York City, compiling a record of 8–14–2.[Sprechman, Jordan, and Bill Shannon. 1998.]
''This day in New York sports''
Champaign, Ill: Sports Pub. Inc.
Later career
Schissler later owned and coached the Hollywood Bears football team of the Pacific Coast Pro Football League.[Ross, Charles Kenyatta. 1999]
Outside the lines African Americans and the integration of the National Football League
'. New York: New York University Press.[Gill, Bo]
PCPFL: 1940-45.
Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved December 2, 2007. There he coached and played with Kenny Washington before Washington was allowed to play in the NFL.[ Schissler sold Washington's contract to the ]Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
in 1946.[ Schissler also coached the NFL's ]Chicago Cardinals
The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons.
Roots ca ...
and the Hollywood Stars
The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles-based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels.
Hollywood Stars (192 ...
of the California Pro Football League, and during World War II served in the military where he also coached a football team.[ Later, Schissler helped start the ]Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
in 1951 while working for the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
''.[
]
Death
Schissler died in Hastings, Nebraska
Hastings is a List of cities in Nebraska, city and the county seat of Adams County, Nebraska, Adams County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 25,152 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is known as the town where Kool-Aid ...
, on April 16, 1968, at the age of 74.[
]
Head coaching record
College football
Notes
:''i.'' ^ Nebraska basketball media guide has name spelled 'Schlisser', however other documents do show Schissler as a coach at Nebraska during that time frame, including the Nebraska baseball media guide.[
]
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schissler, Paul J.
1968 deaths
1893 births
Brooklyn Dodgers (NFL) coaches
Chicago Cardinals coaches
Doane Tigers football coaches
Doane Tigers men's basketball coaches
High school football coaches in Nebraska
Lombard Olive athletic directors
Lombard Olive football coaches
March Field Flyers football coaches
Nebraska Cornhuskers baseball coaches
Nebraska Cornhuskers football coaches
Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball coaches
Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves men's basketball coaches
Oregon State Beavers football coaches
St. Viator Irish football coaches
Chicago Cardinals head coaches