Wilfred Joseph "Dukes" Duford (June 11, 1898 – May 8, 1981) was an American

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 ...

player, coach, and university athletic director. He was the head football coach at

Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private Jesuit research university with campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Mississip ...

Saint Ambrose University St. Ambrose University is a private Catholic university in Davenport, Iowa. It was founded as a school of commerce for young men in 1882. History Foundation St. Ambrose was founded as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882, know ...

, and the University of Saint Mary (Kansas).

Biography

Duford was born on June 11, 1898 in Menomonie, Wisconsin.Dukes Duford
Pro Football Reference, retrieved June 24, 2010. Duford attended Niagara High School and Marquette University, where he played football, baseball, and basketball. Duford lettered in basketball from 1921 to 1923. He graduated in 1924.St. Louis Signs Dukes Duford; Marquette Graduate Given Long Contract Because of St. Ambrose Record
''The Milwaukee Journal'', January 31, 1940. After college, he played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for one season with the

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...

. He saw action in three games in 1924 as a halfback. Duford began his college football coaching career with a two-year stint at the University of Saint Mary in Kansas. He then moved on to

in Iowa, where he coached from 1931 to 1939. During his tenure there, Saint Ambrose posted a 60–10–7 record. Impressed by his winning record,

St. Ambrose University St. Ambrose University is a private Catholic university in Davenport, Iowa. It was founded as a school of commerce for young men in 1882. History Foundation St. Ambrose was founded as a seminary and school of commerce for young men in 1882, know ...

signed Duford to a multi-year contract as its football coach. Duford served as both the head football coach and athletic director at Saint Louis from 1940 to 1947.Former Coach Duford Named By St. Louis
''The Milwaukee Journal'', June 3, 1967. He also served as the basketball coach for the 1944–45 season and posted an 11–6 record. Duford and his staff resigned from Saint Louis after the 1947 season in which the football team amassed a 4–6 record. In his autobiography, ''Memories of a Hall of Fame Sportswriter'',

Bob Broeg Robert William Patrick Broeg (March 18, 1918 – October 28, 2005) was an American sportswriter. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he officially covered the St. Louis Cardinals for forty years. He graduated from Cleveland High School ...

called Duford his "candidate for the most noble coach of all." In 1966, Duford was working as the Commissioner of the St. Louis Council on Human Relations, which was set up to facilitate racial integration of the city. Duford returned to Saint Louis University as its interim athletic director in 1967. Duford was inducted into the Saint Louis University's Billiken Hall of Fame in 1995. Duford died at his Missouri home in 1981 of a heart ailment."Ex-SLU director dies", ''Pacific Stars and Stripes'', Tuesday, May 12, 1981, Tokyo, Japan, Japan

Head coaching record

Football

Basketball

: The MVC also cancelled the season due to World War II.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Duford, Dukes 1898 births 1981 deaths American football halfbacks American men's basketball players Green Bay Packers players Marquette Golden Avalanche football players Saint Louis Billikens athletic directors Saint Louis Billikens football coaches Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball coaches Saint Mary Spires football coaches St. Ambrose Fighting Bees football coaches St. Ambrose Fighting Bees men's basketball coaches People from Menomonie, Wisconsin Coaches of American football from Wisconsin Players of American football from Wisconsin Baseball players from Wisconsin Basketball coaches from Wisconsin Basketball players from Wisconsin