Zora G. Clevenger (December 12, 1881 – November 24, 1970) 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 ...

player, coach, and pioneering

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 ...

. He served as the head football coach at

Nebraska Wesleyan University Nebraska Wesleyan University (NWU) is a private Methodist-affiliated university in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was founded in 1887 by Nebraska Methodists. As of 2017, it has approximately 2,100 students including 1,500 full-time students and 300 ...

(1908–1910), the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

(1911–1915), and

Kansas State University Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...

(1916–1919), compiling a record of 47–32–7. Clevenger was also the head basketball coach at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

(1904–1906), Nebraska Wesleyan (1907–1911), Tennessee (1911–1916), and Kansas State (1916–1919), and was baseball coach at Indiana (1905–1906), Nebraska Wesleyan (1908–1911), Tennessee (1911–1916), and Kansas State (1919–1921). Clevenger served as the athletic director at Kansas State (1916–1920), the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Universit ...

(1921–1923), and Indiana (1923–1946). 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 player in 1968.

Playing career

Clevenger was a star 5'7", 145-pound left halfback on the

Indiana Hoosiers football The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers have played their home games at Memorial Stadium since 1960 ...

team at

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington (IU Bloomington, Indiana University, IU, or simply Indiana) is a public university, public research university in Bloomington, Indiana. It is the flagship university, flagship campus of Indiana University and, with ...

from 1900 to 1903. Although little more than jockey-sized, he was the school's first great Hall of Fame athlete. Clevenger also played baseball, as a

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

, and basketball at Indiana. He was captain of all three squads. In 1902 the Indiana baseball team closed their season at home against Minnesota. Clevenger came to bat down 10–8, two on, two out, last of the ninth. He hit a home run to win the game. Later he said, "It wasn't a big school then, but the students got together, took up a collection, and went uptown and bought me a gold watch. It's one of my most prized possessions." As a senior and captain on the football team in 1903, Clevenger kicked a field goal, ran a punt back for a touchdown, and led his team to a shocking 17–0 win over Illinois. The crowd of 1,500 carried Clevenger and other Hoosiers off the field, then marched behind the band downtown for a celebration that lasted into the night.

Coaching and sports administration career

Following his graduation, Clevenger served as head coach for the basketball and baseball teams at Indiana for two years. He then coached football, basketball, and baseball at

from 1908 to 1911. In 1911, Clevenger moved to the

, where he served as head football, basketball, and baseball coach until 1916. While at UT, he posted a 26–15–2 record in football, including a conference championship and the school's first undefeated season in 1914. At the same time, his 1915–16 basketball team went undefeated, and was acknowledged as the best team in the South. Clevenger also served as

at Tennessee. Prior to the 1916 football season, Clevenger moved to

, where he served as head football coach, head basketball coach, head baseball coach, and as the first athletic director for the school. Curiously, John R. Bender moved from Kansas State to Tennessee at the same time, so the two schools in effect swapped football coaches. Clevenger's football teams at Kansas State had an overall record of 19–9–2. He found even more success in basketball, posting a 54–17 record, still the best winning percentage in school history, and winning two

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the third-oldest collegiate athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the midwest. History The MVC was established ...

championships. In 1921, Clevenger left the coaching profession and moved to the

, where he served as athletic director until 1923. In 1923, Clevenger returned to Indiana and became its most venerated athletic director, holding that position for 23 years before retiring in 1946. He was replaced in the position by

Bo McMillin Alvin Nugent "Bo" McMillin (January 12, 1895 – March 31, 1952) was an American football player and coach at the collegiate and professional level. He played college football at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where he was a three-tim ...

. While at IU, Clevenger helped found the annual

East–West Shrine Game East West (or East and West) may refer to: *East–West dichotomy, the contrast between Eastern and Western society or culture Arts and entertainment Books, journals and magazines *'' East, West'', an anthology of short stories written by Salm ...

Honors

Clevenger was inducted into the

as a player in 1968. The I-Men's Association at Indiana University annually awards a Z. G. Clevenger Award in his honor. It is the highest award given by the organization.

Head coaching record

Football

References

Additional sources

* Stallard, Mark (2000). ''Wildcats to Powercats: K-State Football Facts and Trivia'' ()

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Clevenger, Zora G. 1881 births 1970 deaths American football drop kickers American football halfbacks American men's basketball players Indiana Hoosiers athletic directors Indiana Hoosiers baseball coaches Indiana Hoosiers baseball players Indiana Hoosiers football players Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball coaches Kansas State Wildcats athletic directors Kansas State Wildcats baseball coaches Kansas State Wildcats football coaches Kansas State Wildcats men's basketball coaches Missouri Tigers athletic directors Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves baseball coaches Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves football coaches Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolves men's basketball coaches Tennessee Volunteers baseball coaches Tennessee Volunteers basketball coaches Tennessee Volunteers football coaches College Football Hall of Fame inductees Sportspeople from Muncie, Indiana Basketball coaches from Indiana Basketball players from Indiana