 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1918-01-20)January 20, 1918 |
| Died | June 4, 1990(1990-06-04) (aged 72) Iowa City, Iowa, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1937–1939 | Michigan |
| 1942 | Army All-Stars |
| 1945 | Second Air Force |
| Position | Center |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1940–1941 | Michigan (assistant) |
| 1948 | Whitman (line) |
| 1949–1950 | Whitman |
| 1951 | Hawaii |
| 1952–1965 | Iowa (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 10–19 |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| Third-teamAll-American (1939) | |
Archie John Kodros (January 20, 1918 – June 4, 1990) was an Americancollege football player and coach. He played for theUniversity of Michigan football team from 1937 to 1939 and was selected as a first-team All-American and team captain in his senior year. He served in theUnited States Army Air Forces duringWorld War II. After the war, Kodros worked as a football coach atWhitman College (1948–1950),University of Hawaii (1951), andUniversity of Iowa (1952–1965).
Kodros grew up inAlton, Illinois and graduated from Alton High School in 1936.[1] Kodros played football in high school and had an offer to play for theUniversity of Illinois He chose instead to play for theUniversity of Michigan because they had a tradition of having greatcenters.[1]
Kodros worked his way into the starting line-up at Michigan as a sophomore walk-on in 1937.[1] He played at the center position for Michigan from 1937 to 1939 and was the captain of the1939 Michigan Wolverines football team. He played on the line withForest Evashevski andTom Harmon in the backfield. In 1939, one Ohio sports reporter credited Kodros with a share of Harmon's success: "One reason why Tom Harmon plays so sensationally each Saturday is shown here. The Michigan line, led by Captain Archie Kodros, No. 53, blocks beautifully and opens the way for Tom to get into the secondary, where the star Wolverine back can peddle his own papers."[2] In his final game for Michigan, Kodros intercepted a pass deep in Michigan's territory offOhio State's All-American quarterback,Don Scott, to help lead the Wolverines to a 21–14 win over the Buckeyes.[3]
Kodros received honorable mentions on several All-American teams and was selected as a first-team All-American byBill Stern forLife magazine.[1] He ranked third in theUnited Press All-American voting with 146 points in a close finish behind John Haman onNorthwestern (213 points) andJohn Schiechl ofSanta Clara (148 points).[4]
Kodros was drafted by theGreen Bay Packers in the1940 NFL draft (159th overall pick), but he declined the invitation and opted instead to work toward at master's degree in business at Michigan.[5] He later recalled: "I figured I was better off starting in business Pro football didn't pay that much back then because there were only eight teams and television hadn't started by 1940. Maybe you could play a few years in the NFL back then, but then where were you? I said the heck with the pros. I didn't even go for my interview."[1] While studying toward his master's degree, Kodros also worked as an assistant football coach at Michigan underFritz Crisler in 1940 and 1941.[6][7]
DuringWorld War II, Kodros served in theU.S. Army Air Forces and participated in theinvasion of Italy. He played for an Army All-Star football team in 1942 that defeated theDetroit Lions 12 to 10.[8][9] At the end of the war, he played for an Air Force team called theSecond Air Force Superbombers.[10]
In 1948, Kodros was hired as the line coach and assistant professor of physical education atWhitman College inWalla Walla, Washington.[11] He became Whitman's head football coach in 1949 and added the title of athletic director in 1950.[12][13]
In May 1951, Kodros was hired as the athletic director and head football coach of theUniversity of Hawaii.[12][14] He compiled a record of 4 wins and 7 losses at Hawaii.[15]
In February 1952, he announced his resignation from Hawaii,[16] and in April 1952, he was hired by his former teammate,Forest Evashevski, who had been named head football coach at theUniversity of Iowa.[17] Kodros served as an assistant football coach at Iowa from 1952 through 1965.[18]
Kodros was married to the former Effie Virginia Jowett on July 10, 1943.[19] The couple had four children, sons Paul, Rodney and Robert, and daughter, Marijo Mihalopoulos.[19] After Kodros retired from coaching, he and his wife owned and operated the Hilltop Mobile Home Park inIowa City, Iowa.[19] He retired in 1985 and continued to live in Iowa City. In 1990, Kodros died atMercy Hospital in Iowa City after a long illness with cancer.[18] He was survived by his wife, two sons (Rodney and Robert), a daughter (Marijo), two grandchildren and three sisters.[19]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman Fighting Missionaries(Northwest Conference)(1949–1950) | |||||||||
| 1949 | Whitman | 3–6 | 0–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1950 | Whitman | 3–6 | 1–4 | T–5th | |||||
| Whitman: | 6–12 | 1–9 | |||||||
| Hawaii Rainbows(Independent)(1951) | |||||||||
| 1951 | Hawaii | 4–7 | LPineapple | ||||||
| Hawaii: | 4–7 | ||||||||
| Total: | 10–19 | ||||||||
