 Hess at Penn State in 1921 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1895-08-18)August 18, 1895 Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | November 9, 1982(1982-11-09) (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1916 | Penn State |
| 1919–1920 | Penn State |
| Position(s) | Fullback,punter,guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1922 | USC (freshman) |
| 1923–1927 | Loyola (CA) |
| Basketball | |
| 1924–1925 | Loyola (CA) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 23–14–4 (football) |
William Harold Hess (August 18, 1895 – November 9, 1982)[1][2] was an Americancollege football andbasketball coach. He served as the head coach atLoyola Marymount University from 1923 to 1927.
A native ofBelle Vernon, Pennsylvania nearPittsburgh,[3] Hess attendedBelle Vernon High School.[4] Hess went on to college atPennsylvania State University, where he played on thefootball team in 1916 and from 1919 to 1920.[5] He played as afullback and was considered a "starpunter" byThe Pittsburgh Press.[4][6] In 1919, during preparation for the rivalry game againstPittsburgh, team captainBob Higgins had noticed that the Panthers tended to rush ten players when the opposing team elected topunt. He devised atrick play using Hess, the team's punter. Early in the game, Penn State lined up to punt, and when Pittsburgh rushed ten men, Hess lobbed a 25-yard pass to Higgins, who was running free, and he took the ball 92 yards for atouchdown. The play shifted momentum decisively in Penn State's favor, and the Nittany Lions went on to win, 20–0.[7]
For his senior campaign during the 1920 season, Hess was moved from fullback toguard,[8] and his teammates elected him as captain.[9] At Penn State, Hess was a member ofKappa Sigma fraternity and studiedagriculture.[3]
In 1922, Hess served as the freshman team coach forUSC, whose varsity faced Penn State in that year'sRose Bowl. Because of his knowledge of the opponent, he helped prepare USC for the bowl game, which they won, 14–3.
In 1923, Hess was considered a candidate for theLong Beach State head coaching position.[10] That year, he took over as head coach atLoyola Marymount inLos Angeles, California. There, he introduced the system used at Penn State.[11] In January 1928, he resigned from Loyola,[12] where he compiled a 23–12–4 record.[13]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola Lions(Independent)(1923–1927) | |||||||||
| 1923 | Loyola | 4–4 | |||||||
| 1924 | Loyola | 4–3–1 | |||||||
| 1925 | Loyola | 4–2 | |||||||
| 1926 | Loyola | 6–0–2 | |||||||
| 1927 | Loyola | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| Loyola: | 23–12–4 | ||||||||
| Total: | 23–12–4 | ||||||||