 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1927-11-13)November 13, 1927 Canton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | July 1, 2008(2008-07-01) (aged 80) Oxford, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1949–1951 | Miami (OH) |
| 1952 | Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers |
| Position(s) | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1953–1955 | Miami (OH) (assistant) |
| 1956–1962 | Miami (OH) |
| 1963–1964 | Yale |
| 1965–1972 | Indiana |
| 1973–1977 | Northwestern |
| 1984–1989 | Hamilton HS (OH) |
| 1990–1992 | Mount St. Joseph |
| 1990–2004 | ROCBULL |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1975–1980 | Northwestern |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 107–141–4 (college) |
| Bowls | 0–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2MAC (1957–1958) 1Big Ten (1967) | |
| Awards | |
| Imperial Oil Trophy (1952) AFCA Coach of the Year (1967) Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1967) Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1967) Sporting News College Football COY (1967) Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1967) Miami RedHawks No. 42 retired | |
John Pont (November 13, 1927 – July 1, 2008) was anAmerican football player and coach. He served as head football coach atMiami University inOxford, Ohio, from 1956 to 1962,Yale University from 1963 to 1964,Indiana University Bloomington from 1965 to 1972,Northwestern University from 1973 to 1977, andMount St. Joseph University inDelhi, Ohio, from 1990 to 1992, compiling a careercollege football head coaching record of 107–141–4.
Pont was born on November 13, 1927, inCanton, Ohio, to Bautista and Suzannah Pont.[1] He graduated fromTimken High School in Canton. As an undergraduate at Miami University, Pont was an outstandinghalfback, playing for coachesWoody Hayes andAra Parseghian, and was a member of theSigma Chi fraternity. After a serving a tour as aNavy submariner, Pont played professional football inCanada. He and several of his "Cradle of Coaches" compatriots are the subject of the bookFields of Honor, written by Pont's niece, Sally Pont.
After playing college football atMiami University, Pont went to Canada and played withToronto Balmy Beach Beachers of theOntario Rugby Football Union, where he won theImperial Oil Trophy as league MVP in1952.[2]
He was the only Indiana University coach to take a team to theRose Bowl. Later in his career, Pont was recruited to start a football program at Cincinnati'sCollege of Mount St. Joseph. He later served as coach and consultant in creating a semi-professional football league inJapan.[3] He was honored asNCAADivision I-A coach of the year in 1967, the year his Hoosiers appeared in the Rose Bowl. He was a member of theCradle of Coaches and the Miami and Indiana Athletic Halls of Fame as well asMid-American Conference Hall of Fame and theIndiana Football Hall of Fame.
He went 6-4 in 1968. It would be the last winning season he had as a college coach, with Pont having just two winning seasons at Indiana. Despite rumors that he would stay at Indiana, Pont signed a five-year contract to succeedAlex Agase atNorthwestern University on December 23, 1972.[4] He announced on November 14, 1977, that he would remain as athletic director while relinquishing his head coaching duties effective at the end of theseason.[5]Rick Venturi succeeded him seventeen days later on December 1.[6] Both Pont and Venturi were dismissed on November 18, 1980, after theWildcats went 1–31–1 within a three-year span culminating with a 0–11 campaign and a twenty-game losing streak.[7] Additionally, all but one of theblack players on the football team had protested against the unequal treatment of African-Americanstudent athletes within the program.[8]
Pont died at his home inOxford, Ohio, on July 1, 2008.
Pont's grandson, also namedJohn Pont, is the head football coach forOberlin College, a position he has held since 2023.[9]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Redskins(Mid-American Conference)(1956–1962) | |||||||||
| 1956 | Miami | 7–1–1 | 4–0–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1957 | Miami | 6–3 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1958 | Miami | 6–3 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1959 | Miami | 5–4 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1960 | Miami | 5–5 | 2–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1961 | Miami | 6–4 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1962 | Miami | 8–2–1 | 3–1–1 | 3rd | LTangerine | ||||
| Miami: | 43–22–2 | 25–8–2 | |||||||
| Yale Bulldogs(Ivy League)(1963–1964) | |||||||||
| 1963 | Yale | 6–3 | 4–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1964 | Yale | 6–2–1 | 4–2–1 | 3rd | |||||
| Yale: | 12–5–1 | 8–5–1 | |||||||
| Indiana Hoosiers(Big Ten Conference)(1965–1972) | |||||||||
| 1965 | Indiana | 2–8 | 1–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1966 | Indiana | 1–8–1 | 1–5–1 | 9th | |||||
| 1967 | Indiana | 9–2 | 6–1 | T–1st | LRose | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1968 | Indiana | 6–4 | 4–3 | T–5th | |||||
| 1969 | Indiana | 4–6 | 3–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1970 | Indiana | 1–9 | 1–6 | T–9th | |||||
| 1971 | Indiana | 3–8 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1972 | Indiana | 5–6 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| Indiana: | 31–51–1 | 21–36–1 | |||||||
| Northwestern Wildcats(Big Ten Conference)(1973–1977) | |||||||||
| 1973 | Northwestern | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 1974 | Northwestern | 2–8 | 2–6 | T–7th | |||||
| 1975 | Northwestern | 3–8 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1976 | Northwestern | 1–10 | 1–7 | 10th | |||||
| 1977 | Northwestern | 1–10 | 1–8 | 10th | |||||
| Northwestern: | 12–43 | 10–31 | |||||||
| Mount St. Joseph Lions(NAIA Division II independent)(1990–1992) | |||||||||
| 1990 | Mount St. Joseph | 1–9 | |||||||
| 1991 | Mount St. Joseph | 4–6 | |||||||
| 1992 | Mount St. Joseph | 4–5 | |||||||
| Mount St. Joseph: | 9–20 | ||||||||
| Total: | 107–141–4 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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