 Donelli in aUnited States's jersey | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | (1907-07-22)July 22, 1907 Morgan, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Died: | August 9, 1994(1994-08-09) (aged 87) Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Halfback,Punter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8[1] in (173 cm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Duquesne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As coach | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1930–1935 | Duquesne (freshmen) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1936–1938 | Duquesne (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1939–1942 | Duquesne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1941 | Pittsburgh Steelers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1944 | Cleveland Rams | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1947–1956 | Boston University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1957–1967 | Columbia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career stats | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Military career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Service |  U.S. Navy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1945 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battles / wars | World War II | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aldo Teo "Buff"Donelli (July 22, 1907 – August 9, 1994) was anAmerican football player and coach,soccer player, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach atDuquesne University from 1939 to 1942,Boston University from 1947 to 1956, andColumbia University from 1957 to 1967, compiling a careercollege football coaching record of 105–107–8. Donelli was also a head coach in theNational Football League (NFL), with thePittsburgh Steelers for part of the 1941 season and with theCleveland Rams in 1944, tallying a career mark of 4–11 in the NFL. From 1951 to 1955 he was theathletic director at Boston University. Donelli played college football at Duquesne and was an assistant football coach at his alma mater from 1930 to 1938, before being promoted to head coach. He played soccer with a number of clubs in the 1920s and 1930s and was a member of theUnited States men's national soccer team during the1934 FIFA World Cup. He is a member of theNational Soccer Hall of Fame.
In 1925, Donelli played forMorgan F.C., a western Pennsylvania soccer team. At some point, he moved to Cleveland Slavia, playing for them at least the winter of 1929–30. In January and February 1934, he is listed with Curry Silver Tops and then Heidelberg SC from February to April 1936. He also played for Castle Shannon in March 1938.[2]
Donelli was selected to theUnited States1934 FIFA World Cup team. In a 4–2 qualifying victory overMexico inRome, Italy on May 24, he tallied all four times, becoming the first American to score his first three international goals with the senior team in the same match (Sacha Kljestan would become the second to achieve this feat on January 24, 2009).[3] Three days later in the same stadium, Donelli scored the lone U.S. goal in its 7–1 first-round elimination loss toItaly. It would be the last one any American scored on Italian turf for another 56 years, and also the onlyItalian American to score against Italy. He was inducted intoU.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1954.[4]
Donelli, who playedcollege football atDuquesne University inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was ahalfback andpunter. He went on to coach Duquesne University,Columbia University,Boston University, and thePittsburgh Steelers andCleveland Rams of theNational Football League.
Donelli took over as Duquesne head coach in 1939, compiling a 29–4–2 record as the Dukes finished in the top ten twice in four seasons. His tenure at his alma mater also gave him a place in the history books as the only man to serve as head coach of both a college and NFL team simultaneously. Donelli served as head coach of thePittsburgh Steelers during the1941 fall campaign on the bluff of Duquesne University. The Dukes were on their way to an undefeated season in 1941 and after the Steelers lost their first two games, coach (and later NFL Commissioner)Bert Bell resigned, having Donelli replace him. Aldo would coach the Steelers in the morning during classes at Duquesne University and then the Dukes in the afternoon. Although his college team finished undefeated, the Steelers lost all five games under Donelli. He also coached theCleveland Rams for a single season (1944), attaining a 4–6 record.
Donelli continued on to coach atBoston University from 1947 to 1956 with a 46–34–4 record and again placing a season in the top 25 poll. In 1957, he was named the head coach atColumbia University where he would serve until 1967 compiling a 30–76–4 record. In 1961, he coached Columbia to its onlyIvy League championship.
Donelli was a founding member ofAlpha Phi Delta, Psi chapter, the national Italian heritage fraternity, at Duquesne University on March 19, 1929. Donelli received his business degree from Duquesne University in 1930 and his graduate business degree in 1931.
Donelli was drafted into theUnited States Navy for a short time during the last year ofWorld War II. In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s after semi-retiring from coaching, he worked in public relations for PGA events around Boston while keeping homes in suburban Pittsburgh and then eventually Florida.
Columbia University's weight room is named in Donelli's honor.[5]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | AP# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duquesne Dukes(Independent)(1939–1942) | |||||||||
| 1939 | Duquesne | 8–0–1 | 10 | ||||||
| 1940 | Duquesne | 7–1 | |||||||
| 1941 | Duquesne | 8–0 | 8 | ||||||
| 1942 | Duquesne | 6–3–1 | |||||||
| Duquesne: | 29–4–2 | ||||||||
| Boston University Terriers(Independent)(1947–1956) | |||||||||
| 1947 | Boston University | 5–3 | |||||||
| 1948 | Boston University | 6–2 | |||||||
| 1949 | Boston University | 6–2 | |||||||
| 1950 | Boston University | 3–5 | |||||||
| 1951 | Boston University | 6–4 | 16 | ||||||
| 1952 | Boston University | 5–4–1 | |||||||
| 1953 | Boston University | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| 1954 | Boston University | 7–2 | |||||||
| 1955 | Boston University | 2–6 | |||||||
| 1956 | Boston University | 1–5–2 | |||||||
| Boston University: | 46–36–4 | ||||||||
| Columbia Lions(Ivy League)(1957–1967) | |||||||||
| 1957 | Columbia | 1–8 | 1–6 | 8th | |||||
| 1958 | Columbia | 1–8 | 1–6 | 7th | |||||
| 1959 | Columbia | 2–7 | 1–6 | 8th | |||||
| 1960 | Columbia | 3–6 | 3–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1961 | Columbia | 6–3 | 6–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1962 | Columbia | 5–4 | 4–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1963 | Columbia | 4–4–1 | 2–4–1 | 6th | |||||
| 1964 | Columbia | 2–6–1 | 1–5–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1965 | Columbia | 2–7 | 1–6 | T–7th | |||||
| 1966 | Columbia | 2–7 | 1–6 | 7th | |||||
| 1967 | Columbia | 2–7 | 0–7 | 8th | |||||
| Columbia: | 30–67–2 | 21–54–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 105–107–8 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
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| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| PIT | 1941 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | 5th in NFL Eastern | – | – | – | – |
| PIT Total | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | – | – | – | – | ||
| CLE | 1944 | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | 4th in NFL Western | – | – | – | – |
| CLE Total | 4 | 6 | 0 | .400 | – | – | – | – | ||
| NFL Total[6] | 4 | 11 | 0 | .267 | – | – | – | – | ||
| Total | 4 | 11 | 0 | .267 | – | – | – | – | ||
