Charles B. Hoyt | |
|---|---|
 Hoyt from the 1925Michiganensian | |
| Born | (1893-10-09)October 9, 1893 Greenfield, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | 1978 |
| Years active | 1913–1946 |
| Known for | Track athlete and coach |
Charles B. Hoyt (October 9, 1893 – 1978) was an American track athlete and coach.[1]
A native ofGreenfield, Iowa,[2] Hoyt won three straight 100 and 220 yard dashes in the Iowa state meet from 1911–1913 and won seven career gold medals.[3] As a high school student in 1912, Hoyt was offered a place on the U.S. Olympic team but turned down the chance.[4] He ran a nation’s best of 9.8 in 1913—the same year theAmateur Athletic Union called him "America’s best sprinter."[3] His 9.8 time was equaled by Bill Carter of Chicago in 1914 but was not bettered until 1932 whenFoy Draper of California ran 9.6.[3] After graduating early from high school, Hoyt enrolled atGrinnell College where he set a world record in the 220-yard dash on a curved track at the 1916Drake Relays.[5] He won intercollegiate championships in both the 100-yard and 220-yard runs,[6] but lost the opportunity to compete in the Olympics when the1916 Summer Olympics was cancelled due toWorld War I. He graduated fromGrinnell College in 1917 and served in theUnited States Navy duringWorld War I.[6]
After his service in the Navy, Hoyt coached track at Sioux City High School, where he trainedMorgan Taylor, the first Olympic champion from Iowa.[4] He next later became the athletic director at Sioux City (Central) High School.[6][7] Morgan Taylor later attended Hoyt's alma mater, Grinnell College, where he set many records before winning three medals in the 400 hurdles at the Olympics in 1924 (Gold), 1928 (Bronze), and 1932 (bronze), where Taylor was also the flag carrier for the United States team.
He was hired by theUniversity of Michigan in 1923 as the assistant track coach and trainer of the football team.[6] In 1930, he became Michigan's head track coach. In his ten years as Michigan's head coach (1930–1939), Hoyt's Michigan track teams won 14 of a possible 20 Big Ten Conference indoor and outdoor titles, including six straight indoor championships from 1934-1939.[6][8] With Hoyt as head coach, Michigan was 40-6-0 in dual meets.[8] His Michigan athletes also won five individual NCAA championships and 63 individual Big Ten championships (27 indoor and 33 outdoor).[8] The athletes Hoyt coached at Michigan include:
In 1939, he was hired byYale University as the school's track coach and trainer of its football team.[2] He remained track coach at Yale until 1946 when he was replaced by Robert Giegengack.[14]
After leaving Yale, Hoyt lived inWoolstock, Iowa where he operated large farm holdings.[5][7] In 1948, Hoyt was selected as the referee for the 48th annual Western Conference track and field meet.[7] He was inducted into the Helms Foundation Track Hall of Fame in 1949 and the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1955.[5]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)| Preceded by | Michigan Wolverines football trainer 1923–1929 | Succeeded by Ray Roberts |
| Preceded by Ray Roberts | Michigan Wolverines football trainer 1941–1942 | Succeeded by Ray Roberts |
