| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1898-04-30)April 30, 1898 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | March 24, 1972(1972-03-24) (aged 73) Louisiana, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1917–1920 | Wake Forest |
| Position | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1918–1919 | Wake Forest |
| 1921 | Greensboro HS (NC) |
| 1922–1924 | New Mexico Military |
| 1925–1942 | LSU (assistant) |
| Basketball | |
| 1925–1942 | LSU |
| 1945–1957 | LSU |
| Baseball | |
| 1927–1942 | LSU |
| 1946–1956 | LSU |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1967–1968 | LSU |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 3–8 (college football) 340–264 (college basketball) 220–226–3 (college baseball) |
| Tournaments | Basketball 1–1 (NCAA) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Basketball NCAA Final Four (1953) 2 SEC (1953, 1954) Baseball 2 SEC (1939, 1946) | |
| Awards | |
| Baseball 2x SEC Coach of the Year (1939, 1946) | |
Harry Aldrich Rabenhorst (April 30, 1898 – March 24, 1972) was an Americanfootball player, coach of football,basketball, andbaseball, and college athletics administrator.[1]
A native ofBaton Rouge, Louisiana, he served as the head basketball coach atLouisiana State University (LSU) from 1925 to 1942 and again from 1945 to 1957.[2] Rabenhorst was also the head baseball coach at LSU from 1927 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1946 as well as the school'sathletic director from 1967 to 1968. His 1935 LSU basketball team won anational championship and his 1953 squad reached theFinal Four.[citation needed]
Rabenhorst playedcollege football atWake Forest as afullback from 1917 to 1920, captaining the team for three seasons. Rabenhorst holds the record for longest punt in football history. On Thanksgiving Day 1919, against North Carolina State, Rabenhorst got off a world record 115-yard punt that sailed 85 yards in the air.[3] Rabenhorst is credited as Wake Forest's head coach of record for the 1918 and 1919 seasons.[4]
In 1925, Rabenhorst began a very long and successful career at LSU as the head coach of themen's basketball team. Two years later, in 1927, he also became the head baseball coach. Along with his successes in basketball, he also won two SEC baseball titles (1939 and 1946).[5] As a reward for his team's success on the baseball diamond, Rabenhorst was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1939 and 1946,[6] as well. Rabenhorst stepped down as baseball and basketball coach in 1942 when he left to serve inWorld War II. Upon his return, he again coached the baseball team from 1946 until 1956 and the basketball team from 1946 to 1957. He finished his baseball coaching career with a record of 220–226–3.
Rabenhorst is a member of theLSU Athletics Hall of Fame and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.[1][3]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest Baptists(Independent)(1918–1919) | |||||||||
| 1918 | Wake Forest | 1–2 | |||||||
| 1919 | Wake Forest | 2–6 | |||||||
| Wake Forest: | 3–8 | ||||||||
| Total: | 3–8 | ||||||||
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSU Tigers(Southern Conference)(1925–1932) | |||||||||
| 1925–26 | LSU | 9–9 | 4–5 | 12th | |||||
| 1926–27 | LSU | 7–9 | 3–5 | 15th | |||||
| 1927–28 | LSU | 14–4 | 7–3 | 6th | |||||
| 1928–29 | LSU | 8–13 | 5–9 | 16th | |||||
| 1929–30 | LSU | 10–11 | 6–7 | 13th | |||||
| 1930–31 | LSU | 7–8 | 4–4 | 12th | |||||
| 1931–32 | LSU | 11–9 | 8–8 | 12th | |||||
| LSU Tigers(Southeastern Conference)(1932–1942) | |||||||||
| 1932–33 | LSU | 15–8 | 13–7 | 4th | |||||
| 1933–34 | LSU | 13–4 | 13–3 | 3rd | |||||
| 1934–35 | LSU | 14–1 | 12–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1935–36 | LSU | 10–10 | 9–6 | T–6th | |||||
| 1936–37 | LSU | 13–7 | 7–6 | 7th | |||||
| 1937–38 | LSU | 10–10 | 7–6 | 6th | |||||
| 1938–39 | LSU | 13–7 | 10–5 | 4th | |||||
| 1939–40 | LSU | 10–8 | 8–4 | 4th | |||||
| 1940–41 | LSU | 9–9 | 7–5 | 5th | |||||
| 1941–42 | LSU | 8–7 | 8–3 | 4th | |||||
| LSU Tigers(Southeastern Conference)(1945–1957) | |||||||||
| 1945–46 | LSU | 18–3 | 8–0 | T–1st | |||||
| 1946–47 | LSU | 17–4 | 9–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 1947–48 | LSU | 8–18 | 4–10 | 11th | |||||
| 1948–49 | LSU | 15–10 | 7–6 | 5th | |||||
| 1949–50 | LSU | 13–12 | 5–8 | 9th | |||||
| 1950–51 | LSU | 10–14 | 6–8 | T–5th | |||||
| 1951–52 | LSU | 17–7 | 9–5 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1952–53 | LSU | 22–3 | 13–0 | 1st | NCAA Final Four | ||||
| 1953–54 | LSU | 20–5 | 14–0 | T–1st | NCAA Sweet 16 | ||||
| 1954–55 | LSU | 6–18 | 3–11 | 11th | |||||
| 1955–56 | LSU | 7–17 | 5–9 | 9th | |||||
| 1956–57 | LSU | 6–19 | 1–13 | 12th | |||||
| LSU: | 340–264 (.563) | 215–158 (.576) | |||||||
| Total: | 340–264 (.563) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSU Tigers(Southern Conference)(1927–1932) | |||||||||
| 1927 | LSU | 8–6 | |||||||
| 1928 | LSU | 7–11 | |||||||
| 1929 | LSU | 3–6 | |||||||
| 1930 | LSU | 6–8 | |||||||
| 1931 | LSU | 3–6–1 | |||||||
| 1932 | LSU | 4–7–1 | |||||||
| LSU Tigers(Southeastern Conference)(1933–1942) | |||||||||
| 1933 | LSU | 2–8 | 0–4 | 7th | |||||
| 1934 | LSU | 6–8–1 | 3–6 | 7th | |||||
| 1935 | LSU | 8–7 | 4–6 | 6th | |||||
| 1936 | LSU | 15–4 | 7–4 | 2nd | |||||
| 1937 | LSU | 12–14 | 5–10 | 7th | |||||
| 1938 | LSU | 7–8–1 | 3–6–1 | 8th | |||||
| 1939 | LSU | 22–6 | 10–2 | 1st | |||||
| 1940 | LSU | 16–5 | 10–4 | 3rd | |||||
| 1941 | LSU | 10–13 | 5–9 | 9th | |||||
| 1942 | LSU | 9–9 | 7–5 | 4th | |||||
| LSU Tigers(Southeastern Conference)(1946–1956) | |||||||||
| 1946 | LSU | 12–5 | 11–3 | 1st | |||||
| 1947 | LSU | 10–9–1 | 4–7 | 10th | |||||
| 1948 | LSU | 7–14–1 | 4–10 | 9th | |||||
| 1949 | LSU | 6–11 | 5–9 | 9th | |||||
| 1950 | LSU | 5–9–1 | 2–7–1 | 11th | |||||
| 1951 | LSU | 10–6 | 6–6 | 5th | |||||
| 1952 | LSU | 9–11 | 7–9 | 7th | |||||
| 1953 | LSU | 8–10 | 7–8 | 7th | |||||
| 1954 | LSU | 8–11 | 5–10 | 10th | |||||
| 1955 | LSU | 6–17 | 4–11 | 10th | |||||
| 1956 | LSU | 9–11 | 7–9 | 7th | |||||
| LSU: | 228–240–7 (.487) | 116–145–2 (.445) | |||||||
| Total: | 228–240–7 (.487) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||