)_LOC_23182964811.jpg) | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1884-04-01)April 1, 1884 Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | September 19, 1952(1952-09-19) (aged 68) Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1904–1905 | Chicago |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1906 | Oregon |
| 1907 | Chicago (assistant) |
| 1908–1912 | Arkansas |
| 1913–1916 | Oregon |
| 1918–1929 | Penn State |
| 1937–1938 | Cleveland Rams |
| 1949 | Delaware Valley |
| Basketball | |
| 1906–1907 | Oregon |
| 1913–1917 | Oregon |
| 1919 | Penn State (interim HC) |
| Baseball | |
| 1908–1913 | Arkansas |
| 1914–1917 | Oregon |
| 1917–1919 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| 1920–1930 | Penn State |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1918–1936 | Penn State |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 127–58–16 (college football) 1–13 (NFL) 28–37 (college basketball) 166–187 (MLB) 222–123–1 (college baseball) |
| Bowls | 2–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Awards | |
| |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1954 (profile) | |
Hugo Francis Bezdek (April 1, 1884 – September 19, 1952) was a Czech American athlete who playedAmerican football and was a coach of football,basketball, andbaseball. He was the head football coach at theUniversity of Oregon (1906, 1913–1917), theUniversity of Arkansas (1908–1912),Pennsylvania State University (1918–1929), andDelaware Valley College (1949). Bezdek also coached theMare Island Marines in the1918 Rose Bowl and theCleveland Rams of theNational Football League (NFL) in1937 and part of the1938 season. In addition, Bezdek coached basketball at Oregon (1906–1907, 1913–1917) and Penn State (1919), coached baseball at Arkansas (1909–1913), Oregon (1914–1917) and Penn State (1920–1930), and served as the manager ofMajor League Baseball'sPittsburgh Pirates (1917–1919). He was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954.
Bezdek is the only coach to bring three different teams to theRose Bowl Game. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame on December 31, 2022.
Hugo Bezděk was born nearPrague, Bohemia (now part of the present-day Czech Republic). His forefathers had been school-teachers, strong men and athletes. His family emigrated to America in 1891 when he was 6 years old. They lived inCleveland's Slavic community. His father James (Vaclav), worked at as a butcher in Cleveland. From here, young Hugo launched his athletic career. He enjoyed playing sports typical of the day. While he favored football, he also boxed, wrestled and played baseball.[1]
After playing as afullback at theUniversity of Chicago, Bezdek began his football coaching career at theUniversity of Oregon in 1906, but left after a year to become head coach at theUniversity of Arkansas. Arkansas' athletic teams were known as the Cardinals until after the 1909 season. Near the end of that year, Coach Bezdek called his team "a wild band of Razorback hogs" at an impromptu press conference following his team's victory over LSU. The name was a hit with the Arkansas students, and they voted to change the school's mascot from Cardinals to Razorbacks the following school term. Razorbacks has been Arkansas' mascot since that time. The 1909 team finished 7-0 and were considered the "Champions of the South". After five years at Arkansas, he returned to Oregon for six seasons.
While coaching in Oregon, Bezdek also served as a scout forMajor League Baseball'sPittsburgh Pirates, who hired him as theirmanager in the middle of the1917 season. He managed the Pirates through 1919, compiling a 166–187 record.
While managing the Pirates, Bezdek continued his football coaching career, moving from Oregon toPennsylvania State University in 1919. He was head coach there until 1929, amassing a 65–30–11 record that included two undefeated seasons and an appearance in the1923 Rose Bowl. Bezdek was noted for changing the Nittany Lions' style of play.[2]
Bezdek also served as Penn State'sathletic director from 1918 to 1936, was interimbasketball coach in 1919, garnering an 11–2 record, and director of the School of Physical Education and Athletics from 1930 to 1937.
In 1937, Bezdek was hired by theCleveland Rams as their first head coach after the team joined theNational Football League (NFL). His career with the Rams was brief, ending three games into the 1938 season with an abysmal 1–13 record. Nevertheless, Bezdek holds the distinction of being the only person to have served as both manager of a Major League Baseball team and head coach in the NFL.[3]
As a college football coach, Bezdek tallied a career record of 127–58–16. He was elected to theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Webfoots(Independent)(1906) | |||||||||
| 1906 | Oregon | 5–0–1 | |||||||
| Arkansas Cardinals/Razorbacks(Independent)(1908–1912) | |||||||||
| 1908 | Arkansas | 5–4 | |||||||
| 1909 | Arkansas | 7–0 | |||||||
| 1910 | Arkansas | 7–1 | |||||||
| 1911 | Arkansas | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1912 | Arkansas | 4–6 | |||||||
| Arkansas: | 29–13–1 | ||||||||
| Oregon Webfoots(Northwest Conference)(1913–1915) | |||||||||
| 1913 | Oregon | 3–3–1 | 1–1–1 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1914 | Oregon | 4–2–1 | 3–1–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1915 | Oregon | 7–2 | 3–1 | 3rd | |||||
| Oregon Webfoots(Northwest Conference /Pacific Coast Conference)(1916–1917) | |||||||||
| 1916 | Oregon | 7–0–1 | 2–0–1/ 2–0–1 | 2nd / 2nd | WRose | ||||
| 1917 | Oregon | 4–3 | 1–2 / 1–2 | 4th / 4th | |||||
| Oregon: | 30–10–4 | 11–6–3 | |||||||
| Mare Island Marines(Independent)(1917) | |||||||||
| 1917 | Mare Island | 1–0 | WRose | ||||||
| Mare Island: | 1–0 | ||||||||
| Penn State Nittany Lions(Independent)(1918–1929) | |||||||||
| 1918 | Penn State | 1–2–1 | |||||||
| 1919 | Penn State | 7–1 | |||||||
| 1920 | Penn State | 7–0–2 | |||||||
| 1921 | Penn State | 8–0–2 | |||||||
| 1922 | Penn State | 6–4–1 | LRose | ||||||
| 1923 | Penn State | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1924 | Penn State | 6–3–1 | |||||||
| 1925 | Penn State | 4–4–1 | |||||||
| 1926 | Penn State | 5–4 | |||||||
| 1927 | Penn State | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1928 | Penn State | 3–5–1 | |||||||
| 1929 | Penn State | 6–3 | |||||||
| Penn State: | 65–30–11 | ||||||||
| Delaware Valley Aggies(Independent)(1949) | |||||||||
| 1949 | Delaware Valley | 2–5 | |||||||
| Delaware Valley: | 2–5 | ||||||||
| Total: | 127–58–16 | ||||||||
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| CLE | 1937 | 1 | 10 | 0 | .091 | 5th in NFL Western | – | – | – | – |
| CLE | 1938 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 4th in NFL Western | – | – | – | – |
| CLE Total | 1 | 13 | 0 | .071 | – | – | – | – | ||
| NFL Total[4] | 1 | 13 | 0 | .071 | – | – | – | – | ||
| Total | 1 | 13 | 0 | .071 | – | – | – | – | ||
Links to related articles | |||||||||
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