The Resume

(July 2, 1879-December 22, 1957)
Born in Berlin, Germany
Head coach of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1912-41)
131 wins, 81 losses, 12 ties
Two NCAA championships (1923, 1927)
Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1951)

Why he might be annoying:

He was nicknamed ‘the Little Dutchman.’
His favorite breakfast was raw onions and beer.
He opposed football scholarships, insisting ‘The honor of playing for Illinois is payment enough.’
He refused to actively recruit players, leading to a string of losing seasons in his last twelve years as head coach.

Why he might not be annoying:

He was a talented landscape painter and held a one-man exhibit at Chicago’s Palmer House.
He was credited with introducing the huddle, the flea flicker, and the screen pass and reviving the I formation.
He got great performances from modestly talented athletes; for example, his 1927 unbeaten championship team did not include a single All-American.
He inspired former player George Halas to form the National Football League when he lamented that college players quit football just as they were learning how to really play.

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• Born in Berlin, Germany
• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 91]
• Celebrities Who Think They Can Paint
• I Attended University of Wisconsin-Madison
• I Died in 1957 (Ranked: 78)
• NCAA Football Champion Coaches (Ranked: 1923)
• NCAA Football Champion Coaches (Ranked: 1927)
• Profiles 56751-57000 (Ranked: 56851)
• Sport Coaches/Managers

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying