Bump Elliott

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Chalmers W. "Bump" Elliott (born January 30, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan) [1] was an American football player and coach and university director of athletics. Elliott starred at the University of Michigan, where in 1947 he led the Big Nine in scoring with 54 points and was chosen the Most Valuable Player in the Conference to win the Chicago Tribune Trophy. He also earned letters in football, basketball and baseball at Purdue University during Marine trainee days during the latter years of World War II, when it was not uncommon to see star athletes displaced onto other universities.

He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Contents

[edit] Career at Michigan

Elliott was the head coach of the University of Michigan football team from 1959 to 1968.


As Michigan's head coach, Elliott posted a career record of 51-42-2, for a .547 winning percentage. In Big Ten Conference play, his record was 32-34-2 (.485). Although his tenure at Michigan was unsuccessful by the school's historic standards, he did lead the 1964 Wolverines to a 9-1 record, a Big Ten title and a win in the Rose Bowl against Oregon State. His final team, in 1968, won eight of its first nine games but then suffered a humiliating 50-14 loss at archrival Ohio State. The defeat prompted Elliot to resign, and athletic director Don Canham hired Bo Schembechler to replace him as head coach. Schembechler would use the memory of the 1968 Ohio State loss to motivate his team the following season.

[edit] Career at Iowa

Elliott became the director of athletics at the University of Iowa in 1970, succeeding Forest Evashevski. His career at Iowa was marked by a general resurgence in the competitiveness of Iowa athletics. Elliott hired a number of notable coaches, including Lute Olson, Dan Gable, Hayden Fry, C. Vivian Stringer, and Dr. Tom Davis. Elliott retired in 1991. Elliott Drive, the Iowa City street on which Carver-Hawkeye Arena is located, is named in his honor.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ College Football Hall of Fame: Bump Elliott. Accessed 15 November 2006.
Preceded by:
Bennie Oosterbaan
University of Michigan Head Football Coach
19591968
Succeeded by:
Bo Schembechler