Duffy Daugherty
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Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty (born September 8, 1915 in Emeigh, Pennsylvania; died September 25, 1987 in Santa Barbara, California) was the head coach of the Michigan State University Spartans football team from 1954 to 1972, where he compiled a career record of 109-65-5. He was best known for his wit, good humor, and wisdom. His 19 seasons at the helm of Spartan football are still the longest of any head coach in the program's history.
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[edit] Early career
Duffy Daugherty began his football career playing at Syracuse University, and was named captain of the football team in his senior year. He joined the U.S. Army during World War II, earning the Bronze Star.
Upon his return from the war, he became an assistant coach at Syracuse under Clarence L. "Biggie" Munn. When Munn was hired to become the new head coach of MSU football for the 1947 season, Daugherty came with him. Munn's teams had a great deal of success, winning the AP National Championship in 1952, and the 1954 Rose Bowl in Michigan State's first season in the Big Ten Conference. Daugherty continued to serve as an assistant coach until Munn retired to become Michigan State's athletic director after the 1953 season, at which point Daugherty became the new head coach, the 15th in the history of Michigan State football.
[edit] Michigan State Head Coach
It is at Michigan State where Daugherty developed his reputation as one of the greatest college football coaches of all time.
After finishing his first season in 1954 with a disappointing 3-6 record, his team was much better the following season. Though the Spartans finished second in the Big Ten in 1955 with an 8-1 record behind Ohio State, they received the invitation to the Rose Bowl instead of the Buckeyes, thanks to the conference's prohibition against repeat trips to the Rose Bowl in addition to the prohibition against appearing in any other bowl game. At the game, the Spartans defeated UCLA 17-14, the second bowl win in school history.
From 1956 to 1964, Daugherty's teams were usually good, but not quite good enough to win the Big Ten. They did, however, managed to beat Notre Dame eight straight times, a feat duplicated only by Michigan. The 1965 and 1966 seasons were the high points in Daugherty's coaching tenure, if not in the history of Michigan State football. The 1965 team finished the regular season 10-0, ranked first in the country. However, they were upset by UCLA in the 1966 Rose Bowl, 14-12, although they did win the UPI and National Football Foundation polls for the national championship. In 1966, the team began 9-0 with convincing wins over its opponents headed into a matchup between #2 Michigan State and #1 Notre Dame at Spartan Stadium on November 19, 1966. In what many people have called "The Game of the Century", the game ended in a 10-10 tie. MSU won a share of the National Football Foundation national championship with Notre Dame.
Beginning with the 1967 season, there was a significant decline in the football program. Daugherty's teams were consistenly hovering around the .500 mark, with his 1971 squad the only one above that mark (6-5). Under pressure from MSU's administration, he retired after the 1972 season.
During Daugherty's time in East Lansing, he recruited and coached some of the best players in Michigan State's history. Those include Herb Adderley, Brad Van Pelt, Bubba Smith, George Webster, and Joe DeLamielleure.
To honor his accomplisments at Michigan State, the university named the football team's practice facility the Duffy Daugherty Football Building. The Duffy Daugherty Memorial Award is presented annually to a person for lifetime achievement and outstanding contribution to amateur football. He was also elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
Raised in the Presbyterian faith, Daugherty converted to Catholicism in 1964.
[edit] Year by Year Record
| Year | Overall | Conference | Bowl Game |
| 1954 | 3-6 | 1-5 | None |
| 1955 | 9-1 | 5-1 | Rose |
| 1956 | 7-2 | 4-2 | None |
| 1957 | 8-1 | 5-1 | None |
| 1958 | 3-5-1 | 0-5-1 | None |
| 1959 | 5-4 | 4-2 | None |
| 1960 | 6-2-1 | 4-2 | None |
| 1961 | 7-2 | 4-2 | None |
| 1962 | 5-4 | 3-3 | None |
| 1963 | 6-2-1 | 4-1-1 | None |
| 1964 | 4-5 | 3-3 | None |
| 1965^ | 10-1 | 7-0 | Rose |
| 1966# | 9-0-1 | 7-0 | None |
| 1967 | 3-7 | 3-4 | None |
| 1968 | 5-5 | 2-5 | None |
| 1969 | 4-6 | 2-5 | None |
| 1970 | 4-6 | 3-4 | None |
| 1971 | 6-5 | 5-3 | None |
| 1972 | 5-5-1 | 5-2-1 | None |
^United Press International and National Football Foundation national champions
#National Football Foundation national champions (tied with Notre Dame)
[edit] Quotes
- "Football isn't a contact sport, it's a collision sport. Dancing is a contact sport."
- "A tie is like kissing your sister."
[edit] External links
- College Football Hall of Fame Page - Duffy Daugherty
- Official Michigan State University athletics site
- Michigan Sports Hall of Fame
- Hickock Sports Biography - Duffy Daugherty
- College Football Data Warehouse
| Preceded by: Clarence L. "Biggie" Munn |
Michigan State University Head Football Coach 1954-1972 |
Succeeded by: Denny Stolz |
| Michigan State Spartans Head Football Coaches |
|---|
| Keep • Bernies • Denman • Macklin • Sommers • Gauthier • Clark • Barron • Young • Kipke • Crowley • Bachman • Munn • Daugherty • Stolz • Rogers • Waters • Perles • Saban • Williams • Watts • Smith • Dantonio |
