Hugo Bezdek

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Hugo Bezdek
Date of birth	March 1, 1883
Place of birth	Prague, Czech Republic
Date of death	September 19, 1952
Position(s)	Head Coach
College	Chicago
Career Record	1-13
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1937-1938	Cleveland Rams

Hugo Francis Bezdek (April 1, 1883 in Prague, Czech Republic – September 19, 1952 in Atlantic City, New Jersey) was a Czech-American sports figure in the first half of the 20th century.

After playing as a fullback at the University of Chicago, Bezdek began his football coaching career at the University of Oregon in 1907 but left after a year to become head coach at the University of Arkansas. After five seasons at Arkansas, he returned to Oregon for six seasons.

While coaching in Oregon he also served as a scout for Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, who hired him as their manager in the middle of the 1917 season. He managed the Pirates through 1919, achieving a 166-187 record.

While managing the Pirates he continued his football coaching career, moving from Oregon to Penn State in 1918; he was head coach there until 1929, amassing a 65-30-11 record that included two undefeated seasons and a Rose Bowl appearance. He also served as athletic director from 1918 to 1936, was interim basketball 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 the Cleveland Rams as their first head coach after the team joined the NFL. His career with the team was brief, ending 3 games into the 1938 season with an abysmal 1-13 record. Nevertheless, he holds the distinction of being the only person to have served as both manager of a MLB team and head coach in the NFL.

As a college football coach, Bezdek achieved an overall 127-54-16 record. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

[edit] See also

List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association

[edit] External links

Baseball-Reference.com - career managing record
College Football Hall of Fame biography]
Shy Huntington Profile at Rosebowl Legends

Preceded by Bruce Shorts	University of Oregon Head Coaches 1906	Succeeded by Gordon Frost
Preceded by F.C. Longman	University of Arkansas Head Coaches 1908-1912	Succeeded by E.T. Pickering
Preceded by Louis Pinkham	University of Oregon Head Coaches 1913-1917	Succeeded by Shy Huntington
Preceded by Honus Wagner	Pittsburgh Pirates Managers 1917–1919	Succeeded by George Gibson
Preceded by Dick Harlow	Penn State University Head Coaches 1918-1929	Succeeded by Bob Higgins
Preceded by First Coach	Cleveland Rams Head Coaches 1937–1938	Succeeded by Dutch Clark

Oregon Ducks Head Football Coaches
Young • Benson • Frick • J. Smith • Simpson • Kaarsberg • Smith • Dolph • Smith • R. Smith • Shorts • Bezdek • Frost • Forbes • Warner • Pinkham • Bezdek • Huntington • Maddock • R. Smith • McEwan • Spears • Callison • Oliver • Warren • Oliver • Aiken • Casanova • Frei • Enright • Read • Brooks • Bellotti

Arkansas Razorbacks Head Football Coaches
Futrall • B.N. Wilson • Searles • Thomas • D.A. McDaniel • A.D. Brown • F.C. Longman • Bezdek • E.T. Pickering • T.T. McConnell • Paine • J.B. Craig • G.W. McLaren • Schmidt • Thomsen • Cole • Tomlin • Rose • Barnhill • Douglas • Wyatt • Mitchell • Broyles • Holtz • Hatfield • Crowe • Kines • Ford • Nutt

Cleveland/L.A./St. Louis Rams Head Coaches
Bezdek • Lewis • Clark • Donelli • Walsh • Snyder • Shaughnessy • Stydahar • Pool • Gillman • Waterfield • Svare • Allen • Prothro • Knox • Malavasi • Robinson • Knox • Brooks • Vermeil • Martz • Vitt • Linehan

Penn State Nittany Lions Head Football Coaches
Hoskins • Newton • Boyle • Golden • Reed • Fennell • J. Hollenback • B. Hollenback • Harlow • Bezdek • Higgins • Bedenk • Engle • Paterno