Andy Smith (coach)

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Andrew L. "Andy" Smith

Title Head coach
College Pennsylvania, Purdue, California
Sport Football
Career highlights
Overall 116-32-13
Coaching stats
College Football DataWarehouse
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1909-1912
1913-1915
1916-1925
Pennsylvania
Purdue
California

Andrew Latham "Andy" Smith was a successful college football head coach during the early part of the 20th century who coached at the University of Pennsylvania, Purdue University and the University of California. Smith is most famous for coaching the powerhouse Golden Bears teams of the 1920s, known colloquially as the "Wonder Teams". His record there was 74-16-7 (.799) and he is the winningest coach in school history. From 1909 to 1912, he coached the Penn Quakers, and from 1913 to 1915, the Purdue Boilermakers.

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[edit] Coaching career

Andy Smith's philosophy of clean living and good sportsmanship carried him through some of the great early college football programs. During an incredible five-season span from 1920 to 1924, the Golden Bears went undefeated, running up a record of 44-0-2. Although during this period there were no college football polls, during the Roaring Twenties, Smith's Wonder Teams were considered to rival Knute Rockne and Notre Dame in terms of success, though these two top teams never met on the field.

The 1920 Cal team might have been one of the best college football teams ever. They went unbeaten and untied for the season with 9 victories, outscored their opponents by 510 points to 14, and capped off the season by defeating Ohio State in the Rose Bowl 28-0. In a retroactive research poll, the Helms Athletic Foundation determined this team to be national champions that year, a conclusion recognized by the NCAA.

Andy Smith's all-time college coaching record was 116 victories, and 32 defeats for a .761 winning percentage.

Tragically, Smith died of pneumonia soon after the completion of the 1925 season. His memorial service was held at the gates of California Memorial Stadium and in accordance with his wishes, his ashes were scattered over the field. In 1927, the Andy Smith bench in Memorial Stadium was dedicated in his honor. Because of the success of his Wonder Teams the University of California football program sold enough season tickets to pay for new California Memorial Stadium in its entirety. Memorial Stadium is still known today as "The House that Andy built." He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl Coaches# AP°
Pennsylvania (Independent) (1909 – 1912)
1909 Pennsylvania 7-1-2
1910 Pennsylvania 9-1-1
1911 Pennsylvania 7-4-0
1912 Pennsylvania 7-4-0
Pennsylvania: 30-10-3
Purdue (Big Ten Conference) (1913 – 1915)
1913 Purdue 4-1-2 2-1-2 4th
1914 Purdue 5-2-0 2-2 T-4th
1915 Purdue 3-3-1 2-2 5th
Purdue: 12-6-3
California (Pacific-10 Conference) (1916 – 1925)
1916 California 6-4-1 0-3 T-3rd
1917 California 5-5-1 2-1 2nd
1918 California 7-2-0 2-0 1st
1919 California 6-2-1 2-2 T-3rd
1920 California 9-0-0 3-0 1st W Rose
1921 California 9-0-1 4-0 1st L Rose
1922 California 9-0-0 4-0 1st
1923 California 9-0-1 5-0 1st
1924 California 8-0-2 2-0-2 2nd
1925 California 6-3-0 2-2 5th
California: 74-16-7
Total: 116-32-13
      National Championship         Conference Title         Conference Division Title
Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll of the season.

[edit] Quotes

"We do not want men who will lie down bravely to die, but men who will fight valiantly to live."
"Winning is not everything; it is far better to play the game squarely and lose than to win at the sacrifice of an ideal."

[edit] References

Berkeley: Traditions Andy Smith Eulogy

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Sol Metzger
University of Pennsylvania Head Football Coaches
1909-1912
Succeeded by
George Brooke
Preceded by
J.W. Knibbs
California Head Football Coach
19161925
Succeeded by
Nibs Price
Preceded by
Bill Horr
Purdue Head Football Coach
19131915
Succeeded by
Cleo O'Donnell