Elmer Layden
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| Elmer Layden | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | May 4, 1903 |
| Place of birth | Davenport, Iowa, United States |
| Date of death | June 30, 1973 (aged 70) |
| Position(s) | Head Coach Commissioner Fullback |
| College | Notre Dame |
| Team(s) as a player | |
| 1926 1926 |
Brooklyn Horsemen Rock Island Independents |
| Team(s) as a coach/administrator | |
| 1925-26 1927-33 1934-40 1941-45 |
Columbia College (IA) Duquesne University Notre Dame National Football League |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Elmer Francis Layden (May 4, 1903 – June 30, 1973) served as Commissioner of the National Football League and as head football coach at University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.
Contents |
[edit] College
Layden was born in Davenport, Iowa, where he attended Davenport High School (Now Davenport Central High School.) At Notre Dame, he played fullback alongside quarterback Harry Stuhldreher, left halfback Jim Crowley, and right halfback Don Miller; the four collectively earned the nickname of "The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame" from legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice, and are still considered one of the best backfields in college football history. Named an All-American during his senior year, Layden culminated his collegiate career in the 1925 Rose Bowl against Stanford, returning two interceptions for touchdowns in Notre Dame's 27-10 victory.
[edit] Coaching career
After his playing days, Layden served as head football coach at Columbia College (Dubuque, Iowa) in 1925-26, where he compiled an 8-5-2 record. From 1927 to 1933 he was head coach at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, going 48-16-6 and winning the 1933 season's Festival of Palms Bowl (a precursor to the Orange Bowl) on New Year's Day, 1934.
Also in 1934, he became head coach and athletic director at Notre Dame, a few years after his legendary mentor Knute Rockne was killed in a plane crash. Layden would lead the Irish for seven years and post an overall 47-13-3 docket. His 1935 squad posted one of the greatest wins in school history by rallying to defeat Ohio State, 18-13. His 1938 team finished 8-1, losing only to USC in the season finale. This loss cost them a possible consensus national championship, but the team was named national champion by the Dickinson System.
Like Rockne before him, Layden was a goodwill ambassador for Notre Dame. He was able to schedule a home-and-home series with Michigan after meeting with Fielding Yost, healing a rift between the two schools. The two teams had not met since 1909, when after eight straight losses to the Wolverines, the Irish posted their first win. They were scheduled to meet again in 1910, but Michigan subsequently canceled the game and refused to play the Irish again. By the time they met again in 1942-43, Layden had left Notre Dame and Frank Leahy had taken his place. Unlike the easygoing Layden, Leahy was intense, and after the Irish had thrashed Michigan by a score of 35-12 in 1943, Wolverine coach and athletic director Fritz Crisler never scheduled the Irish again.
While Layden was a solid, competent coach, he was subjected to criticism during his later years at Notre Dame. Critics felt that his teams played too conservatively and lacked scoring punch. Consequently it was felt that they lost games they should have won.
[edit] Commissioner
Layden left Notre Dame in February of 1941 to become Commissioner of the NFL, a post that had been renamed upon his taking the job. (Prior heads of the league had been referred to as "presidents".) In five years as Commissioner, Layden saw the NFL through the World War II years, in which teams had to use many men of inferior abilities as replacements while most of the regulars were fighting in the war (as did Major League Baseball). During this period a few teams temporarily merged due to lack of manpower, most notably the Pittsburgh Steelers with the Philadelphia Eagles (who were nicknamed the Phil-Pitt Steagles). The Cleveland Rams ceased operations for a year.
Layden's tenure as NFL commissioner came to an end in January 1946. After Brooklyn owner Dan Topping withdrew his team from the league to join the new All-America Football Conference, the remaining owners agreed not to renew Layden's contract, feeling that he was too much of a gentleman and not forceful enough.[1] Layden was succeeded by Bert Bell.
[edit] Later years
After leaving the NFL, Layden embarked on a successful business career in Chicago until his death at the age of 70. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 as a charter member.
[edit] Personal life
Layden was married to the former Edith Davis on October 25, 1926.
[edit] Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia College () (1925 – 1926) | |||||||||
| 1925 | Columbia College | ||||||||
| 1926 | Columbia College | ||||||||
| Duquesne University () (1927 – 1933) | |||||||||
| 1927 | Duquesne | 4-4-1 | |||||||
| 1928 | Duquesne | 8-1 | |||||||
| 1929 | Duquesne | 9-0-1 | |||||||
| 1930 | Duquesne | 6-3 | |||||||
| 1931 | Duquesne | 3-5-3 | |||||||
| 1932 | Duquesne | 7-2-1 | |||||||
| 1933 | Duquesne | 10-1 | W 33-7 Festival of Palms Bowl | ||||||
| Notre Dame (Independent) (1934 – 1940) | |||||||||
| 1934 | Notre Dame | 6-3 | |||||||
| 1935 | Notre Dame | 7-1-1 | |||||||
| 1936 | Notre Dame | 6-2-1 | |||||||
| 1937 | Notre Dame | 6-2-1 | |||||||
| 1938 | Notre Dame | 8-1 | 5 | ||||||
| 1939 | Notre Dame | 7-2 | |||||||
| 1940 | Notre Dame | 7-2 | |||||||
| Total: | 103-34-11 | ||||||||
| National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title | |||||||||
| #Rankings from final Coaches Poll (started in 1950) of the season. °Rankings from final AP Poll of the season. |
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[edit] References
- ^ America's Game, by Michael MacCambridge, 2005, pg. 15
[edit] External links
- Elmer Layden Profile at Rosebowl Legends
| Preceded by Heartley Anderson |
University of Notre Dame Head Football Coach 1934–1940 |
Succeeded by Frank Leahy |
| Preceded by Carl Storck as President |
Commissioner of the National Football League 1941-1946 |
Succeeded by Bert Bell |
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