Gil Dobie

Gil Dobie
Sport(s) Football, basketball
Biographical details
Born January 21, 1879(1879-01-21)
Place of birth Hastings, Minnesota
Died December 23, 1948(1948-12-23) (aged 69)
Place of death Hartford, Connecticut
Playing career
1900–1902 Minnesota
Position(s) End, quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1906–1907
1908–1916
1917–1919
1920–1935
1936–1938

Basketball
1906–1908
North Dakota Agricultural
Washington
Navy
Cornell
Boston College


North Dakota Agricultural
Head coaching record
Overall 182–45–15 (football)
17–5 (basketball)
Statistics
College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 National (1921–1922)
1 Pacific Coast Conference (1916)
Awards
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1948)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1951 (profile)

Gilmour "Gloomy Gil" Dobie (January 21, 1879 – December 23, 1948) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at North Dakota Agricultural College—now North Dakota State University (1906–1907), the University of Washington (1908–1916), the United States Naval Academy (1917–1919), Cornell University (1920–1935), and Boston College (1936–1938), compiling a career college football record of 182–45–15. Dobie's Cornell teams of 1921 and 1922 have been recognized as national champions. Dobie was also the head basketball coach at North Dakota Agricultural for two seasons from 1906 to 1908, tallying a mark of 17–5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1951. Dobie also holds the NCAA football record for the fewest games needed to reach 100 wins at 108 games.

Contents

Early life and playing career

Dobie was born in Hastings, Minnesota. He played football as an end and quarterback at the University of Minnesota.

Coaching career

Dobie achieved his greatest success at the University of Washington, where he had a remarkable 58–0–3 record. During his tenure, Washington had a 39-game winning streak, which is the second longest in NCAA Division I-A/FBS history.[1] His coaching career at Washington also comprised virtually all of Washington's 63-game unbeaten streak — still a college football record.[2][3]

Dobie then became the 16th head coach for the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen and held that position for three seasons, from 1917 to 1919. His coaching record at the Navy was 18–3. This ranks him 14th at the Navy in total wins and first at Navy in winning percentage (.857), as of the end of the 2007 season.[4]

After coaching at Navy, Dobie won two national championships with Cornell, in 1921 and 1922. His career coaching record was 182 wins, 45 losses, and 15 ties, a .780 percentage. Of the 33 years he coached, he had 14 undefeated seasons.

Dobie was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 as a charter member.

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
North Dakota Agricultural Farmers (Independent) (1906–1907)
1906 North Dakota Agricultural 5–0
1907 North Dakota Agricultural 3–0
North Dakota Agricultural: 8–0
Washington (Independent) (1908–1915)
1908 Washington 6–0–1
1909 Washington 7–0
1910 Washington 6–0
1911 Washington 7–0
1912 Washington 6–0
1913 Washington 7–0
1914 Washington 6–0–1
1915 Washington 7–0
Washington (Pacific Coast Conference) (1916)
1916 Washington 6–0–1 3–0 1st
Washington: 58–0–3 3–0
Navy Midshipmen (Independent) (1917–1919)
1917 Navy 7–1
1918 Navy 4–1
1919 Navy 7–1
Navy: 18–3
Cornell Big Red (Independent) (1920–1935)
1920 Cornell 6–2
1921 Cornell 8–0
1922 Cornell 8–0
1923 Cornell 8–0
1924 Cornell 4–4
1925 Cornell 6–2
1926 Cornell 6–1–1
1927 Cornell 3–3–2
1928 Cornell 3–3–2
1929 Cornell 6–2
1930 Cornell 6–2
1931 Cornell 7–1
1932 Cornell 5–2–1
1933 Cornell 4–3
1934 Cornell 2–5
1935 Cornell 0–6–1
Cornell: 82–36–7
Boston College Eagles (Independent) (1936–1938)
1936 Boston College 6–1–2
1937 Boston College 4–4–1
1938 Boston College 6–1–2
Boston College: 16–6–5
Total: 182–45–15

References

  1. ^ "Official 2006 NCAA Divisions I-A and I-AA Football Record Book" (PDF). NCAA. p. 109. http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2006/2006RB.pdf. Retrieved 2009-06-24. 
  2. ^ "Official 2006 NCAA Divisions I-A and I-AA Football Record Book" (PDF). NCAA. p. 110. http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2006/2006RB.pdf. Retrieved 2009-06-24. 
  3. ^ Navy Midshipmen football coaching records

External links