Ray Neal

Ray Neal
Sport(s) Football
Biographical details
Born November 1, 1897(1897-11-01)
Place of birth Mellott, Indiana
Died November 25, 1977[1]
Place of death Greencastle, Indiana
Playing career

?–1919
Washington & Jefferson
Wabash
Position(s) End, tackle, guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1930–1945 DePauw
Head coaching record
Overall 79–34–7
Statistics
College Football Data Warehouse

Raymond Robert "Gaumey" Neal (1897–1977) was an American football coach and player. He served as the head coach for the DePauw Tigers at DePauw University for sixteen seasons. Prior to that, he played four seasons in the National Football League with the Akron Pros and the Hammond Pros.

Biography

Neal was born on November 1, 1897 in Mellott, Indiana. He attended Mellott High School and Wingate High School.[2][3] Neal attended Washington & Jefferson College, where he played in the 1922 Rose Bowl,[1] before transferring to Wabash College where he served as the football team captain. He graduated from Wabash in 1920.[4]

Neal played four seasons in the National Football League. In 1922, he played for the Akron Pros, where he saw action in ten games, including six starts. From 1924 to 1926, Neal played for the Hammond Pros. He started five games each in 1924 and 1925, and in the latter, recovered one fumble that he returned for a touchdown. He started in two games in 1926.[5]

In 1930, Neal was hired as the head football coach at DePauw University. He coached the 1933 team to an undefeated, untied, and unscored upon season. The Tigers outscored their opponents, 136–0, and finished the season with a 7–0 record.[6] In 1946, he resigned as coach to become DePauw's athletic director and Department of Physical Education chairman.[7] He retired from that position in 1954 and became the postmaster of Greencastle, Indiana. Neal died in 1977.[7] He was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1977,[7] the Wabash College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984,[4] and the DePauw Athletic Hall of Fame as a coach in 1986.[7]

Coaching record

Neal compiled the following record as head coach:[8]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
1930 DePauw 6–1–0
1931 DePauw 7–1–0
1932 DePauw 3–4–1
1933 DePauw 7–0–0
1934 DePauw 7–1–0
1935 DePauw 5–1–2
1936 DePauw 3–3–2
1937 DePauw 7–1–0
1938 DePauw 5–3–0
1939 DePauw 4–3–1
1940 DePauw 3–4–0
1941 DePauw 6–2–0
1942 DePauw 5–3–0
1943 DePauw 5–0–1
1944 DePauw 3–5–0
1945 DePauw 3–2–0
DePauw: 79–34–7
Total: 79–34–7
Indicates BCS bowl game. #Rankings from final Coaches' Poll.

References