Lloyd Eaton

Lloyd W. Eaton (March 23, 1918 – March 14, 2007) was an American football player, coach, and executive. He served as the head coach at Alma College (1949–1955), Northern Michigan University (1956), and the University of Wyoming (1962–1970), compiling a career college football record of 104–53–4. Eaton then worked as the director of player personnel for the NFL's Green Bay Packers.

Early years

Growing up in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, Eaton was an outstanding football, track, and boxing athlete at Belle Fourche High School. After High School, he graduated from Black Hills State Teachers College where he played end and became captain of the team in his junior year.

Professional career

Eaton remained at Black Hills after graduation, becoming the line coach there for one year. He then coached football at DuPre High School for several years leading up to his service in World War II.

Following the War, he returned to coaching at Bennett County High School in Martin, South Dakota, and then earned a master's degree at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, he coached the 150-pound football team.

He began doctoral studies at Indiana University, then moved on to coach football at Alma College in Michigan. There his teams won the 1950 and 1951 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship titles, and he compiled a record of 40–20–2. His influence there was felt by player Denny Stolz, who later became a successful coach.

Eaton was a detail-oriented disciplinarian who made a name for himself by introducing new techniques that helped smaller defensive linemen. "[Smaller defensive linemen] became very popular as a result," recalled Paul Roach, Eaton's assistant at Wyoming. "I think this became somewhat of a springboard for him to be elevated as a head football coach, and he certainly had an outstanding career as a head football coach".^[1]

Eaton left Alma in 1956, and coached at Northern Michigan University for one year before. From 1957 to 1961, Eaton served as defensive line coach at the University of Wyoming, and in 1962, he succeeded Bob Devaney as head coach there. In that role, he became one of the university's most successful coaches, compiling a record of 57–33–2. His greatest success came in the 1966, 1967, and 1968 seasons. In those three years, the team posted back-to-back 10–1 seasons, including a 14-game winning streak from November 5, 1966 to January 1, 1968, then followed this by going undefeated through the 1968 regular season. His teams won the 1966 Sun Bowl and played in the 1968 Sugar Bowl.

In 1969, he dismissed 14 Wyoming players from the team for planning to wear black armbands during a game against BYU. The situation known as the "Black 14", caused harmful repercussions for the University and he was eventually forced to step down after he went 1-9 the next year.^[2]

In 1972, the NFL came calling, and Eaton became the Director of Player Personnel for the Green Bay Packers,^[3] before being demoted to a scouting position four years later.^[4] He later served as the western regional director for the BLESKO player rating service of the NFL, before retiring in the mid-1980s.

In 1973, he was elected to the Alma (College) Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 1984 to the Wyoming Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

"Black 14" controversy

Eaton was the head coach during the 1969 "Black 14" episode in which 14 Wyoming players were dismissed from the team for planning to wear black armbands during a game against BYU. The players were protesting the racial policies of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Said Joe Williams, a team co-captain before he was suspended from the team: "He came in, sneered at us and yelled that we were off the squad. He said our very presence defied him. He said he has had some good Neeegro boys. Just like that."^[5] At San Jose State the team voted to wear multicolored armbands against Wyoming in support of the 14, and groups at other WAC schools demanded that Wyoming be dropped from their schedules.^[6]

At the time of the incident the team was undefeated (4-0) and ranked 12th in the nation. Even though Wyoming beat BYU 40-7 and San Jose State University the next game without the players, it would lose its last four games of 1969 and went 1-9 the next year, which prompted the school to fire head coach Lloyd Eaton.^[7] Black athletes stayed away from the college athletic programs for the following decade. Before leaving Wyoming, Eaton had compiled a career record of 104–53–5 and was the 16th winningest major college coach to that time.

Personal life

Eaton died at the age of 88 on March 14, 2007 in Nampa, Idaho.

Head coaching record

College

References

External links

• Lloyd Eaton at the College Football Data Warehouse
• Alma College saddened at the passing of former Coach Lloyd Eaton