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Hugo Bezdek

Czech-American athlete and coach (1884–1952)

Field	Value
name	Hugo Bezdek
image	(Hugo Bezdek, manager, Pittsburgh NL (baseball)) LOC 23182964811.jpg
birth_date
birth_place	Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary
death_date
death_place	Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
player_sport1	Football
player_years2	1904–1905
player_team2	Chicago
player_positions	Fullback
coach_sport1	Football
coach_years2	1906
coach_team2	Oregon
coach_years3	1907
coach_team3	Chicago (assistant)
coach_years4	1908–1912
coach_team4	Arkansas
coach_years5	1913–1916
coach_team5	Oregon
coach_years6	1918–1929
coach_team6	Penn State
coach_years7	1937–1938
coach_team7	Cleveland Rams
coach_years8	1949
coach_team8	Delaware Valley
coach_sport9	Basketball
coach_years10	1906–1907
coach_team10	Oregon
coach_years11	1913–1917
coach_team11	Oregon
coach_years12	1919
coach_team12	Penn State (interim HC)
coach_sport13	Baseball
coach_years14	1908–1913
coach_team14	Arkansas
coach_years15	1914–1917
coach_team15	Oregon
coach_years16	1917–1919
coach_team16	Pittsburgh Pirates
coach_years17	1920–1930
coach_team17	Penn State
admin_years1	1918–1936
admin_team1	Penn State
overall_record	126–58–16 (college football)
1–13 (NFL)
28–37 (college basketball)
166–187 (MLB)
222–123–1 (college baseball)
bowl_record	2–1
CFBHOF_year	1954
CFBHOF_id	1426

1–13 (NFL) 28–37 (college basketball) 166–187 (MLB) 222–123–1 (college baseball)

National (1905)
Third-team All-American (1905)
First-team All-Western (1905) Hugo Francis Bezdek (April 1, 1884 – September 19, 1952) was a Czech American athlete who played American football and was a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He was the head football coach at the University of Oregon (1906, 1913–1917), the University of Arkansas (1908–1912), Pennsylvania State University (1918–1929), and Delaware Valley College (1949). Bezdek also coached the Mare Island Marines in the 1918 Rose Bowl and the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League (NFL) in 1937 and part of the 1938 season. In addition, Bezdek coached basketball at Oregon (1906–1907, 1913–1917) and Penn State (1919), coached baseball at Arkansas (1909–1913), Oregon (1914–1917) and Penn State (1920–1930), and served as the manager of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates (1917–1919). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954.

Bezdek is the only coach to bring three different teams to the Rose Bowl Game. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame on December 31, 2022.

Early years

Hugo Bezděk was born near Prague, Bohemia (now part of the present-day Czech Republic). His forefathers had been school-teachers, strong men and athletes. His family emigrated to America in 1891 when he was 6 years old. They lived in Cleveland's Slavic community. His father James (Vaclav), worked at as a butcher in Cleveland. From here, young Hugo launched his athletic career. He enjoyed playing sports typical of the day. While he favored football, he also boxed, wrestled and played baseball.

Coaching career

Bezdek (seated, center) with the rest of the coaching staff for the [[1925 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

After playing as a fullback at the University of Chicago, Bezdek began his football coaching career at the University of Oregon in 1906, but left after a year to become head coach at the University of Arkansas. Arkansas' athletic teams were known as the Cardinals until after the 1909 season. Near the end of that year, Coach Bezdek called his team "a wild band of Razorback hogs" at an impromptu press conference following his team's victory over LSU. The name was a hit with the Arkansas students, and they voted to change the school's mascot from Cardinals to Razorbacks the following school term. Razorbacks has been Arkansas' mascot since that time. The 1909 team finished 7–0 and were considered the "Champions of the South". After five years at Arkansas, he returned to Oregon for six seasons.

While coaching in Oregon, Bezdek also served as a scout for Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates, who hired him as their manager in the middle of the 1917 season. He managed the Pirates through 1919, compiling a 166–187 record.

While managing the Pirates, Bezdek continued his football coaching career, moving from Oregon to Pennsylvania State University in 1919. He was head coach there until 1929, amassing a 65–30–11 record that included two undefeated seasons and an appearance in the 1923 Rose Bowl. Bezdek was noted for changing the Nittany Lions' style of play.

Bezdek also served as Penn State's athletic director from 1918 to 1936, was interim basketball coach in 1919, garnering an 11–2 record, and director of the School of Physical Education and Athletics from 1930 to 1937.

In 1937, Bezdek was hired by the Cleveland Rams as their first head coach after the team joined the National Football League (NFL). His career with the Rams was brief, ending three games into the 1938 season with an abysmal 1–13 record. Nevertheless, Bezdek holds the distinction of being the only person to have served as both manager of a Major League Baseball team and head coach in the NFL.

As a college football coach, Bezdek tallied a career record of 127–58–16. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

Head coaching record

College football

Professional football

Team	Year	Regular season	Postseason	Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result	CLE		1937	CLE		1938	CLE Total		1		13		0		.071				–		–		–		–	NFL Total		1		13		0		.071				–		–		–		–	Total		1		13		0		.071				–		–		–		–
1	10	0	.091	5th in NFL Western	–	–	–	–
0	3	0	.000	4th in NFL Western	–	–	–	–

References

(October 6, 1917). "Trying Out Hugo Bezdek and a "New Idea" in Baseball". The Ogden Standard.
COACH BEZDEK CHANGES TEAM'S STYLE OF PLAY FOR THIRD TIME TROJANS TO TACKLE A REORGANIZED ELEVEN; Nittany Lions to Take Field With Almost a Completely New Bunch of Regulars. Los Angeles Times, December 27, 1922. Hugo "Spinx" Bezdek, commander-in-chief of the Penn State football squad, which is to meet the University of Southern California in the annual East-West Tournament of Roses New Year's Day game, changes the style of his eleven's play almost as much as a woman changes her mind.
"5 Minutes with Dr. James C. Bezdek".
"Hugo Bezdek Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks – Pro-Football-Reference.com".

Info: Wikipedia Source

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