Rudy Lavik

Early life, playing career, and education

Lavik was born on April 30, 1892 in Forman, North Dakota. Both of his parents were born in Norway. Lavik played football, basketball, baseball, and track in college, but he later recalled, "college scholarships were something I had never heard of. My father was a country minister with a salary of $600 a year, a free house and 10 children. All of them went to college, most became professional people and we were used to working our own way."

As a student-athlete, Lavik lettered in football, baseball, and basketball at Concordia College, and then football, basketball, and track and field at the International YMCA College. Lavik first attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where was elected captain of the football team in 1916. He majored in English and minored in history at Concordia. After graduating from Concordia, Lavik enrolled at the International YMCA College—now known as Springfield College—in Springfield, Massachusetts. He played football at Springfield at the tackle position, as he had at Concordia. Lavik also played basketball at Springfield at the center and guard positions and was a teammate of Carl Eggebrecht.

Lavik time's at Springfield was interrupted by military service during World War I. He served with the American Expeditionary Forces in the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Lavik met his wife, Ethel Charlotte Larsen, at Concordia. The two were married in 1922.

Coaching career

Lavik returned to Concordia in 1920 to begin his coaching career. In 1922, he was hired at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado to serve as head baseball coach and as an assistant in football and basketball under Telfer L. Mead.

In July 1927, Lavik attended a coaches clinic in Logan, Utah led by Knute Rockne, head football coach at the University of Notre Dame and Norwegian-American. Later that summer, Lavik was hired as athletic director and coach of all sports at Northern Arizona State Teacher's College of Flagstaff—now known as Northern Arizona University.

In 1933, Lavik was hired at athletic director, head football coach, and head basketball coach at Arizona State Teachers College—now known as Arizona State University—located in Tempe, Arizona. He retained his post as athletic director and chairman of the health and physical education department until 1949, when he was succeeded by Donn Kinzle.

Later life and death

Lavik remained a full-time member of the Arizona State's faculty until 1962 and subsequently taught part-time at the school for several years. He also pitched batting practice for the Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team from 1955 to 1967.

Lavik continued to jog daily well into his 80s, running as much as two miles per day at Arizona State's track.

Frank Kush, Arizona State's head football coach at the time of Lavik's death, said of Lavik, "I had a great deal of respect for him, not only as an individual, but as a teacher. In addition, he was an extremely fine football coach."

Head coaching record

Football

References

References

1. . (October 1, 1979). ["Lavik Dies"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-daily-sun/136613594/). *[[Arizona Daily Sun]]*.
2. Boatner, Verne. (July 9, 1979). "Colorful Lavik remains spunky despite 86 years". [[Arizona Republic]].
3. (17 July 1977). "'Arizona's first jogger' Age hasn't slowed runner".
4. . (September 29, 1916). ["Concordia Gets Into Football; First Work"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-fargo-forum-and-daily-republican/136614063/). *[[The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead*.
5. . (January 10, 1920). ["Springfield Beats Pratt Institute"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-eagle/137024846/). *[[Brooklyn Eagle*.
6. Nixon, Bill. (April 30, 1972). "Lavik is 80 today". [[Arizona Republic]].
7. Alexander, Mary Jane. (July 17, 1977). "Age hasn't slowed runner". [[Arizona Republic]].
8. . (March 10, 1925). ["Rudolph Lavik To Resign As Assistant C. C. Coach"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-collins-coloradoan/136627365/). *[[Fort Collins Coloradoan]]*.
9. (July 10, 1927). "Rockne Tells 'Em How It's Done". The Salt Lake Tribune.
10. . (September 1, 1927). ["Physical Training Given Special Attention At Flagstaff Teachers College"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/137025315/). *[[Arizona Republic]]*.
11. . (April 17, 1949). ["Kinzle New Devil Athletic Boss"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic/136651028/). *[[Arizona Republic]]*.
12. . (October 1, 1979). ["Former Sun Devil coach Lavik dies"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DxwLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KFADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4087,6425592). *[[The Prescott Courier]]*.