Amos Alonzo Stagg (August 16, 1862 – March 17, 1965) was an American athlete and college coach in multiple sports, primarily

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

. He served as the head football coach at the International

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It has nearly 90,000 staff, some 920,000 volunteers and 12,000 branches w ...

Training School (now called

Springfield College Springfield College is a private university in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. The institution's mission, called the Humanism, Humanics philosophy, calls for educating students in spirit, mind, and body for leadership in service ...

) (1890–1891), the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

(1892–1932), and the

College of the Pacific College of the Pacific (less formally Pacific College) is the liberal arts college of the University of the Pacific, a private Methodist-affiliated university with its main campus in Stockton, California. The college offers degrees in the natural ...

(1933–1946), compiling a career

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

record of . His undefeated

Chicago Maroons The Chicago Maroons are the intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Chicago. They are named after the color maroon. Team colors are maroon and gray, and Phil the Phoenix is their mascot. They now compete in the NCAA Division III, mos ...

teams of

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

and

1913 Events January * January – Joseph Stalin travels to Vienna to research his ''Marxism and the National Question''. This means that, during this month, Stalin, Hitler, Trotsky and Tito are all living in the city. * January 3 &ndash ...

were recognized as

national champions National champions are corporations which are technically private businesses but due to governmental policy are ceded a dominant position in a national economy. In this system, these large organizations are expected not only to seek profit but als ...

. He was also the head

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

coach for one season at Chicago (1920–1921), and the Maroons' head

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

coach for twenty seasons (1893–1905, 1907–1913). At Chicago, Stagg also instituted an annual prep basketball tournament and track meet. Both drew the top high school teams and athletes from around the United States. Stagg played football as an

end End, END, Ending, or ENDS may refer to: End Mathematics *End (category theory) * End (topology) * End (graph theory) * End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) * End (endomorphism) Sports and games *End (gridiron football) *End, a division ...

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and was selected to the first

All-America Team The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

1889 Events January * January 1 ** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada. ** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in the Dakotas ...

. He was inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...

as both a player and a coach in the charter class of 1951 and was the only individual honored in both roles until the 1990s. Influential in other sports, Stagg developed basketball as a five-player sport. This five-man concept allowed his 10 (later 11) man football team the ability to compete with each other and to stay in shape over the winter. Stagg was elected to the

Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

in its first group of inductees in 1959, and was elected Fellow #71 in the National Academy of Kinesiology (formerly American Academy of Physical Education) in 1946. Stagg also forged a bond between sports and religious faith early in his career that remained important to him for the rest of his life.

Early years

Stagg was born in a poor Irish neighborhood of

West Orange, New Jersey West Orange is a suburban Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 48,843, an increase of 2,636 (+5.7%) from t ...

, and attended

Phillips Exeter Academy Phillips Exeter Academy (often called Exeter or PEA) is an Independent school, independent, co-educational, college-preparatory school in Exeter, New Hampshire. Established in 1781, it is America's sixth-oldest boarding school and educates an es ...

Yale

Stagg entered Yale University in 1884 and received his bachelor's degree in 1888. He spent two additional years at Yale studying in the Divinity School under

William Rainey Harper William Rainey Harper (July 24, 1856 – January 10, 1906) was an American academic leader, an accomplished semiticist, and Baptist clergyman. Harper helped to establish both the University of Chicago and Bradley University and served as the i ...

before deciding he could have more influence on young men through coaching than through the pulpit. He was very active in the Yale YMCA where he served as general secretary during his last two years.

Baseball

Stagg was a

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...

Yale Yale University is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and one of the nine colonial colleges ch ...

; he declined the offers to play for six different professional baseball teams. He nonetheless influenced the game through his invention of the batting cage.

Football

Stagg played on the

1888 Events January * January 3 – The great telescope (with an objective lens of diameter) at Lick Observatory in California is first used. * January 12 – The Schoolhouse Blizzard hits Dakota Territory and the states of Montana, M ...

team, and was an end on the first

Springfield

Stagg later gave up his desire for the ministry and decided to become a coach and athletic director. He spent two years at the International YMCA Training School, now known as

, from 1890 to 1892.

Basketball

Basketball had been invented in 1891 by

James Naismith James Naismith (; November 6, 1861November 28, 1939) was a Scottish-Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball. After moving to the United State ...

, a teacher at the YMCA School in Springfield. On March 11, 1892, Stagg, still an instructor at the YMCA School, played in the first public game of basketball. A crowd of 200 watched as the student team defeated the faculty, 5–1. Stagg scored the only basket for the losing side. He popularized the five-player lineup on basketball teams.

Coaching career

Stagg became the first paid football coach at

Williston Seminary Williston Northampton School (simply referred to as Williston) is a private, co-educational, day and boarding college-preparatory school in Easthampton, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1841. History Williston Seminary wa ...

, a

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

, in 1890. This was also Stagg's first time receiving pay to coach football. He coached there one day a week while also coaching full-time at the International YMCA Training School. Stagg then coached at the

from 1892 to 1932. He was the head football coach and director of the Department of Physical Culture.Shprintzen, Adam D. (2013). ''The Vegetarian Crusade: The Rise of an American Reform Movement, 1817-1921''. University of North Carolina Press. p. 199. Eventually, university president

Robert Maynard Hutchins Robert Maynard Hutchins (January 17, 1899 – May 14, 1977) was an American educational philosopher. He was the President of the University of Chicago, 5th president (1929–1945) and chancellor (1945–1951) of the University of Chicago, and ear ...

forced out the 70-year-old Stagg, feeling that he was too old to continue coaching. At age 70, Stagg moved on to the

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...

, where he led the

Tigers The tiger (''Panthera tigris'') is a large cat and a member of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Asia. It has a powerful, muscular body with a large head and paws, a long tail and orange fur with black, mostly vertical stripes. It is tradition ...

for 14 seasons, from 1933 through 1946, then was asked to resign. One of his players at Pacific in 1945-46 was Hall of Fame coach of Navy and Temple

Wayne Hardin Irving Wayne Hardin (March 23, 1926 – April 12, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Naval Academy from 1959 to 1964 and at Temple University from 1970 to 1982, compiling a ...

. In the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, Stagg served as a coach with the U.S. Olympic Track and Field team. He played himself in the movie ''

Knute Rockne, All American ''Knute Rockne, All American'' is a 1940 American biographical film that tells the story of Knute Rockne, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame's legendary football coach. It stars Pat O'Brien (actor), Pat O'Brien as Rockne and Ronald Reagan as p ...

'', released in 1940. From 1947 to 1952 he served as co-coach with his son, Amos Jr., at

Susquehanna University Susquehanna University is a private liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, United States. Its name is derived from the original Susquehannock settlers of the region. Founded in 1858 as a missionary institute, it became a four-year li ...

in Pennsylvania. Stagg's final job was as kicking coach at the local junior college in Stockton, California, which was then known as Stockton College. "The Grand Old Man of Football" retired from Stockton College at the age of 96 and died in Stockton six years later.

Vegetarianism

Stagg was reportedly an activist for

vegetarianism Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

and banned his players from using alcohol and tobacco.Mcthenia, Tal. (2018)
"How a Football Team Became Mascots for Vegetarianism"
Atlasobscura.com. Retrieved 6 October 2021. In 1907, he trained his Chicago football team on a strict vegetarian diet. This was widely reported in newspapers and vegetarian literature. Stagg had spent time at the vegetarian

Battle Creek Sanitarium The Battle Creek Sanitarium was a world-renowned health resort in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. It started in 1866 on health principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church and from 1876 to 1943 was managed by Dr. John Harvey ...

in 1907 and was inspired by

John Harvey Kellogg John Harvey Kellogg (February 26, 1852 – December 14, 1943) was an American businessman, Invention, inventor, physician, and advocate of the Progressive Era, Progressive Movement. He was the director of the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Battle Cr ...

's vegetarian diet. Although Stagg was cited in vegetarian literature as advocating a strict vegetarian diet throughout his life, in his memoir he stated that he was a vegetarian for only two years and did it in an attempt to relieve his chronic

sciatic The sciatic nerve, also called the ischiadic nerve, is a large nerve in humans and other vertebrate animals. It is the largest branch of the sacral plexus and runs alongside the hip joint and down the right lower limb. It is the longest and widest ...

pain. Stagg did not consume alcohol, coffee, or cigarettes and promoted the consumption of vegetables over red meat.

Family

Stagg was married to the former Stella Robertson on September 10, 1894. The couple had three children: two sons, Amos Jr. and

Paul Paul may refer to: People * Paul (given name), a given name, including a list of people * Paul (surname), a list of people * Paul the Apostle, an apostle who wrote many of the books of the New Testament * Ray Hildebrand, half of the singing duo ...

, and a daughter, Ruth. Both sons played for the elder Stagg as

quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...

s at the University of Chicago and each later coached college football. In 1952, Barbara Stagg, Amos' granddaughter, started coaching the high school girls'

team for Northern Lehigh High School in

Slatington, Pennsylvania Slatington is a borough in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 4,232. Slatington is located northwest of Allentown and Bethlehem. Slatington is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, w ...

Legacy

Two high schools in the United States,

one 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...

Palos Hills, Illinois Palos Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a southwest suburb of Chicago. The city was established in 1958 and had reached a population of 18,530 in the 2020 census. It is named after Palos de la Frontera, Spain, from wh ...

, and the

other Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

, and an elementary school in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, are named after Stagg. The NCAA Division III National Football Championship game, played in

Salem, Virginia Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combine ...

, is named the Stagg Bowl after him. The athletic stadium at

is named

Stagg Field Amos Alonzo Stagg Field is the name of two successive football fields for the University of Chicago. Beyond sports, the first Stagg Field (1893–1957), named for famed coach, Alonzo Stagg, is remembered for its role in a landmark scientific ac ...

. The football field at

is named Amos Alonzo Stagg Field in honor of both Stagg Sr. and Jr. Stagg was also the namesake of the University of Chicago's old

. At University of the Pacific in

, one of the campus streets is known as Stagg Way and Pacific Memorial Stadium, the school's football and soccer stadium, was renamed Amos Alonzo Stagg Memorial Stadium on October 15, 1988.

also has a field named for him and a statue. A field in

on Saint Cloud Avenue is also named for him. The

Amos Alonzo Stagg Award :''There is a separate " Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award". The Amos Alonzo Stagg Award is presented annually by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) to the "individual, group or institution whose services have been outstanding in ...

is awarded annually to the "individual, group, or institution whose services have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football." The winner of the

Big Ten Football Championship Game The Big Ten Football Championship Game is a college football game held by the Big Ten Conference each year to determine the conference's season champion. The game, held after the regular season has been completed, currently matches the top two te ...

, started in 2011, receives the Stagg Championship Trophy, named in his honor. At the

College of William and Mary The College of William & Mary (abbreviated as W&M) is a public research university in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1693 under a royal charter issued by King William III and Queen Mary II, it is the second-oldest instit ...

, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Society was organized during 1979–1980 by students and faculty opposed to a plan by the institution's Board of Visitors to move William and Mary back into big-time college football several decades after a scandal there involving grade changes for football players. The Society was loosely organized but successful in combating, among other plans, a major expansion of the William and Mary football stadium. Amos stagg and plaque

Collections of Amos Alonzo Stagg's papers are held at the University of Chicago Library, Special Collections Research Center and at the University of the Pacific Library, Holt Atherton Department of Special Collections. The Alonzo Stagg 50/20 Hike goes through

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

Washington, DC Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...

and

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. The Stagg Tree, a giant sequoia in the Alder Creek Grove and the fifth largest tree in the world, is named in honor of Amos Alonzo Stagg. Stagg is also an elected Fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology (née the American Academy of Physical Education).

Stagg Bowl

The Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, otherwise known as the NCAA Division III Football Championship Game since 1973, is competed annually as the final game of the NCAA Division III Football Tournament. The Stagg Bowl can be traced back to 1969, prior to the inception of the D-III national championship. At that time—from 1969 to 1973—the Stagg Bowl was one of two bowls competed at the College Division level—the Knute Rockne Bowl and the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. In 1973, the NCAA instituted the D-III national championship, and the Stagg Bowl was adopted as the moniker for that game. The first 10 Stagg Bowls were played in Phenix City, Alabama, from 1973 to 1982. Wittenberg University (Ohio) won the inaugural game via a 41–0 result over Juniata College (Pa.). The game moved to Kings Island, Ohio, for the 1983 and 1984 editions, with Augustana College (Ill.) winning the first two of its four straight NCAA titles. The Stagg Bowl returned to Phenix City for five more years, before spending three seasons in Bradenton, Florida. In 1993, the Stagg Bowl moved to Salem, Va., where it remained until 2017. The

University of Mount Union The University of Mount Union is a private liberal arts university in Alliance, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1846, the university was affiliated with the Methodist Church until 2019. It had an enrollment of 2,100 students as of 2023. History ...

(formerly Mount Union College) won the first of its NCAA Division III-record 13 football national championships in 1993. The Championship was held in Shenandoah, TX, in 2018 and 2019.

Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, formerly Fawcett Stadium, is a football stadium and entertainment complex in Canton, Ohio. It is a major component of ''Hall of Fame Village'', located adjacent to the grounds of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. T ...

at Hall of Fame Village powered by

Johnson Controls Johnson Controls International plc is an American, Irish-domiciled multinational conglomerate headquartered in Cork, Ireland, that produces fire, HVAC, and security equipment for buildings. As of mid-2019, it employed 105,000 people in arou ...

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in Stark County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, eighth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 70,872 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Canton–Massillo ...

, was originally awarded the 2020 and 2021 Stagg Bowls; however, the 2020 Championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Stagg Bowl was held at

December 2–4, 2021.

Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is an open-air stadium located off the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Opened in 1959, it serves as the home stadium of the Navy Midshipmen Navy Midshipmen football, college f ...

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

hosted the 2022 Stagg Bowl, where

North Central College North Central College is a private college in Naperville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and has 73 undergraduate majors of study, 17 minors, 25 graduate programs, and 4 certificate programs offered by four undergradu ...

defeated

. In 2023,

Salem Football Stadium Salem Stadium is a stadium in Salem, Virginia, United States. It is primarily used for American football and hosts the home football games of the Salem High School (Salem, Virginia), Salem High School Spartans. It was built in 1985 and seats 7,1 ...

was awarded the game.

Innovations

The following is a list of innovations Stagg introduced to American football. Where known, the year of its first use is annotated in parentheses. Stagg is noted as a 'contributor' if he was one of a group of individuals responsible for a given innovation. Yost tackle over lea

* Ends-back formation (1890) * Reverse play (1890) * 7–2–2 defense (1890) * First indoor game (1891) * First book on football with diagrams (1893; with Minnesota's Henry Williams) * First intersectional game (1894) * center snap (1894;

John Heisman John William Heisman ( ; October 23, 1869 – October 3, 1936) was a player and coach of American football, baseball, and basketball, as well as a sportswriter and actor. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College, Buchtel College ...

and

Walter Camp Walter Chauncey Camp (April 7, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American college football player and coach, and sports writer known as the "Father of American Football". Among a long list of inventions, he created the sport's line of scrimmage a ...

claimed to have invented it in 1893) *

onside kick In gridiron football, an onside kick is a kickoff (under American and Canadian rules) or punt (under Canadian rules only) deliberately kicked short in an attempt by the kicking team to regain possession of the ball. This is in contrast with a t ...

(1894; possibly contributor)College Football: The Coach
''Time'' magazine, March 26, 1965. *

huddle In sport, a huddle is the action of a team gathering together, usually in a tight circle, to strategize, motivate or celebrate. It is a popular strategy for keeping opponents insulated from sensitive information, and acts as a form of insulatio ...

(1896) *

quick kick In gridiron football, a quick kick is any punt made under conditions in which the opposing team would not expect a punt. Typically this has been a kick from scrimmage from a formation that is, or resembles, one usually used other than for puntin ...

(1896) * Short punt (1896) * Spiral snap (1896; contributor alongside

George Washington Woodruff George Washington Woodruff (February 22, 1864 – March 23, 1934) was an American college football player, Rowing (sport), rower, coach, teacher, lawyer and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Pennsylvania (1892� ...

and

Germany Schulz Adolph George "Germany" Schulz (April 19, 1883 – April 14, 1951) was an All-American American football center for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1904 to 1905 and from 1907 to 1908. While playing at Michigan, Schulz is credited wit ...

) * line shift (1897) * placement kick (1897; Stagg believed

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

used it earlier) *

lateral pass In gridiron football, a lateral pass or lateral (officially backward pass in American football and onside pass in Canadian football), also called a pitch or a flip, occurs when the ball carrier throws or hands the football to a teammate in a dire ...

(1898) * tackling dummy (1899) *

unbalanced line In telecommunications and electrical engineering in general, an unbalanced line is a pair of conductors intended to carry electrical signals, which have unequal impedances along their lengths and to ground and other circuits. Examples of unbala ...

(1900) * Notre Dame Box (1905) *

varsity letter A varsity letter (or monogram) is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its recipient was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met. A person who ...

s (1906) *

Statue of Liberty play The Statue of Liberty is a trick play in American football named after, and resembling, the Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''). Execution of the play Although many variations of the play exist, the most common involves the qua ...

(1908) * uniform numbers (1913) *

T formation In American football, a T formation (frequently called the full house formation in modern usage, sometimes the Robust T) is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarter ...

(contributor) *

forward pass In several forms of football, a forward pass is the throwing of the ball in the direction in which the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line. The legal and widespread use of the forward pass distinguishes grid ...

(contributor alongside

Eddie Cochems Edward Bulwer Cochems (; February 4, 1877 – April 9, 1953) was an American football player and coach. He played football for the University of Wisconsin from 1898 to 1901 and was the head football coach at North Dakota Agricultural College—n ...

and

) * man in motion * sleeper play *

quarterback keeper A quarterback keeper or keeper in American football is a designed play in which the quarterback does not pass or hand off the ball to another player and instead rushes forward with it in an effort to gain yardage. The play typically is run in in ...

* delayed buck''Journal of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Volume 44''
p. xviii, American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, 1973. *

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and typically line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and so back up the defensive linemen. They play closer to the line ...

position * hip pads * numerical designation of

plays Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * P ...

* padded goalposts *

end-around The end-around is a play in American football in which an end or wide receiver crosses the backfield towards the opposite end of the line and receives a handoff directly from the quarterback. The receiver then may proceed to do one of two thing ...

Coaching tree

In addition to Stagg's championships and innovations, another aspect of his legacy is in his players and assistant coaches who went on to become head football and basketball coaches at other colleges and universities across the countries. Played under: *

Assistant coaches who became head coaches: *

John Anderson John Anderson may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * John Anderson (jazz trumpeter) (1921–1974), American musician * Jon Anderson (John Roy Anderson, born 1944), lead singer of the British band Yes * John Anderson (producer) (1948–2024 ...

: Knox (1917), Rice (1918) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Hugo Bezdek 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, 1913–1 ...

: Oregon (1906, 1913–1916), Arkansas (1908–1912), Penn State (1918–1929), Cleveland Rams (1937–1938) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Fritz Crisler Herbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler ( ; January 12, 1899 – August 19, 1982) was an American college football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football", an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and ...

: Minnesota (1930–1931), Princeton (1932–1937), Michigan (1938–1947) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) * Ira Davenport: Columbia (IA) (1920–1921) *

Leo DeTray Leo Carter DeTray (November 20, 1888 – October 9, 1967) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio in 1910, University of Mississippi (Ole ...

: Ole Miss (1912), Knox (1915–1916) *

Clarence Herschberger Clarence Bertram "Herschie" Herschberger (July 24, 1876 – December 14, 1936) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a fullback, punter and placekicker at University of Chicago from 1896 to 1898. He became ...

: Lake Forest (1902–1904) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Harlan Page Harlan Orville "Pat" Page (March 20, 1887 – November 23, 1965) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was one of basketball's first star players in the early 1900s. The 5'9" Chicago native played guard at the U ...

: Butler (1920–1925), Indiana (1926–1930), College of Idaho (1936–1937) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) * James M. Sheldon: Indiana (1905–1913) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

Frederick A. Speik Frederick Adolph Speik (January 26, 1882 – June 30, 1940) was an American college football player and coach. He played for the University of Chicago from 1901 to 1904 and was selected as a first-team All-American in 1904. He was the head footb ...

: Purdue (1908–1909) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) * Amos Alonzo Stagg Jr.: Susquehanna (1935–1954) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) * Paul Stagg: Moravian (1934–1936), Springfield (1937–1940), Worcester Tech (1941–1946), Pacific (1947–1960) (also played under Stagg at Chicago) *

: Navy (1959–1964), Philadelphia Bulldogs (1966), Temple (1970–1982) (also played under Stagg at Pacific) * Larry Siemering: Pacific (1947–1950), Arizona State (1951), Calgary Stampeders (1954) Former players who went on to become head coaches * W. J. Keller: Vanderbilt (1893) (played for Stagg at Springfield) *

Art Badenoch Arthur Hill Badenoch (November 13, 1884 – September 15, 1972) was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator. Badenoch played college football at the University of Chicago. Ther ...

: Rose Poly (1906), New Mexico A&M (1910–1913) * William Boone (American football): Hillsdale (1906) * Mark Catlin Sr.: Iowa (1906–1908), Lawrence (1909–1918, 1924–1927) *

Maurice Gordon Clarke Maurice Gordon Clarke (May 2, 1877 – June 5, 1944) was an American college football and college baseball player and coach. The Omaha, Nebraska native served as head football coach at the University of Texas at Austin in 1899, at Western Reserve ...

: Texas (1899), Western Reserve (1900), Washington (1901) *

Paul Des Jardien Paul Raymond "Shorty" Des Jardien (August 24, 1893 – March 7, 1956) was an American football, baseball and basketball player. He played for the University of Chicago where he was selected as the first-team All-American center in both 1913 ...

: Oberlin (1916) * Campbell Dickson: Beloit (1928), Hamilton (1942) * Ivan Doseff: Kalamazoo (1910), Iowa State Normal (1919–1920), Luther (1921–1922) * Daniel Dougherty: Grinnell (1909) * Shorty Ellsworth: Colorado Mines (1904–1907) * A. A. Ewing: Northwestern (1894) * J. C. Ewing: Colorado College (1900–1901), Baylor (1902) * Frederick Feil: Wabash (1901) * Sherman W. Finger: Cornell (IA) (1907–1923) * Charles Firth: VPI (1897), Hillsdale (1913) * Charles G. Flanagan: Morningside (1902) *

Ralph C. Hamill Ralph C. Hamill (February 13, 1877 – July 5, 1961) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in 1900. Hamill later worked as a neurologist and psychiatrist. He is cre ...

: Centre (1900) *

Jesse Harper Jesse Clair Harper (December 10, 1883 – July 31, 1961) was an American football and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Alma College (1906–1907), Wabash College (1909–1912), a ...

: Alma (1906–1907), Wabash (1909–1912), Notre Dame (1913–1917) * James R. Henry: DePauw (1902), Vanderbilt (1903) * Frank E. Hering: Notre Dame (1896–1898) * A. C. Hoffman: Ripon (1911), Tulane (1913) *

Tony Hinkle Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle (December 19, 1899 – September 22, 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletic administrator. He attended the University of Chicago, where he won varsity letters in three sp ...

: Butler (1926, 1935–1941, 1946–1969), Great Lakes Navy (1942–1943) * A. F. Holste: Wisconsin–Whitewater (1900), Denison (1902), Rose Poly (1903), Fairmount (1904), Hastings (1908–1910?, 1922–1925) *

Harold Iddings Harold Jonathan Iddings (May 16, 1885 – August 25, 1952) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball and track and field. A 1909 graduate from the University of Chicago, he served as head football coach at Miami University ...

: Miami (OH) (1909–1910), Simpson (1911–1913), Otterbein (1916), Penn (IA) (1921) * Thomas Kelley: Muhlenberg (1911–1913), Missouri Mines (1914), Alabama (1915–1917), Idaho (1920–1921), Missouri (1922) *

Walter S. Kennedy Walter Scott Kennedy ( – April 28, 1954) was an American college football player and coach, college basketball coach, and newspaper publisher. He was an All-American quarterback for the University of Chicago and captain of the Chicago Maroons f ...

: Albion (1904–1920) * E. Pratt King: Delaware (1907) *

Elmer A. Lampe Elmer Andrew Lampe (December 11, 1900 – January 30, 1978) was an American college football and college basketball coach. Lampe was the head basketball coach at the University of Georgia from 1938 to 1946 and at Dartmouth College from 1946 to 19 ...

: Carleton (1932–1933) * Lester Larson: Texas A&M (1907), Louisville (1912–1913) * Fred Luehring: Ripon (1906–1909) *

Wally Marks Walter E. Marks (February 16, 1905 – November 24, 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, college athletics administrator, sports official, and university instructor. Marks played football, basketball, and baseba ...

: Indiana State (1927–1930, 1933–1941, 1946–1948) * Hal Mefford: Rose Poly (1916), Kendall (1917) *

Ned Merriam Ned Alvin Merriam (October 26, 1884 – July 9, 1956) was an American track athlete, college football player, and coach of track and football. Merriam attended the University of Chicago, where he starred in football and track between 1905 and 1 ...

: Texas A&M (1908) * Theron W. Mortimer: Colorado (1900), Alma (1901) *

Nelson Norgren Nelson H. Norgren (September 10, 1891 – December 31, 1974) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. As a coach, he led the University of Utah to a national AAU basketball championship in 1916. He later served as ...

: Utah (1914–1917) * Norman C. Paine: Baylor (1913), Arkansas (1917–1918), Iowa State (1920) *

Ed Parry Edwin Eugene Parry (March 11, 1885 – November 30, 1966) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College, now Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Oklahoma Sta ...

: Oklahoma A&M (1907–1908) * Alfred W. Place: Buchtel (1903) *

Raymond L. Quigley Raymond Leamore Quigley (May 20, 1885 – March 9, 1958) was an American football player, track athlete, coach in multiple sports, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Northern Normal and Industrial School in Sou ...

: Northern Normal and Industrial (1910–1911), Arizona (1912) * Charles M. Rademacher: Idaho (1915), St. Louis (1917, 1919–1920) *

Joseph Raycroft Joseph Edward Raycroft (November 15, 1867 – September 30, 1955) was an American college football and college basketball coach and university professor. He was the head men's basketball coach for the University of Chicago between 1906–07 and 19 ...

: Lawrence (1894), Stevens Point Normal (1895–1896) *

Clarence W. Russell Clarence William Russell (? – February 5, 1919) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at West Virginia University in 1907, at the Colorado School of Mines in 1908, and at New Mexico Coll ...

: West Virginia (1907), Colorado Mines (1908), New Mexico A&M (1914–1916) * A. G. Scanlon: Purdue (1918–1920) * Lewis D. Scherer: Nebraska State Normal (1907–1908), Baker (1910–1912) *

Walter Steffen Walter Peter Steffen (October 9, 1886 – March 9, 1937) was an American college football player and coach, lawyer, politician, and judge. He emerged on the national scene as a high school quarterback, leading his North Division High School team ...

: Carnegie Tech (1914–1932) *

Herman Stegeman Herman James Stegeman (January 21, 1891 – October 22, 1939) was a player and coach of American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field athletics, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Beloit C ...

: Beloit (1915), Monmouth (1916–1917), Georgia (1920–1922) *

John Webster Thomas John Webster Thomas (February 13, 1900 – August 19, 1977) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a fullback at the University of Chicago from 1921 to 1923 under Amos Alonzo Stagg. Thomas served as the head foo ...

: Haskell (1927–1928) * John F. Tobin: Tulane (1905) *

Mysterious Walker Frederick Mitchell Walker (March 21, 1884 – February 1, 1958), nicknamed "Mysterious", was an American athlete and coach. He was a three-sport athlete for the University of Chicago from 1904 to 1906 and played Major League Baseball as a right-h ...

: Utah Agricultural (1907–1908), Williams (1917), New York Agricultural (1919), DePauw (1921), Drury (1924–1925), Wheaton (1936–1939) * Horace Whiteside: Earlham (1914–1916) * Sherburn Wightman:

Massillon Tigers The Massillon Tigers were an early professional football team from Massillon, Ohio. Playing in the " Ohio League", the team was a rival to the pre-National Football League version of the Canton Bulldogs. The Tigers won Ohio League championshi ...

(1906), All-Massillons (1907), Dover Giants (1908) * Ralph H. Young: DePauw (1915), Kalamazoo (1916–1917, 1919–1922), Michigan State (1923–1927)

Head coaching record

College football

College baseball

College basketball

References

External links

University of Chicago profile
* * * * *
Guide to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Papers 1866-1964
at the University of Chicago Special Collections Research Center * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stagg, Amos Alonzo 1862 births 1965 deaths 19th-century players of American football All-American college football players American men centenarians American football ends American football fullbacks American football halfbacks Olympic coaches for the United States American vegetarianism activists Baseball coaches from New Jersey Basketball coaches from New Jersey Chicago Maroons athletic directors Chicago Maroons baseball coaches Chicago Maroons football coaches Chicago Maroons football players Chicago Maroons men's basketball coaches Chicago Maroons track and field coaches Coaches of American football from New Jersey College Football Hall of Fame inductees High school football coaches in Massachusetts Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Pacific Tigers football coaches People associated with physical culture Sportspeople from West Orange, New Jersey Phillips Exeter Academy alumni Player-coaches Players of American football from Essex County, New Jersey San Joaquin Delta Mustangs football coaches Springfield Pride football coaches Springfield Pride football players Susquehanna River Hawks football coaches Yale Bulldogs baseball players Yale Bulldogs football players Yale Divinity School alumni Players of American football from Chicago Players of American football from Stockton, California