Herbert Richard Agocs (November 6, 1928 – September 15, 1990) was an

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

, wrestling, and track and field coach, and professor of physical education. He served as the head football coach at

Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 6 ...

Bozeman, Montana Bozeman is a city and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2020 census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it the fourth-largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of th ...

from 1958 to 1962, compiling a record of 30–13–2. Agocs was also the head wrestling coach at Montana State from 1963 to 1970, leading his teams to Big Sky Conference championships in 1964 and 1965. In addition, he coached track and taught physical education at Montana State. Agocs played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

at the University of Pennsylvania before serving at the United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, where was a player/coach in football and coach in wrestling.

Early life and college career

Agocs was a native of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he earned eight varsity letters at Liberty High School. He captained the football team, won the state high jump championship and was a member of the wrestling team. Agocs entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1947 and was an end on the Quaker's unbeaten freshman football team and captained the freshman wrestling team. As a sophomore, he was a starter on the defensive unit and booted 21 of 23 points after touchdown attempts. His point after touchdown was the difference in a 14–13 victory over Princeton. He was on the defensive unit his junior year, but was with the offensive team his final season. Penn was one of the top Eastern elevens from 1948 from 1951. Agocs was awarded All-East, All-Ivy League and honorable mention All-American honors his final season. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from the Wharton School of Business at Penn.

Military service and coaching career

Agocs served at the United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge, located at Port Deposit, Maryland, from 1951 to 1953Armed Forces of the United States Honorable Discharge Certificate as a football player and the Assistant Coach in Football, Wrestling and Track. He captained the football team in 1951 and 1952 and was voted to the end position of the All-Navy Football team in 1952. After his honorable discharge in 1953, Agocs became head football coach of the Commodores Bainbridge football team at the age of 25. His official position was "Assistant to the Special Services officer". During the off season he served as head wrestling coach and assisted in preparing an inter-command athletic program. In 1956, Agocs moved to

to become the ends coach for the football team at

. He was promoted to head football coach in 1958 and had a 30–13–2 record for five seasons leading the Montana State Bobcats football program. Agocs coached Bobcats players who ranked as some of the Bobcat's greats such as Sonny Holland and

George Marinkovich George T. Marinkovich (December 8, 1928 – December 7, 2022) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Western Montana College—now known as the University of Montana Western—for one season, in 1968, ...

. Agocs stepped down from his post as head football coach in 1963 to concentrate on academic matters and handle the wrestling program. Agocs was head coach of Montana State's wrestling team 1963 to 1970, leading his squads to Big Sky Conference titles in 1964 and 1965. His teams never lost a dual match during a three-season span from 1964 to 1966. In 1966, Montana State won the Big Sky tournament, claiming nine of the eleven weight classes. He was named Big Sky Conference Wrestling Coach of the Year. Agocs was also an active wrestling official in Montana and helped organize the Coaches and Officials Association.

Late life and death

In 1968, Agocs was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease which was treated with cobalt therapy. During that same year, he became the coordinator of Montana State's physical education ski program. In 1979, Agocs took a leave of absence from Montana State and relocated to Winter Park, Colorado, to become a professional member of the Colorado Handicapped Ski Program. Agocs died of cancer, at his home in Bozeman, on September 15, 1990.

Head coaching record

Football

Gallery

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Agocs, Herb 1928 births 1990 deaths American football ends Player-coaches Bainbridge Commodores football coaches Bainbridge Commodores football players Montana State Bobcats football coaches Montana State Bobcats track and field coaches Montana State Bobcats wrestling coaches Penn Quakers football coaches Penn Quakers football players Penn Quakers men's track and field athletes Penn Quakers wrestlers Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania alumni Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania Players of American football from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania