December 22, 1957(1957-12-22) (aged 78) Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Playing career
Football
c. 1900
Milwaukee Normal
Basketball
1903–1905
Wisconsin
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1906–1909
Hackley Manual Training (MI)
1910–1912
Oak Park and River Forest HS (IL)
1913–1941
Illinois
Head coaching record
Overall
131–81–12 (college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4 national (1914, 1919, 1923, 1927) 7 Western / Big Ten (1914–1915, 1918–1919, 1923, 1927–1928)
Awards
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1948)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1951 (profile)
Robert Carl Zuppke (July 2, 1879 – December 22, 1957) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1913 until 1941, compiling a career college football record of 131–81–12. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, Zuppke coached his teams to national titles in 1914, 1919, 1923, and 1927. Zuppke's teams also won seven Big Ten Conference championships. While at the University of Illinois, Zuppke was a member of the Alpha-Gamma chapter of Kappa Sigma. Among the players Zuppke coached at Illinois was Red Grange, the era's most celebrated college football player. The field at the University of Illinois's Memorial Stadium is named Zuppke Field in his honor. Zuppke is credited for many football inventions and traditions, including the huddle and the flea flicker. In 1914, he reintroduced the I formation.[1]
Prior to coaching at the University of Illinois, Zuppke coached at Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan, and Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois, where he tutored future Pro Football Hall of Famer George Trafton and Olympic decathlete Harry Goelitz.[2] Zuppke led the team to state championships in 1911 and 1912. He had several coaching influences. He used some plays developed by Pop Warner.[3]
Zuppke also was a writer and a fine art painter. From 1930 to 1948, Zuppke wrote the syndicated newspaper strip Ned Brant, drawn by Walt Depew.[4] During the 1930s, Zuppke also wrote syndicated sports-related columns.[5] As a painter, Zuppke was known for his rugged Western landscapes.
^Nelson, David M. (1994). The Anatomy of a Game: Football, the Rules, and the Men who Made the Game. ISBN 9780874134551.
^Brichford 2009, p. 15
^Brichford 2009, p. 27
^DePew bio, Lambiek's Comiclopedia. Accessed December 10, 2011.
Robert Carl Zuppke (July 2, 1879 – December 22, 1957) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign...
Hall led the Illini to an undefeated 7–0 mark in 1910. For 29 seasons, RobertZuppke served as Illinois' head football coach. During his tenure, Illinois'...
championships: Arthur R. Hall, RobertZuppke, Eliot, Elliott, White, Mackovic, and Turner a member of the Big 10. Zuppke won four and Eliot one national...
Scholars, was named in his honor. RobertZuppke built the University of Illinois into a power and was a noted innovator. Zuppke led his teams to four national...
Started in 1936 Started in 1950 – RobertZuppke 1915 Illinois 3–0–2 5–0–2 Started in 1936 Started in 1950 – RobertZuppke Minnesota 3–0–1 6–0–1 Started in...
Pennsylvania. Associated Press. December 5, 1985. Retrieved March 8, 2023. Fachet, Robert (January 24, 1992). "Bowl Deal Set with Coalition". The Washington Post...
Database: SI.Com National Champions". tennprepdb.com. Retrieved 2021-04-16. Robert Pruter. "A Century of Intersectional and Interstate Football Contests: 1900-1999"...
1952, was appointed head coach of the U.S. men's Olympic soccer team RobertZuppke, football and track and field coach at the school (1910–1913) prior...
Sullivan was shot to death in Boston. His murder remains unsolved. RobertZuppke, German-born American football coach, writer and painter (b. 1879) Flames...
Fred Lowenthal (1905) Justa Lindgren (1906) Arthur R. Hall (1907–1912) RobertZuppke (1913–1941) Ray Eliot (1942–1959) Pete Elliott (1960–1966) Jim Valek...
Fred Lowenthal (1905) Justa Lindgren (1906) Arthur R. Hall (1907–1912) RobertZuppke (1913–1941) Ray Eliot (1942–1959) Pete Elliott (1960–1966) Jim Valek...
the linebacker position. Tepper was the first Illinois coach since RobertZuppke to win or tie both of his first two meetings against Michigan. The 1992...
Fred Lowenthal (1905) Justa Lindgren (1906) Arthur R. Hall (1907–1912) RobertZuppke (1913–1941) Ray Eliot (1942–1959) Pete Elliott (1960–1966) Jim Valek...
enrolling at the University of Illinois. He played at the end position on RobertZuppke's 1914 football team that won the Western Conference championship and...
Fred Lowenthal (1905) Justa Lindgren (1906) Arthur R. Hall (1907–1912) RobertZuppke (1913–1941) Ray Eliot (1942–1959) Pete Elliott (1960–1966) Jim Valek...
sports-related stories were syndicated newspaper strip reprints by writer RobertZuppke and artist Walt Depew. Snappy: Arthur Beeman's one-pager humor strips...
football player and businessman. He played quarterback and halfback for RobertZuppke's University of Illinois football teams and was selected as a first-team...
freshman coach at the University of Illinois in 1914. Under head coach RobertZuppke, Illinois employed the T formation in "its most rudimentary form". With...
Robert Lackey was an American football coach. He served as the second head football coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, coaching for...
part of the 1923 college football season. Illinois, under head coach RobertZuppke, compiled an 8–0 record, outscored opponents by a combined total of...
Fred Lowenthal (1905) Justa Lindgren (1906) Arthur R. Hall (1907–1912) RobertZuppke (1913–1941) Ray Eliot (1942–1959) Pete Elliott (1960–1966) Jim Valek...
consisting of many of football's leading figures, including Pop Warner, RobertZuppke, Gil Dobie, Hugo Bezdek, and Bill Roper, was tasked with selecting "Football's...
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