Eddie Anderson (football)

College coach infobox
Name = Eddie Anderson


ImageWidth =
Caption =
DateOfBirth = birth date|1900|11|11|mf=y
Birthplace = Oskaloosa, Iowa
DateOfDeath = April 24, 1974
Deathplace =
Sport = Football
College =
Title =
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord = 201-128-15
Awards =
Championships =
CFbDWID = 48
Player = y
Years = 1918-1921
Team = Notre Dame
Position =
Coach = y
CoachYears = 1950-1964 1946-1949 1939-1942 1933-1938 1925-1932 1922-1924
CoachTeams = Holy Cross Iowa Iowa Holy Cross DePaul Loras College
FootballHOF = 1971
CollegeHOFID = 30040
BBallHOF =

Dr. Edward N. Anderson (November 11, 1900 in Oskaloosa, Iowa – April 24, 1974) was a college football coach at Loras College, DePaul University, the University of Iowa, and Holy Cross. He has been enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Background

Eddie Anderson attended Mason City High School in Mason City, Iowa, before enrolling at Notre Dame. He played for Coach Knute Rockne from 1918 to 1921 and was a teammate of George Gipp. As a senior, he was named a consensus first team All-American and was the team captain of the 1921 Notre Dame football team. In his final three years at Notre Dame, the Irish had a record of 28-1. Anderson's only loss in his final three seasons was to Anderson's home state school, when Notre Dame lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes in 1921, 10-7.

Eddie Anderson coached at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, from 1922-1924, compiling a 16-6-1 record with one undefeated season. During that time, he was considered for an assistant coaching position at Iowa, but Iowa coach Howard Jones rejected the idea. Anderson served as a player/coach for the Chicago Cardinals (now Arizona Cardinals) professional football team in the early 1920s as well. He played on the Cardinals' controversial NFL championship team in 1925.

That same year, Anderson enrolled at Rush Medical College in Chicago. While in Chicago, Anderson coached football at DePaul University, compiling a 21-22-3 record from 1925 to 1932. He also coached basketball at DePaul from 1925 to 1929, guiding them to a 25-21 record. After graduating from Rush, Dr. Eddie Anderson took a job as head football coach at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts. He had a record of 47-7-4 in six years at Holy Cross from 1933-1938, including undefeated seasons in 1935 and 1937. During that time, Anderson also served as the head of eye, ear, nose, and throat clinic at Boston's Veterans Hospital.

First Iowa Term

Dr. Eddie Anderson was hired as the 15th head football coach at the University of Iowa before the 1939 season. Iowa had had a record of just 2-13-1 in 1937 and 1938 under Irl Tubbs, and the Hawkeyes had finished among the worst three teams in the league standings every year in the 1930’s except 1933. Iowa had won just one Big Ten game in the last three years, and the team they beat, Chicago, announced that they would be dropping their football program following the 1939 season.

Anderson sought to change Iowa's fortunes immediately. He put the 85 football players who showed up for spring practice through an intense workout. Only 37 players would earn football letters in 1939 for Iowa. Anderson felt the 1939 team could be a good one, but only if the starters played significant minutes. Before the first game, the "Des Moines Register" had a small note stating that "a set of iron men may be developed to play football for Iowa." [ One Magic Year: 1939, An Ironman Remembers, by Al Couppee, Page 1 (ASIN: B00071TZKS) ]

The 1939 Hawkeyes, nicknamed the "Ironmen", would become one of the greatest teams in school history and certainly the most romanticized. Led by Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner, the Hawkeyes put together an improbable 6-1-1 record, which was the best record in the Big Ten. Many of Anderson's players played complete games during that season for the Hawkeyes. Dr. Eddie Anderson was named national coach of the year by several organizations. Jim Gallager of the Chicago Herald-American wrote, "It's doubtful if any coach in football history ever accomplished such an amazing renaissance as Eddie Anderson has worked at Iowa." [ Greatest Moments In Iowa Hawkeyes Football History, by Mark Dukes & Gus Schrader, Page 59 (ISBN 1-57243-261-6) ]

After two more average seasons, Iowa started the 1942 season with a 6-2 record and was in contention for the Big Ten title, but consecutive road conference losses at Minnesota and Michigan to end the season doomed Iowa's chances. After that season, Anderson took a leave of absence to serve in the Army medical corps during World War II. Iowa left the football program in the hands of interim coaches Slip Madigan and Clem Crowe while Anderson was gone from 1943-1945.

econd Iowa Term

Dr. Anderson was a gifted doctor who performed at the University of Iowa Hospital in the morning before coaching in the afternoon. He had been studying urology under the Head of Urology, Dr. Alcock, at the Iowa hospital. When Anderson returned in 1946, he was told that if he retired from coaching, he would be named the successor to Dr. Alcock. Dr. Anderson turned down the request and continued practicing medicine on just a part-time basis.

By the time Eddie Anderson had returned from the service, Iowa football was again in the cellar of the Big Ten. Before the 1946 season, Anderson was hospitalized for 19 days with a parasite infection. He returned to lead Iowa to four wins in their first five games, which was as many wins as Iowa had during his three year absence. Still, Iowa slumped to a 5-4 final record, leading two former players to write a scathing editorial about Anderson. The editorial asked, "How long will Dr. Anderson ride on the laurels that Nile Kinnick won for him?" [ Hawkeye Legends, Lists, & Lore, by Mike Finn & Chad Leistikow, Page 84 (ISBN 1-57167-178-1) ]

In 1947, a decent 2-2-1 start was followed by three straight losses. One day before Iowa's final game at Minnesota, Anderson submitted his resignation at Iowa, citing "considerable loose talk" among Iowa fans as one reason. The Hawkeye football team responded with a powerful effort against Minnesota, defeating the Gophers, 13-7. Fans begged Dr. Anderson to reconsider, and the Iowa athletic board denied his resignation, promising him a larger coaching staff and other football improvements. Anderson decided to stay, saying, "I'm glad we got things straightened out." [ Hawkeye Legends, Lists, & Lore, by Mike Finn & Chad Leistikow, Page 87(ISBN 1-57167-178-1) ] Anderson used his larger coaching staff to hire Leonard Raffensperger as the head of the freshman team.

After two more average seasons in 1948 and 1949, Dr. Anderson was approached again by Holy Cross, which now had a coaching vacancy. Ohio State made a rare concession and offered their football coach faculty tenure, so Anderson made the same request to Iowa athletic director Paul Brechler. Brechler could not promise Anderson anything, so Dr. Anderson resigned and took the head coaching position at Holy Cross. [ 75 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, by Bert McCrane & Dick Lamb, Pages 184-185 (ASIN: B0007E01F8) ] He had a 35-33-2 record in eight years at Iowa.

Retirement

Dr. Eddie Anderson returned to Holy Cross, where he coached 15 more years from 1950 to 1964. He posted a record of 82-60-4 in his second stay at Holy Cross. For his career, he coached 39 seasons at four schools and compiled a record of 201-128-15. He was the fourth coach in college football to reach 200 wins.

Anderson was given a Cadillac by Iowa fans and a bonus by the university after his performance during the 1939 season. He was also given a significant share of stock in Amana Refrigeration by the founder and CEO of the company, George Foersner, as a reward for his coaching that season. When Anderson retired from football in the late 1960s, he cashed in his stock for over a million dollars.

After resigning at Holy Cross in 1964, Dr. Anderson was named the chief of outpatient services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Rutland, Massachusetts. He also served a school for retarded children. Dr. Anderson later moved to Clearwater, Florida, for a short time before passing away of a heart attack in 1974.

Dr. Eddie Anderson was inducted into the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1962 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Anderson gave the acceptance speech for the year's class at the College Football Hall of Fame. He summarized his coaching philosophy when he said, "The victory most savored and cherished is the one that didn't come about by beating the rules, but by playing within them, where defeat is only a condition of the moment." [ One Magic Year: 1939, An Ironman Remembers, by Al Couppee, Page 24 (ASIN: B00071TZKS) ]

In 1999, "Sports Illustrated" selected Eddie Anderson as the 45th greatest sports figure in the history of the state of Iowa. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/features/si50/states/iowa/greatest/ Greatest Iowa Sports Figures] ]

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Loras Duhawks
startyear = 1922
conf = Independent
endyear = 1924CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1922
name = Loras
overall = 7-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1923
name = Loras
overall = 4-4-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1924
name = Loras
overall = 5-2-1
conference =
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bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Loras
overall = 16-6-2
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = DePaul Blue Demons
startyear = 1925
conf = Independent
endyear = 1932CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1925
name = DePaul
overall =
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championship =
year = 1926
name = DePaul
overall =
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ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1927
name = DePaul
overall =
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ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1928
name = DePaul
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championship =
year = 1929
name = DePaul
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championship =
year = 1930
name = DePaul
overall =
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championship =
year = 1931
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championship =
year = 1932
name = DePaul
overall =
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = DePaul
overall = 21-22-3
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Holy Cross Crusaders
startyear = 1933
conf = Independent
endyear = 1938CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1933
name = Holy Cross
overall = 7-2
conference =
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1934
name = Holy Cross
overall = 8-2
conference =
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1935
name = Holy Cross
overall = 9-0-1
conference =
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1936
name = Holy Cross
overall = 7-2-1
conference =
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1937
name = Holy Cross
overall = 8-0-2
conference =
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ranking =
ranking2 = 14CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1938
name = Holy Cross
overall = 8-1
conference =
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bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = 9CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Holy Cross
overall = 129-67-8
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Iowa Hawkeyes
startyear = 1939
conf = Big Ten Conference
endyear = 1949CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1939
name = Iowa
overall = 6-1-1
conference = 4-1-1
confstanding = 2nd
bowlname =
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ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1940
name = Iowa
overall = 4-4
conference = 2-3
confstanding = T-6th
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ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1941
name = Iowa
overall = 3-5
conference = 2-4
confstanding = 6th
bowlname =
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1942
name = Iowa
overall = 6-4
conference = 3-3
confstanding = T-5th
bowlname =
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bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1946
name = Iowa
overall = 5-4
conference = 3-3
confstanding = 4th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1947
name = Iowa
overall = 3-5-1
conference = 2-3-1
confstanding = T-6th
bowlname =
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bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1948
name = Iowa
overall = 4-5
conference = 2-4
confstanding = T-5th
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1949
name = Iowa
overall = 4-5
conference = 3-3
confstanding = T-5th
bowlname =
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bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Iowa
overall = 35-33-2
confrecord = 21-24-2CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Holy Cross Crusaders
startyear = 1950
conf = Independent
endyear = 1964CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1950
name = Holy Cross
overall = 4-5-1
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championship =
year = 1951
name = Holy Cross
overall = 8-2
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ranking = 17
ranking2 = 19CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1952
name = Holy Cross
overall = 8-2
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championship =
year = 1953
name = Holy Cross
overall = 5-5
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1954
name = Holy Cross
overall = 3-7
conference =
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ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1955
name = Holy Cross
overall = 6-4
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1956
name = Holy Cross
overall = 5-3-1
conference =
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1957
name = Holy Cross
overall = 5-3-1
conference =
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ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1958
name = Holy Cross
overall = 6-3
conference =
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ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1959
name = Holy Cross
overall = 6-4
conference =
confstanding =
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bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1960
name = Holy Cross
overall = 6-4
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1961
name = Holy Cross
overall = 7-3
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1962
name = Holy Cross
overall = 6-4
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1963
name = Holy Cross
overall = 2-6-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
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bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1964
name = Holy Cross
overall = 5-5
conference =
confstanding =
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bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Holy Cross
overall = 129-67-8
confrecord = CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 201-128-15
bcs =
poll = two
polltype =

References

External links

* [http://www.holycross.edu/departments/publicaffairs/hcm/winter03/GAA/eareunion.html Holy Cross Magazine]
* [http://desmoinesregister.com/sports/extras/hall/anderson.html Register Hall of Fame Bio]
* [http://collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=30040 College Football Hall of Fame Bio]