Sol Metzger

College coach infobox
Name = Sol Metzger


Caption =
DateOfBirth =
Birthplace =
DateOfDeath =
Sport = Football
College =
Title = Head Coach
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord = 53-31-6
Awards =
Championships = National Championship: 1908
CFbDWID = 1604
Player = Y
Years = 1901-03
Team = Pennsylvania
Position =
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1904
1908
1909
1914-15
1916-17 1920-24
CoachTeams = Baylor
Pennsylvania
Oregon State
West Virginia
Washington & Jefferson
South Carolina
FootballHOF =

Sol S. Metzger was an American football player and coach. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1904. Metzger also wrote a nationally syndicated sports column. [ [Charleston Daily Mail [http://www.dailymail.com/static/specialsections/lookingback/lb07099.htm WVU football timeline] accessed 1-19-2007]

Playing career

He lettered three seasons, 1901-1903, for the University of Pennsylvania. One under renowned coach George W. Woodruff and two more under Carl Sheldon Williams. [ [http://www.pennathletics.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1700&KEY=&ATCLID=518504&SPID=537&SPSID=60663 2006 University of Pennsylvania Football Media Guide] , p. 145, accessed 1-18-2007 ] In 1901, Metzger first season for the Quakers, he played as a backup. The team started strong by winning their first 7 games, but were weakened in part to injuries accumulated during the earlier games. [Nicholas Gutowski, [http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/sports/football/1800s/origins4.html "Penn Football in the 1800s, Varsity team history, Woodruff's Last Year: 1901, September 29th - November 11th,"] (University of Pennsylvania archives)] The Quakers lost five out the last eight to finish the season 10-5. The five losses were the most under Woodruff. In addition to the tough season the team had to deal with an undergraduate and dental student revolt upset about the coaching of the team. [Nicholas Gutowski, [http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/sports/football/1800s/origins5.html"Penn Football in the 1800s, Varsity team history, Movement Towards Change and Authority Response: 1901, November 12th - 25th,"] (University of Pennsylvania archives)] This led to Head Coach George W. Woodruff to resign as coach. After Woodruff resignation was accepted, the members of the football team sent a letter to the Football Committee unanimously requesting that Woodruff be reinstated as coach. The letter was ignored, [Nicholas Gutowski, [http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/sports/football/1800s/origins6.html "Penn Football in the 1800s, Varsity team history, Change: 1901, November 26th - December 3rd,"] (University of Pennsylvania archives)] In 1902 Carl Sheldon Williams succeeded George W. Woodruff as coached and the Quakers improved to 9-4. The following year Metzger was named captain and led Penn to a 9-3 mark. [2006 University of Pennsylvania Football Media Guide, p. 137]

Coaching career

After graduating from Penn, he took a job as coach at Baylor University. He compiled a 2-5-1 record in 1904. In 1908, Metzger succeeded Carl Williams, his former coach, at the University of Pennsylvania. Penn won a retroactive National Title after an 11-0-1 campaign in his only year at the helm of the Quakers. [2006 University of Pennsylvania Football Media Guide, p. 15] During the Championship run, the Quakers out-scored their opponents, 215-18, with a 6-6 tie with the Carlisle Indians only blemish on their season. This team was led by two future members of the College Football Hall of Fame, All-American senior captain Bill "Big Bill" Hollenback at halfback and All-American Hunter Scarlett at end. [ [http://www.collegefootball.org/famersearch.php?id=32 Hunter Scarlett biography at College Football Hall of Fame] ] In 1909, he became head coach at Oregon State University posting a 4-2-1 record. From 1914 to 1915, he coached at West Virginia University and compiled a 10-6-1 record. His last coaching stop was at the University of South Carolina where he went 31-20-2.

Tower Play controversy

In 1915, Metzger was involved in a controversy with what would become to be know as a “Tower Play” during a game between West Virginia Mountaineers and the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Mountaineer was heavily favored and Metzger told the media he would “eat his hat if Marshall scores.” Marshall Coach Boyd Chambers developed a special play to prevent the shutout. On the Thundering Herd fourth possession Marshall moved the ball down to the 15-yard line. Marshall back Dayton Carter came in the game. Marshall quarterback Brad Workman, took the snap and set up to pass. Marshall’s tackle Okey Taylor and Carter ran toward the end zone. Carter was hoisted onto Taylor's shoulders as Workman rifled a high pass in their direction. Carter caught the ball and fell into the end zone for a score. Metzger argued with the officials, but the referee and umpire could find no rule to discount the score. The Mountaineers would go on to win the game with a final score of 92-6. Metzger protested to Yale’s coach Walter Camp who was in charge of college football rules. Camp upheld the score; however he changed the rules to not allow the play for the 1916 season. [Woody Woodrum, [http://marshall.scout.com/2/545747.html "Marshall-WVU Series Has Great, Short History"] (Herd Insider Magazine) Posted 6-10-2006, accessed 1-27-2007]

Head Coaching Record

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1904
name = Baylor
overall = 2-5-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1908
name = Pennsylvania
overall = 11-0-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship = national CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1909
name = Oregon State
overall = 4-2-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1914
name = West Virginia
overall = 5-4-0
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1915
name = West Virginia
overall = 5-2-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1920
name = South Carolina
overall = 5-4-0
conference = Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1921
name = South Carolina
overall = 5-1-2
conference = Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1922
name = South Carolina
overall = 5-4-0
conference = Southern Conference
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1923
name = South Carolina
overall = 4-6-0
conference = Southern Conference
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship = CFB Yearly Record Entry
year = 1924
name = South Carolina
overall = 7-3-0
conference = Southern Conference
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 =
championship =

References

External links

* [http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/coaching/alltime_coach_year_by_year.php?coachid=1604 coaching record at www.cfbdatawarehouse.com]