Eck Curtis

College coach infobox
Name = Eck Curtis


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Sport = Football
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OverallRecord = 168–47–14
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Championships = 1945 Texas state championship
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Player = Y
Years = 1923
Team = Abilene Christian
Position = Quarterback
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1925-1927
1928-1933
1934
1935-1944
1945
1946-1954
CoachTeams = Anson HS
Ranger HS
Electra HS
Breckenridge HS
Highland Park HS
Texas (Assist.)
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Eck Curtis was an American football coach. After a 20-year coaching career he became an assistant at the University of Texas at Austin, and is credited for introducing the T formation to Longhorns football. [http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/CFHSN/CFHSNv15/CFHSNv15n1f.pdf The "T" Comes To Texas] ]

Curtis prepped at Vernon High School and went on to attend Abilene Christian University, where he played quarterback for coach Victor Payne. In 1925 he got his first head coaching job at Anson High School, where he remained for three seasons. He then spent six seasons at Ranger High School and single season at Electra High School, before he became head coach at Breckenridge High School, which had been a powerhouse in West Texas under P. E. Shotwell.cite book |last=Cashion |first=Ty |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Pigskin Pulpit: A Social History of Texas High School Football Coaches |year=1998 |publisher=Texas State Historical Association |location=Austin |isbn=0876111681 |pages=166-169 ] Curtis' 1942 Breckenridge squad made the state semifinals. His overall record with the Buckaroos was 83–22–6.

In 1945, Curtis succeeded Rusty Russell as head coach at Highland Park High School in Dallas, Texas. He guided the Scots to a 12–0–2 record and the state co-championship with Waco. The 7-7 tie in the finals attracted a then record high school crowd of 45,790 into the Cotton Bowl. After the season, Curtis was hired by Texas assistant Blair Cherry to coach the freshmen varsity. There he introduced the T formation to Texas Longhorn football, which was later adopted when Cherry took over as Longhorns head coach. Cherry assigned Curtis to be his offensive backfield coach, a position in which Curtis remained until 1954.

In 1985, Curtis was inducted to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. [ [http://www.texasalmanac.com/recreation/sports.pdf Texas Sports Hall of Fame] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.tshof.org/inductees/index.html?staff_id=89 Profile in the Texas Sports Hall of Fame]