Gonzaga Bulldogs football

Gonzaga Bulldogs
First season 1892
Last season 1941
Stadium Gonzaga Stadium
Location Spokane, Washington
NCAA division Division I
Conference Independent
Bowl record 0–1 (.000)
Colors Navy blue, White, and Red[1]
              

The Gonzaga Bulldogs football team represented Gonzaga University in the sport of college football. Gonzaga last fielded a varsity football team 75 years ago in 1941.[2][3] From 1892–1941 (excluding having no teams from 1894–1895 & 1900–1906), Gonzaga went 129–99–20.

Like many colleges, the football program went on hiatus during World War II (in April 1942),[4][5] but after the war the administration decided not to resume it. The program had been in financial difficulty prior to the war.[6][7][8]

GU's most notable football player was running back Tony Canadeo (1919–2003) from Chicago, who played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers from 1941 to 1952 and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974.[9] Ray Flaherty joined him as a hall of famer (as a head coach) in 1976.[10][11] Flaherty was a Gonzaga teammate of Hust Stockton, a noted halfback in the 1920s (and the paternal grandfather of basketball star John Stockton). Their head coach at Gonzaga was Gus Dorais, who threw to college teammate Knute Rockne at Notre Dame in 1913.

The Gonzaga football stadium, built in 1922,[12][13] was used for city high school football until it was deemed unsafe by the city after the 1947 season.[14][15] The white-painted wooden venue hosted a professional preseason game in 1946 under the lights, between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers of the new All-America Football Conference.[16][17] The southern portion of the football field is currently occupied by the Foley Library.[18] High school football moved to the new Memorial Stadium in 1950, later named for Gonzaga alumnus Joe Albi in 1962.

Head coaching history

Years Head coach Record
Unknown 1887–1891
Henry Luhn 1892–1898 7–0–2
Unknown 1907 0–0–1
George Varnell 1908–1911 10–4–1
Coach Burns 1912 2–1–0
Robert E. Harmon 1913–1914 11–4
William Coyle 1915 3–3
John F. McGough 1916 3–2
James R. Condon 1917 3–0
C.A. Mullen 1918 0–2–1
William S. Higgins 1919 2–3
Gus Dorais[19][20][21] 1920–1924 20–13–3
Clipper Smith[22][23][24] 1925–1928 23–9–5
Matty Mathews[25] 1929 4–3
Ray Flaherty[10][26][27] 1930 1–7–1
Mike Pecarovich[21][28][29] 1931–1938 31–35–5
Puggy Hunton[5][30][31][32] 1939–1941 14–13–1
40 seasons 134–99–20[33]

References

  1. ↑ "Color Palette". Gonzaga University. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  2. ↑ "Kennedy scores on Gonzaga as Cougars romp through to lopsided victory". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 24, 1941. p. 12.
  3. ↑ "Gonzaga Bulldogs". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
  4. ↑ "Gonzaga cancels its intercollegiate football program". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 7, 1942. p. 11.
  5. 1 2 "Unofficial word says Hunton will be dismissed at Gonzaga". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 8, 1942. p. 17.
  6. ↑ "Gonzaga might drop football". Ellensburg Daily Record. Washington. Associated Press. October 23, 1939. p. 6.
  7. ↑ Ashlock, Herb (October 23, 1939). "Financial problem may force Gonzaga University to drop collegiate football program". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 11.
  8. ↑ "Gonzaga looks for supporters". Spokesman-Review. October 24, 1939. p. 14.
  9. ↑ "Tony Canadeo". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
  10. 1 2 Missildine, Harry (January 27, 1976). "Flaherty named to pro grid hall". Spokesman-Review. p. 11.
  11. ↑ "Flaherty gains Hall induction today". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. July 24, 1976. p. 13.
  12. ↑ "Gonzaga's new stadium is ready for opening game". Spokane Daily Chronicle. October 13, 1922. p. 1.
  13. ↑ Duffy, Bernard (October 24, 1965). "Life and death of the Gonzaga Stadium". Spokesman-Review. Inland Empire. p. 4.
  14. ↑ "City says stadium must be repaired". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 17, 1947. p. 1.
  15. ↑ "Historic Gonzaga Stadium finally will be "retired"". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 8, 1949. p. 15.
  16. ↑ "Top pro teams in game tonight". Spokesman-Review. August 24, 1946. p. 9.
  17. ↑ "Yankees winners; may return here". Spokane Daily Chronicle. August 26, 1946. p. 15.
  18. ↑ "Photograph taken from speeding airplane". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 13, 1939. p. 1.
  19. ↑ "Gonzaga seeks mentor to succeed Gus Dorais". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 3, 1925. p. 16.
  20. ↑ "Gonzaga coach to be Detroit mentor". The Evening Record. Ellensburg, Washington. Associated Press. February 4, 1925. p. 8.
  21. 1 2 Thorpe, Ellsworth (September 11, 1933). "Famous gridiron men developed at Gonzaga". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 10.
  22. ↑ "Clipper Smith works his outfit overtime". Spokane Daily Chronicle. October 28, 1925. p. 18.
  23. ↑ "Clipper Smith may change job". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 18, 1929. p. 1.
  24. ↑ "Clipper Smith heading south". Spokane Daily Chronicle. May 30, 1929. p. 14.
  25. ↑ "Mathews leaves post at Gonzaga". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 26, 1930. p. 1, sports.
  26. ↑ "Ray Flaherty, Gonzaga coach". Spokesman-Review. May 4, 1930. p. 1, sports.
  27. ↑ "Gonzaga coach ready for work". Spokesman-Review. August 18, 1930. p. 10.
  28. ↑ "Eight football games on Gonzaga's 1931 grid schedule; new coach arrives". Spokane Daily Chronicle. February 23, 1931. p. 14.
  29. ↑ "Mike Pecarovich goes to Loyola". Spokesman-Review. February 4, 1939. p. 14.
  30. ↑ "Gonzaga selects John Hunton to handle university football coach job". Spokesman-Review. March 7, 1939. p. 12.
  31. ↑ "Puggy Hunton will continue as head man of the Gonzaga University football machine". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 15, 1939. p. 15.
  32. ↑ Stark, C.R., Jr. (September 8, 1943). "Gonzaga squad may be formed". Spokesman-Review. p. 9.
  33. ↑ "Gonzaga: coaching records". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
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