King Block (American football)
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
April 11, 1929 Superior, Nebraska |
| Died |
October 6, 2014 (aged 85) Ozark, Missouri |
| Playing career | |
| 1948–1950 | Idaho |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1955–1959 | Arkansas State (backs) |
| 1960–1962 | Arkansas State |
| 1963 | Nebraska (DL) |
| 1964–1967 | Washington State (assistant) |
| 1968–1972 | Iowa State (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 13–14 |
Milbourne King Block, Sr. known as King Block (April 11, 1929 - October 6, 2014)[1] was an American college football player and coach. He served as the Arkansas State College (now Arkansas State University) head football coach from 1960 to 1962 and amassed a 13–14 record.[2]
College career
A native of Superior, Nebraska,[3] Block attended the University of Idaho in the late 1940s, where he played college football under head coach Dixie Howell.[4] He played as a fullback from 1948 to 1950, and was named to the All-Coast football team.[1] Block was selected in the 21st round of the 1951 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.[5]
Coaching career
After a stint coaching Grangeville High School in North Central Idaho,[6] Block joined the Arkansas State coaching staff as the backfield assistant in 1955, under head coach Gene Harlow, who had been the guards coach at Idaho while Block was in college.[6] Block was promoted to head coach in February 1960 and compiled a 13–14 record in three seasons.[2][7] His offense was described as primarily reliant upon "the running of the fullback and quarterback."[8]
He resigned after the 1962 season to become the defensive line coach at Nebraska under head coach Bob Devaney.[3] Arkansas State replaced Block with defensive backs coach Bennie Ellender.[9] After one season in Lincoln, Block joined the staff at Washington State in 1964 and remained in Pullman through 1967.[1][10] He later served as an assistant at Iowa State until 1972.[11]
Aside from coaching football, Block also competed in rodeo events and bred quarterhorses,[12] which he later parlayed into "King Blocks Korral", one of the largest western stores in Iowa.
Death
Block died in Ozark, Missouri on October 6, 2014 after a lengthy illness. His remains were cremated.[13]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas State Indians (NCAA College Division independent) (1960–1962) | |||||||||
| 1960 | Arkansas State | 4–5 | |||||||
| 1961 | Arkansas State | 3–6 | |||||||
| 1962 | Arkansas State | 6–3 | |||||||
| Arkansas State: | 13–14 | ||||||||
| Total: | 13–14 | ||||||||
References
- 1 2 3 Ex-Idaho Ace Joins Clark at Pullman, Spokane Daily Chronicle, January 21, 1964.
- 1 2 King Block Records by Year, College Football Data Warehouse, retrieved August 21, 2010.
- 1 2 Sport Scope, The Southeast Missourian, August 13, 1963.
- ↑ Florence State Host To Tough Arkansas Tonight; Visiting Indians Solid Pick To Take Lions In Coffee Stadium Encounter, Times Daily, October 1, 1960.
- ↑ 1951 NFL Draft, Database Football, retrieved August 22, 2010.
- 1 2 Art Smith Puts a Lot of Faces in Place, The Spokesman Review, January 30, 1957.
- ↑ Arkansas St. Promotes Aide, The New York Times, February 3, 1960.
- ↑ Lions Go Through Offensive Practice, Times Daily, September 28, 1960.
- ↑ Tulane Coach To Speak, Times Daily, May 23, 1971.
- ↑ "Assistant Football Coaches, All-Time", History & Awards (PDF), 2007 Washington State Football Media Guide, p. 171, 2007.
- ↑ Iowa State Seeks New Grid Coach, The Deseret News, January 2, 1973.
- ↑ The Dutch Rub, Tri City Herald, April 28, 1964.
- ↑ "M. King Block April 11, 1929 — Oct. 6, 2014". Ames Tribune. October 23, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2016.