Dick Harlow

Dick Harlow
Harlow as Penn State boxing coach in 1920
Sport(s)	Football, baseball, track and field, boxing
Biographical details
Born	October 19, 1889(1889-10-19)
Place of birth	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	February 19, 1962(1962-02-19) (aged 72)
Place of death	Bethesda, Maryland
Playing career
Football 1910–1911	Penn State
Position(s)	Tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football 1912–1914 1915–1917 1918 1919–1921 1922–1925 1926–1934 1935–1942 1945–1947 Boxing c. 1919	Penn State (assistant) Penn State Virginia Tech (assistant) Penn State (assistant) Colgate Western Maryland Harvard Harvard Penn State
Head coaching record
Overall	149–69–17
Statistics
College Football Data Warehouse
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1954 (profile)

Richard Cresson "Dick" Harlow (October 19, 1889 – February 19, 1962) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Pennsylvania State University (1915–1917), Colgate University (1922–1925), Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College (1926–1934), and Harvard University (1935–1942, 1945–1947), compiling a career college football record of 149–69–17. Harlow pioneered modern defensive schemes. Often fielding undersized teams, he pioneered coordinated stunts to get around or between blockers rather than trying to overpower them. His offenses were based on deception and timing rather than power, utilizing shifts, reverses, and lateral passes. Harlow was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954.

Playing career

A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Harlow attended Pennsylvania State University. As a tackle at Penn State, Harlow distinguished himself during the 1910 and 1911 seasons. A two-year letterman, he also was a member of the baseball and track and field teams.

Coaching career

Penn State

Upon graduation from Penn State, Harlow remained with the Nittany Lions football team as an assistant coach for three seasons and was named head coach in 1915. After compiling a 20–8 record in three seasons, Harlow entered the military in 1918. During the fall of 1918, he was stationed at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he coached the football team. After an honorable discharge from the United States Army, Harlow returned to Penn State in 1919 to assistant Hugo Bezdek with the football team. Harlow also took charge of boxing at Penn State.

Colgate

Harlow went on to become the 20th head coach at Colgate University from 1922 to 1925. His overall coaching record at Colgate was 24–9–3. This ranks him seventh at Colgate in terms of total wins and sixth at Colgate in terms of winning percentage.

Western Maryland

Harlow was the head football coach at Western Maryland College from 1926 to 1934. While at Western Maryland Harlow coached Charles A. "Rip" Engle. He had a great influence on Engles career, and they remained good friends for many years.

Harvard

In 1935, Harlow became the first non-alumnus ever to coach at Harvard. It was there Harlow was voted Coach-of-the-Year in 1936 and a year later was chosen as the Ivy League Coach-of-the-Year. He retired in 1947 with a lifetime record of 149–69–17, and was named to the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

Oology

Harlow was an expert in oology, the study of birds' eggs. In 1939, he was named curator of oology at the Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology, and he remained in that position until 1954.

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall
Penn State Nittany Lions (1915–1917)
1915	Penn State	7–2
1916	Penn State	8–2
1917	Penn State	5–4
Penn State:		20–8
Colgate Raiders (1922–1925)
1922	Colgate	6–3
1923	Colgate	6–2–1
1924	Colgate	5–4
1925	Colgate	7–0–2
Colgate:		24–9–3
Western Maryland Green Terror (1926–1934)
1926	Western Maryland	6–1
1927	Western Maryland	6–2
1928	Western Maryland	6–2–1
1929	Western Maryland	11–0
1930	Western Maryland	9–0–1
1931	Western Maryland	4–4–2
1932	Western Maryland	5–1–2
1933	Western Maryland	5–3
1934	Western Maryland	8–0–1
Western Maryland:		60–13–7
Harvard Crimson (1935–1942)
1935	Harvard	3–5
1936	Harvard	3–4–1
1937	Harvard	5–2–1
1938	Harvard	4–4
1939	Harvard	4–4
1940	Harvard	3–2–3
1941	Harvard	5–2–1
1942	Harvard	2–6–1
Harvard Crimson (1945–1947)
1945	Harvard	5–3
1946	Harvard	7–2
1947	Harvard	4–5
Harvard:		45–39–7
Total:		149–69–17

See also

• List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association
• Penn State Nittany Lions football under Dick Harlow

External links

• Dick Harlow at the College Football Hall of Fame
• Dick Harlow at the College Football Data Warehouse