John L. Griffith
 Griffith pictured in The Quax 1918, Drake yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 20, 1877 Mount Carroll, Illinois |
| Died | December 7, 1944 (aged 67) Chicago, Illinois |
| Playing career | |
| ?–1902 | Beloit |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| c. 1903 | Yankton |
| 1905–1907 | Morningside |
| 1908–1915 | Drake |
| Basketball | |
| 1909–1910 | Drake |
| 1912–1914 | Drake |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1902–1905 | Yankton |
| 1905–1908 | Morningside |
| 1908–1918 | Drake |
| 1922–1944 | Big Ten (commissioner) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 49–31–7 (football, excluding Yankton) |
John Lorenzo Griffith (August 20, 1877 – December 7, 1944) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, track athlete, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the first commissioner of the Big Ten Conference from 1922 until his death in 1944.[1]
Coaching career
Morningside
Griffith was the head football coach at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa for three seasons, from 1905 until 1907. His coaching record at Morningside was 13–6–4.[2]
Drake
Griffith was the tenth head football coach at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, serving for eight seasons, from 1908 until 1915, compiling a record of 36–25–3.[3] During his time at Drake, he created the Drake Relays, in 1910.
Head coaching record
Football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morningside (Independent) (1905–1907) | |||||||||
| 1905 | Morningside | 6–1–2 | |||||||
| 1906 | Morningside | 4–2–1 | |||||||
| 1907 | Morningside | 2–3–1 | |||||||
| Morningside: | 13–6–4 | ||||||||
| Drake Bulldogs (Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1908–1915) | |||||||||
| 1908 | Drake | 6–2 | 1–2 | 5th | |||||
| 1909 | Drake | 7–1 | 2–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1910 | Drake | 3–5 | 0–3 | 7th | |||||
| 1911 | Drake | 5–2–1 | 0–2–1 | 6th | |||||
| 1912 | Drake | 5–3 | 2–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1913 | Drake | 4–3–1 | 1–3 | 5th | |||||
| 1914 | Drake | 4–3–1 | 0–3–1 | T–5th | |||||
| 1915 | Drake | 2–6 | 1–4 | 6th | |||||
| Drake: | 36–25–3 | 7–20–2 | |||||||
| Total: | |||||||||
References
- ^ Schmidt, Ray (2000). "Major John Griffith" (PDF). College Football Historical Society Newsletter. 13 (2). LA 84 Foundation. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
- ^ DeLassus, David. "Morningside Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ DeLassus, David. "Drake Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
External links
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- 1877 births
- 1944 deaths
- American men's basketball players
- Big Ten Conference commissioners
- Beloit Buccaneers baseball players
- Beloit Buccaneers football players
- Beloit Buccaneers men's basketball players
- Drake Bulldogs athletic directors
- Drake Bulldogs football coaches
- Drake Bulldogs men's basketball coaches
- Morningside Mustangs football coaches
- Yankton Greyhounds athletic directors
- Yankton Greyhounds football coaches
- University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign faculty
- College men's track and field athletes in the United States
- College track and field coaches in the United States
- American military personnel of World War I
- Basketball coaches from Illinois
- Basketball players from Illinois
- United States Army officers
- People from Mount Carroll, Illinois
- Players of American football from Illinois
- College football coaches first appointed in the 1900s stubs