J. Burton Rix

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J. Burton Rix
Rix (left) with assistant coach Lt. Joseph Wier and head coach Dave Allerdice at the University of Texas at Austin, c. 1913
Biographical details
Born(1882-03-24)March 24, 1882
Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
DiedAugust 8, 1964(1964-08-08) (aged 82)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1905Dartmouth
Basketball
1903–1905Dartmouth
Position(s)Halfback (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1909–1910Austin
1911–1913Texas (assistant)
1914–1916Southwestern (TX)
1917–1921SMU
1929Miami (FL)
Basketball
1911–1912Texas
1914–1916Southwestern (TX)
1917–1921SMU
Track & Field
1911Texas
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1914–1917Southwestern (TX)
1917–1921SMU
Head coaching record
Overall39–34–11
29–37 (basketball, excluding Southwestern)

John Burton Rix (March 24, 1882 – August 8, 1964) was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Austin College (1909–1910), Southwestern University (1914–1916), Southern Methodist University (1917–1921), the University of Miami (1929), compiling a career college football coaching record of 39–34–11. Rix was also the head basketball coach at the University of Texas at Austin (1911–1912) and at Southern Methodist (1917–1921), tallying a career college basketball mark of 29–37.

Early life and education[edit]

Rix was born on March 24, 1882, in Cincinnati.[1]

He attended Dartmouth College, where he played on the football team as a halfback in 1905,[2][3] and served as the basketball team captain for the 1903–04 and 1904–05 seasons.[4] Rix graduated from Dartmouth with an A.B. degree in 1906.[5] He was a member of the Pi Chapter of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Casque and Gauntlet.[5]

In 1910, he was teaching as an English instructor at Austin College.[5]

Coaching career[edit]

University of Texas[edit]

In 1912, Rix became the head basketball coach at Texas, replacing W. E. Metzenthin, who had moved into the position of athletic director.[6] Rix served in that capacity for one season and without pay.[6] According to the student yearbook, the Cactus, he "took hold of the squad when it found itself without a leader and quickly demonstrated his ability to transform it into a quintet that was as good as any in the state."[6]

At Texas, he also served as an assistant football coach under Dave Allerdice from 1911 through 1913.[2][7]

After a 30–7 loss to Notre Dame in 1913, Rix wrote in The Alcalde, "I was asked to criticize the playing of our team in this game. Had we won I should perhaps have been willing to do so. As it is, there is no necessity for it, for our men themselves, you may be assured, are criticizing themselves with a self-analysis, and sincerity and effectiveness that will do more for the development of football in Texas than a whole season of ordinary games."[8]

Southwestern University[edit]

From 1914 to 1916, he coached the football team and served as the athletic director at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.[9][10]

Southern Methodist[edit]

In February 1917, he accepted the position as athletic director at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.[10] At SMU, he served as the head basketball and football coach from 1917 to 1921. In 1921 he resigned as football coach after two games and was replaced by Bill Cunningham, also of Dartmouth, during a 1–6–1 campaign in 1921.[11][12]

University of Miami[edit]

In 1929, Rix became the second head football coach at the University of Miami after a group of local businessmen financially backed the school. Rix left after one season, however, when the Wall Street Crash of 1929 led to an end to the program's off-campus financing.[13]

Death[edit]

On August 8, 1964, at age 82, Rix committed suicide by hanging.[14]

Head coaching record[edit]

Football[edit]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Austin Kangaroos (Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1909–1910)
1909 Austin 5–3–2
1910 Austin 4–3–2
Austin: 9–6–4
Southwestern Pirates (Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1914)
1914 Southwestern 4–4
Southwestern Pirates (Southwestern Conference / Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1915–1916)
1915 Southwestern 4–3 0–2 / 7th /
1916 Southwestern 3–5–1 0–4 / 8th /
Southwestern: 11–12–1
SMU Mustangs (Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1917)
1917 SMU 3–2–3
SMU Mustangs (Southwest Conference) (1918–1921)
1918 SMU 4–2 1–2 5th
1919 SMU 5–4–1 0–2–1 6th
1920 SMU 3–5–2 0–4–1 6th
1921 SMU 1–1[n 1] 0–1[n 1] [n 1]
SMU: 16–14–6
Miami Hurricanes (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1929)
1929 Miami 3–2 3–2 T–13th
Miami: 3–2 3–2
Total: 39–34-11

Basketball[edit]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Texas Longhorns (Independent) (1911–1912)
1911–12 Texas 5–1
Texas: 5–1 (.833)
Total:

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Rix served as SMU's head coach for the first two games of the season before resigning. Bill Cunningham led the team as interim head coach for the final six games. The Mustangs compiled an overall record of 1–6–1 with marks of 0–4 in Southwest Conference play and 1–3–1 against Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponents, placing seventh in both conferences.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Emerson, Charles Franklin (1911). General Catalogue of Dartmouth College and the Associated Schools 1769-1910. Concord, New Hampshire: Rumford Press. p. 432. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Alcalde, Volume 2, p. 65, Ex-Students' Association of the University of Texas, 1913.
  3. ^ Dartmouth Football Media Guide, Dartmouth College, p. 139, 2008.
  4. ^ Men's Basketball Year by Year Archived 2017-08-20 at the Wayback Machine, Dartmouth College, September 19, 2006.
  5. ^ a b c Catalogue of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, p. 649, Delta Kappa Epsilon Council, 1910.
  6. ^ a b c Longhorn Hoops: The History of Texas Basketball, p. 8, University of Texas Press, 1998, ISBN 0-292-76585-1.
  7. ^ The University of Texas Record, Volume XI, p. 198, University of Texas, 1913.
  8. ^ Alcade, Volume 2, p. 196.
  9. ^ Spalding's Official Foot Ball Guide, p. 302, National Collegiate Athletic Association, 1915.
  10. ^ a b SOUTHWESTERN GETS RIX Archived 2012-11-04 at the Wayback Machine, The Christian Science Monitor, February 24, 1917.
  11. ^ "Cunningham in Charge of S.M.U. Eleven, Following Resignation of Rix". The Dallas Morning News. October 18, 1921. p. 16 – via Newsbank Open access icon.
  12. ^ ""Stoical" Rix Quits As S. M. U. Coach". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth, Texas. October 18, 1921. p. 15. Retrieved March 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  13. ^ Hurricane's history starts with rain, ends with reign[permanent dead link]
  14. ^ View Images — FamilySearch.org

External links[edit]

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