Frank Lauterbur
 Lauterbur from the 1968 Blockhouse | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 8, 1925 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | November 20, 2013 (aged 88) Toledo, Ohio, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1940s | Mount Union |
| Coaching career ( Baltimore Colts (DB) | |
| 1978–1981 | Los Angeles Rams (LB) |
| 1982 | Seattle Seahawks (DL) |
| 1984 | Pittsburgh Maulers (DL) |
| 1985 | Orlando Renegades (DC/LB) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1963–1970 | Toledo |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 52–60–3 |
| Bowls | 2–0 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 3 MAC Coach of the Year (1967, 1969–1970) | |
Francis Xavier Lauterbur (August 8, 1925 – November 20, 2013) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Toledo from 1963 to 1970 and at the University of Iowa from 1971 to 1973, compiling a career college football record of 52–60–3. Lauterbur was also an assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL).
Early life and playing career
Lauterbur was born in
Early coaching career
Lauterbur began his coaching career at Wickliffe and Collinwood high schools near
He spent five years at West Point, including the undefeated 1958 season that featured Heisman Trophy winner Pete Dawkins. He then served as an assistant coach for one season at the University of Pittsburgh in 1962. Lauterbur was offered his first college head coaching job by the University of Toledo before the 1963 season. He was Toledo's head football coach and athletic director for eight years, from 1963 to 1970.
Lauterbur struggled his first four seasons at Toledo, compiling an 11–27–1 record from 1963 to 1966. But he eventually turned the program around, going 9–1 in 1967 and winning the first
Iowa coaching career
Lauterbur was hired as the 22nd head coach in the history of Iowa football before the 1971 season. He was expected to bring strong defense to Iowa, since his 1970 Toledo team had led the nation in total defense and pass defense and ranked second in the nation in scoring defense.
Iowa went just 1–10 in Lauterbur's first season in 1971, which was not a big surprise, considering that Iowa had graduated 17 starters off of a team that had won just three games the previous season. In 1972, Iowa improved to 3–7–1 and played competitively in most of the losses. Several players were set to return in 1973, and it looked as though progress was being made.
The 1973 season was a disaster. Iowa finished with the worst record in school history. The Hawkeyes lost all 11 games in 1973 to finish the year 0–11. The only other winless season in Iowa history occurred in 1889, their inaugural campaign, when they lost the only game they scheduled that year.
Despite the 0–11 record, Lauterbur had two years left on a five-year contract, and Elliott considered retaining him. Iowa fans were unhappy with Lauterbur, obviously, but they were more unhappy with defensive coordinator Ducky Lewis. Lewis' defensive units, so spectacular at Toledo, were horrible at Iowa. In 1973, Iowa yielded 401 points on the season, the most in school history. In addition, Lewis was notoriously profane in public, which embarrassed and appalled several fans. That might be tolerated if Iowa was winning, but not at 0–11.
Elliott approached Lauterbur about firing Lewis as defensive coordinator. Lauterbur refused, stating that he had to have full control of his staff and that it was his right, not Elliott's, to hire and fire assistant coaches. Elliott agreed, but then reminded Lauterbur that it was his right, as athletic director, to hire and fire head football coaches by relieving him of his duties as Iowa head coach.[1]
Lauterbur's loyalty to his assistant backfired, as now Lauterbur and Lewis were both out of a job. Ron Maly, a reporter for the
Later career
Lauterbur spent the rest of his career as a pro assistant. He worked for years as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Rams, coaching in Super Bowl XIV in 1980. He also coached in the United States Football League (USFL) for the Pittsburgh Maulers. After retiring from coaching, Lauterbur worked for a decade with the National Scouting Service.
Retirement
Lauterbur retired in 1993 and lived in Ohio. He had a wife, Mary, as well as four children and two grandchildren. He died at a Toledo nursing home of dementia and Parkinson's disease in 2013, aged 88.[3][4]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo Rockets (Mid-American Conference) (1963–1970) | |||||||||
| 1963 | Toledo | 2–7 | 1–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1964 | Toledo | 2–8 | 1–5 | 7th | |||||
| 1965 | Toledo | 5–5 | 2–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1966 | Toledo | 2–7–1 | 1–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1967 | Toledo | 9–1 | 5–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1968 | Toledo | 5–4–1 | 3–2–1 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1969 | Toledo | 11–0 | 5–0 | 1st | W Tangerine | ||||
| 1970 | Toledo | 12–0 | 5–0 | 1st | W Tangerine | 17 | 12 | ||
| Toledo: | 48–32–2 | 24–22–1 | |||||||
| Iowa Hawkeyes (Big Ten Conference) (1971–1973) | |||||||||
| 1971 | Iowa | 1–10 | 1–8 | 10th | |||||
| 1972 | Iowa | 3–7–1 | 2–6–1 | 8th | |||||
| 1973 | Iowa | 0–11 | 0–8 | T–9th | |||||
| Iowa: | 4–28–1 | 3–22–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 52–60–3 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
References
- ^ 25 Years With The Fighting Hawkeyes, 1964-1988, by Al Grady, Page 50 (ASIN: B0006ES3GS)
- ISBN 1-58261-574-8)
- ^ "Former Hawkeye football coach Frank Lauterbur dies at 88".
- ^ "UT coach, athletic director notched 35-game win streak".