Joe Kuharich
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|
Chicago Cardinals | |
Position(s) | Washington Redskins |
---|---|
1959–1962 | Notre Dame |
1964–1968 | Philadelphia Eagles |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 42–37 (college) 58–81–3 (NFL) |
Joseph Lawrence Kuharich (April 14, 1917 – January 25, 1981) was an
Kuharich played football as a guard at Notre Dame from 1935 to 1937 and with the Chicago Cardinals in 1940, 1941, and 1945. Kuharich died on the day the Eagles lost their first Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders.
Early life and education
Kuharich was born April 14, 1917, in South Bend, Indiana. He played college football at the Notre Dame under coach Elmer Layden, who praised Kuharich as one of the best and smartest players he ever had. In his college career. Kuharich is noted for his participation in Notre Dame's comeback over Ohio State in 1935.[1]
Career
National Football League
Kuharich was drafted by the
Kuharich began his coaching career as an assistant freshman coach at Notre Dame in 1938. In 1939, he coached at the Vincentian Institute in
Coaching career
Pittsburgh Steelers, University of San Francisco, and Washington Redskins
In 1946, Kuharich served as line coach for the
The team is among the most decorated in the
Notre Dame
Kuharich became head coach of Notre Dame in 1959. He had earlier been contacted with offers by Notre Dame after the 1956 season after the Irish finished 2–8, but before he had a chance to accept an offer, Terry Brennan was retained in his position. Kuharich compiled a 17–23 record over four non-winning seasons, becoming the only coach to have an overall losing record at Notre Dame. This was followed by a school-record eight-game losing streak in 1960, a year in which the Irish finished 2–8. It is remembered as one of the worst stretches in Notre Dame football history.
It was widely speculated that Kuharich never made the adjustment from pro football to college football, attempting to use complicated pro coaching techniques with collegiate players. He never seemed to adapt to the limited substitution rules in effect at the time either, preferring clumsy linemen playing in positions where smaller and quicker players were favored. Despite his controversial and confusing tactics, Kuharich seemed perfectly content finishing with a losing record every year. which did not sit well with Notre Dame fans. Kuharich resigned in the spring of 1963 and assumed the post of supervisor of NFL official. Following Kuharich's departure, Hugh Devore was named interim head coach while the search for a permanent replacement was sought. Despite his unsuccessful Notre Dame tenure, Kuharich remains the only Notre Dame head coach to post back-to-back shutouts over USC, Notre Dame's major rival, in both 1960 (17-0) and 1961 (30-0).
Kuharich is commonly associated with a rule change still in effect today, known by some as the Kuharich defensive foul rule. In 1961, Notre Dame trailed Syracuse at home 14–15, with three seconds left to play. A 56-yard field goal attempt by the Notre Dame fell short as time ran out, effectively ending the game. However, Syracuse was penalized 15 yards for roughing the place kick holder, and Notre Dame was given a second chance despite the clock running out. Kicker Joe Perkowski attempted a 41-yard field goal successfully, and Notre Dame won the game 17-15. Syracuse immediately cried foul, claiming that under the existing rules, the second kick should not have been allowed because time had expired. It was never clear whether the Irish victory was permitted to stand, but a rule was clarified to state that half cannot end on an accepted defensive foul, a decision consistent with the officials' ruling.
Philadelphia Eagles
Kuharich returned to the NFL coaching ranks with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1964. The team had gone through an unsteady 1963, ending the season at 2-10-2, due in large part to injuries plaguing starting quarterback Sonny Jurgensen. Eagles' owner Jerry Wolman made Kuharich head coach and general manager. In return for quarterback Norm Snead and defensive back Jimmy Carr, Kuharich traded away Hall of Fame and perennial Pro-Bowlers Sonny Jurgensen and Tommy McDonald. Philadelphia also acquired Ollie Matson from the Detroit Lions. Despite the acquisitions, the Eagles continued posting losing records in 1964 of 6–8, and in 1965 of 5–9.
Kuharich's only winning season with the Eagles came in 1966, when the team went 9–5. Immediately following this season, Eagles' then-owner Jerry Wolman gave Kuharich an unprecedented contract extension of 15 years. The winning 1966 season, in which the Eagles finished 2nd in the Eastern Conference, gave the team a date with the Baltimore Colts in the Playoff Bowl, a postseason exhibition intended to draw fans and help coaches plan for the following season, in which Kuharich became the first coach to wear a wireless microphone for NFL Films. Portions of his wiring and the Playoff Bowl itself, were used at the end of NFL Films' 1967 special They Call It Pro Football.
Following the 1966 season, the Eagles once again returned to mediocrity, ending with a losing record of 6-7-1 in 1967. The 1968 season was Kuharich's last. The Eagles vied most of the season for pro football's worst record, which would have earned them the chance to draft Heisman Trophy winner O. J. Simpson No. 1 overall. But the Eagles won the twelfth and thirteenth games of the season, then a 14-game season, for a final record of 2-12-0, and the Buffalo Bills, with a record of 1-12-1, won the rights to Simpson.
Kuharich was so despised by Eagles' fans by this time that a plane towing a banner reading "Joe Must Go" circled Franklin Field, the Eagles home field at that time, during every home game of the 1968 season. For three of the home games in Philadelphia, a large banner was draped over the upper deck of Franklin Field, which read, "Joe Please Do Us a Favor and Die". This was the season of the game of legend in which Santa Claus was pelted with snowballs as he circled the track at Franklin Field at halftime of the final game of the season, precipitated as a result of the fans realizing that they would not be getting the No. 1 overall draft pick.[4]
Three months following the
Kuharich's final record with the Eagles was 28-41-1, giving him a .407 winning percentage.
Personal life
Kuharich married Madelyn Eleanor Imholz on October 6, 1943. They had two sons, Lary a former CFL and AFL head coach, and Bill, who followed in his father's footsteps as general manager of the New Orleans Saints from 1996 to 2000, director of pro personnel from 2000 to 2005, and vice president of player personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2009.
Kuharich died on January 25, 1981, the same day that the Philadelphia Eagles played in their first Super Bowl.
Head coaching record
College
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
San Francisco Dons (Independent) (1948–1951) | |||||||||
1948 | San Francisco | 2–7 | |||||||
1949 | San Francisco | 7–3 | |||||||
1950 | San Francisco | 7–4 | |||||||
1951 | San Francisco | 9–0 | 14 | 14 | |||||
San Francisco: | 25–14 | ||||||||
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (NCAA University Division independent) (1959–1962) | |||||||||
1959 | Notre Dame | 5–5 | 18 | 17 | |||||
1960 | Notre Dame | 2–8 | |||||||
1961 | Notre Dame | 5–5 | |||||||
1962 | Notre Dame | 5–5 | |||||||
Notre Dame: | 17–23 | ||||||||
Total: | 42–37 | ||||||||
|
NFL
Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
CHI | 1952 | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | 6th in American Division | – | – | – | – |
CHI Total | 4 | 8 | 0 | .333 | – | – | – | |||
WAS | 1954 | 3 | 9 | 0 | .250 | 5th in East Division | – | – | – | – |
WAS | 1955 | 8 | 4 | 0 | .667 | 2nd in East Division | – | – | – | – |
WAS | 1956 | 6 | 6 | 0 | .500 | 3rd in East Division | – | – | – | – |
WAS | 1957 | 5 | 6 | 1 | .458 | 4th in East Division | – | – | – | – |
WAS | 1958 | 4 | 7 | 1 | .375 | 4th in East Division | – | – | – | – |
WAS Total | 26 | 32 | 2 | .450 | – | – | – | |||
PHI | 1964 | 6 | 8 | 0 | .429 | 3rd in East Division | – | – | – | – |
PHI | 1965 | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 5th in East Division | – | – | – | – |
PHI | 1966 | 9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 2nd in East Division | – | – | – | – |
PHI | 1967 | 6 | 7 | 1 | .464 | 2nd in Capitol Division | – | – | – | – |
PHI | 1968 | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 4th in Capitol Division | – | – | – | – |
PHI Total | 28 | 41 | 1 | .407 | – | – | – | |||
Total[5] | 58 | 81 | 3 | .419 | – | – | – |
References
- ^ Kelly, Lisa (September 1, 2022). "Looking back at Notre Dame VS Ohio State, 1935". One Foot Down. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "1939 NFL Player Draft". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- ^ "1938 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ Frank, Matthew. "Only in Philadelphia: A look back on the day Eagles fans booed Santa at Franklin Field". www.thedp.com. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
- ^ "Joe Kuharich Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 7, 2020.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference