San Francisco State Gators football

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San Francisco State Gators football
First season1931
Last season1994
StadiumCox Stadium
(capacity: 5,000)
Field surfaceGrass
LocationSan Francisco, California
ConferenceNorthern California Athletic Conference
Bowl record0–3 (.000)
ColorsPurple and gold[1]
   

The San Francisco State Gators football team represented

Far West Conference from 1946 until the conference changed its name to become the Northern California Athletic Conference, where they remained through the 1994 season. San Francisco State played its home games at multiple stadiums throughout their history with the most recent being Cox Field in San Francisco. San Francisco State was known as the "Cradle of Coaches", having produced coaching greats such as Mike Holmgren, Andy Reid, Bob Toledo, and many others.[2]

History

Early years

San Francisco State Teachers College was first coached by Dave Cox, who had previously coached at

Berkeley Daily Gazette as "one of the greatest athletes ever to graduate from Chico,"[4] He also coached the "Gaters'" basketball team. During the 1935 season, veteran halfback Ralph Nathan was injured for two weeks but returned to the backfield to join quarterback Keith Cox against San Francisco Junior College.[5]
In most newspaper accounts from 1935–1940, the team was referred to as the "Staters".

Farmer was later honored by Golden Gater rival

All-American halfback Dick Boyle in October 1938.[7] During the 1940 season, Boyle's Staters scrimmaged throughout the week in preparation for matches against military sides like the Moffett Field Air Corps Eleven, and over half of his playbook consisted of passing plays to make use of "capable tossers" including Reno Cardoni, John Verducci, Dick Chin, and Fred Hinze.[8]

The outbreak of World War II caused a flurry of change for the "Staters" football program. By this time, publications were referring to the team as the "Gaters". Dick Boyle became a lieutenant in the navy after the 1941 season and was replaced by Ray Kaufman in June 1942.

Far Western Conference schools after used by Southern Oregon to defeat State College 13–7 in the 1947 season.[11]

The Fruit Bowl

San Francisco State met the Southern University Jaguars in the 1948 Fruit Bowl in San Francisco, finding themselves completely outclassed on a muddy field and shut out 30–0 in front of 5,000 fans.[12] The Fruit Bowl game is noteworthy for being the first interracial bowl game played in the United States.[13]

The Verducci era

The arrival of Joe Verducci to San Francisco State from

St. Mary's College was rather unexpected; after all, St. Mary's was a team that had defeated Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl in 1939, and followed it up with appearances in the Sugar Bowl and the Oil Bowl in 1946 and 1947.[14] San Francisco State was coming off a shutout loss to Southern. Verducci must have made a difference, as St. Mary's did not return to another bowl while SF State became a Far West powerhouse in the next decade. Verducci's time with the Gaels was indeed short, having replaced "Irish Jimmy Phelan" (who became the mentor of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America conference), in April 1948.[15] Verducci had been a quarterback with the University of California, and had coached Polytechnic High to a record of 35–6–6 from 1938–1943.[15]

The 1950 season, Verducci's first, was successful for the Gators. This was the first winning season in San Francisco State football history, as the team went through the regular season with only a single loss (to

Thanksgiving day, losing by a score of 61–7.[16]

Verducci's San Francisco State team went undefeated in 1959, then had only one loss in 1960. He was named Northern California

Humboldt State whose coach Phil Sarboe had taken the Lumberjacks to a 9–0 record and an 18-game winning streak, including handing Verducci and the Gators their lone loss in 1960.[17]
Students at Humboldt State college burned three dummies representing sports writers in effigy.

Verducci had announced his retirement from coaching on May 27, 1960, effective at the end of the 1960 season. He remained at San Francisco State as athletic director. College President

Glenn S. Dumke named Vic Rowen, line coach for the previous six seasons, as his successor.[18]
In eleven years under Verducci, the Gators had a record of 74–31, for a winning percentage of .704. Verducci's teams won the conference title six times.

The Rowen era

Vic Rowen coached the team for the next 29 seasons. Under Rowen the Gators compiled a record of 130–165–10, a .443 winning percentage. His teams won the conference championship five times (1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, & 1967), and they appeared in one bowl game during his tenure (the 1967 Camellia Bowl).

The 1985 season showed promise behind quarterback Rich Strasser, who was described by the coach of the opposing

Cal Lutheran, the combination of Strasser and receiver Ron Teitel could not overcome the clock in the final seconds, but managed to impress the Los Angeles Times staff writer nonetheless.[20]

After Rowen

Post-Gazette.[22]

Following Hamilton, Creehan, and Rowan as the fourth coach in as many years was Dick Mannini, announced for the position on July 21, 1992.

St. Mary's Gaels from 1977–1983.[23] He coached the Gators for their final three seasons until president Robert A. Corrigan killed the program on March 8, 1995.[24]

San Francisco State Football did not have a winning season after 1973, and only a single winning season after 1967; but they won eight conference titles between 1954 and 1967 and had a run of 11 straight winning seasons.[25]

Head coaches

Tenure Coach Years Record Pct.
1931–1934 Dave Cox 4 8–19–4 .323
1935–1938 Dan Farmer & Hal Hardin (co-coaches) 4 7–19–3 .293
1939–1941 Dick Boyle 3 7–13–3 .369
1942 Ray Kaufman 1/2 0–4 .000
1942, 1945 Dan Farmer 1 1/2 0–4 .000
1946–1949 Dick Boyle 4 7–13–3 .397
1950–1960 Joe Verducci 11 74–31 .704
1961–1989 Vic Rowen 29 120–163–10 .427
1990 Dennis Creehan 1 4–7 .363
1991 Harold Hamilton 1 3–7 .300
1992–1994 Dick Mannini 3 6–22 .214
Totals 11 coaches 62 236–302–23[26] .441

Records

Bowl results

Date Bowl Location W/L Opponent PF PA
December 5, 1948 Fruit Bowl
San Francisco, California
 L Southern 0 30
November 27, 1950 Pear Bowl Medford, Oregon L Lewis & Clark 7 61
December 9, 1967 Camellia Bowl Sacramento, California L
San Diego State
 6 27
Total 3 bowl games 0–3 13 118

Gators in the pros

In the NFL

Main article:
List of San Francisco State Gators in the NFL Draft

San Francisco State University has 14 alumni who were drafted into the National Football League.[27] Among those drafted into the NFL, Floyd Peters would go on to become a standout defensive tackle for the Baltimore Colts, earning a bid to the Pro Bowl three times. Likewise, Elmer Collett had a ten-year career with the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Baltimore Colts, making it to the Pro Bowl in the 1969 season.

Another NFL figure,

1969. Baird was a part of the Jets team that played in Super Bowl III in 1969 that defeated a heavily favored NFL Baltimore Colts team to give the AFL their first (and the Jets to date only) Super Bowl
victory.

Several NFL coaches were on the staff of San Francisco State. Dirk Koetter, former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was the Gators' offensive coordinator in 1985 and Andy Reid, current head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and former head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, was the Gators' offensive line coach from 1983-1985.[28]

  • Carl Kammerer did his undergraduate work at College of the Pacific, but his graduate work at San Francisco State while a player for the San Francisco 49ers.

In other professional leagues

In addition to the players that competed in the NFL, there have been several former Gators that have made careers in other professional football leagues. Former Gator

Edmonton Eskimos,[30] while Ken Hailey played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.[31]

References

  1. ^ "Color System | Identity System | San Francisco State University". Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  2. ^ Fool, Betting (March 9, 2004). "Local sports disappearing, Bay Area pros can help". SF Gate. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  3. ^ "Dave Cox Resigns as Staters Coach". Berkeley Daily Gazette. August 31, 1935. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  4. ^ "Golden Gaters to Meet Chico State". Berkeley Daily Gazette. October 13, 1939. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  5. ^ "State Backfield Chosen for Game". Berkeley Daily Gazette. October 10, 1935. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  6. ^ "Schools to Honor Coach". Berkeley Daily Gazette. October 16, 1940. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  7. ^ "Dick Boyle Named S.F. State Mentor". Berkeley Daily Gazette. October 15, 1938. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  8. ^ "Staters to Face Air Corps Eleven". Berkeley Daily Gazette. September 9, 1940. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  9. ^ "Alumnus Is Named Head Football Coach at S.F. State". San Jose Evening News. United Press. June 2, 1942. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  10. ^ "Dan Farmer Named to Succeed Ray Kaufman". Berkeley Daily Gazette. October 27, 1942. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  11. ^ "'Deadman' Trick Play Outlawed in West". The Pittsburgh Press. January 12, 1948. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  12. ^ "Jaguar Cats Win Fruit Bowl Game". The New York Times. December 5, 1948. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  13. ^ "Deaths (Part 2 of 2)". The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana). August 29, 2006. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  14. ^ "Saint Mary's Bowl History". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 13 December 2010. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
  15. ^ a b "Joe Verducci Named Grid Coach for the Gaels". Warsaw Daily Union. April 2, 1948. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  16. ^ "Pear Bowl Game Set at Medford". The Bulletin. November 21, 1950. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  17. ^ "Humboldt Sore Over Selection". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 16, 1960. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  18. ^ "Verducci to Retire". Eugene Register-Guard. May 27, 1960. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  19. ^ "Strasser Worries Broncos, Malley calls him Division II Flutie". San Jose Mercury News. November 2, 1985. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  20. ^ Henson, Steve (September 28, 1985). "Strasser-Teitel Show Still Gets Rave Reviews". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  21. ^ "Steelers hire ex-Pitt coach". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. March 10, 1990. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  22. ^ Bouchette, Ed (March 14, 1990). "Creehan: Newspapers ruined me". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  23. ^ a b "New SFSU Coach". Lodi News-Sentinel. July 22, 1992. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  24. ^ Leef, Ralph (March 10, 1995). "MANDATES KILLED SF STATE FOOTBALL". Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  25. ^ Curtis, Jake (March 9, 1995). "Long-Time SF State Coach 'Heartbroken' At Demise of Football". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  26. ^ "San Francisco St. (CA) Records by Year". Archived from the original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  27. ^ "National Football League: NFL Draft History – by School". NFL.com. Retrieved June 12, 2011.
  28. ^ "Peter King Monday Morning QB: Raider-Cowboy dream". mmqb.si.com. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  29. ^ "Continental Football League (1965–1969)". Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  30. ^ "1993 Jogo CFL Football Cards". Ab D. Cards. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  31. ^ "1985 Jogo CFL Football Cards". Ab D. Cards. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
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