Dee Andros
Encyclopedia
Demosthenes Konstandies "Dee" Andrecopoulos (October 17, 1924 – October 22, 2003) was an American football
player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He served as the head football coach at the University of Idaho
from 1962 to 1964 and at Oregon State University
from 1965 to 1975, compiling career college football
record of 62–80–2. A native of Oklahoma
and a World War II
veteran, Andros played college football as a guard
as the University of Oklahoma
. After retiring from coaching, he was the athletic director
at Oregon State from 1976 to 1985.
's Central High School, and then enlisted in the military in 1942. Andros was a veteran of World War II
where he served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps
. He was awarded the Bronze Star
and spent more than a month under heavy fire on the island of Iwo Jima
. He was present at the famed moment when six soldiers raised the American flag on Iwo Jima
.
Andros played college football at Oklahoma
from 1946 to 1949, under hall of fame
head coach Bud Wilkinson
. He was selected in the 14th round (177th overall) by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1950 NFL Draft. Dee's older brother Plato
was an All-American in 1946
at Oklahoma and played four years in the NFL
for the Cardinals.
, Kansas
, Texas Tech
, Nebraska
, California
and Illinois
. While Dee was serving as an assistant, Texas Tech went to the Sun Bowl
and California went to the Rose Bowl in 1959
. He earned his first head coaching position at Idaho
in 1962.
After three seasons on the Palouse
with the Vandals, Andros was hired as the head coach at Oregon State in 1965. He replaced the legendary Tommy Prothro
, who had left for UCLA
. Andros compiled a 51–64–1 record (.409) in his 11 seasons at Oregon State. In the Civil War
games against the Oregon Ducks
, he won his first seven, and was 9–2 overall. Andros was nicknamed "The Great Pumpkin
" for his bright orange jacket and large physical size.
Andros is best known for his incredible 1967 season in which his team, dubbed the "Giant Killers", went 7–2–1. That season, the Beavers, led by quarterback Steve Preece
, beat #2 Purdue
, tied the new #2 UCLA, and then beat #1 USC. But because Oregon State lost to Washington
and tied UCLA, USC won the conference title by a half game and earned a berth to the Rose Bowl
, where they defeated the Big Ten Conference
's Indiana Hoosiers
, 14–3, and won the national title. Oregon State finished with a #7 ranking in the AP Poll
, but did not participate in a bowl game
as the Athletic Association of Western Universities allowed only the conference champion to do so. In 1968, the Beavers were ranked #6 in the pre-season and finishing #15 after a 7–3 campaign. They did not compete in a bowl game, as conference rules prohibited teams from going to any bowl other than the Rose Bowl.
, succeeding Jim Barratt. Andros served in this capacity until the spring of 1985, when he retired. Though retired, Andros continued to serve as a special assistant within the Beaver Athletic Scholarship Fund until health problems forced him to remain at his Corvallis
home. He spent nearly 40 years of his life involved with Oregon State athletics
.
In 1992, his "Giant Killers" team of 1967 was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
. In the spring of 2003, Andros was awarded the Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fifth Annual Bennys celebration at Oregon State. Andros married Luella Andros, and they had one daughter named Jeanna. Andros died on October 22, 2003 at the age of 79 in Corvallis.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, coach, and college athletics administrator in the United States. He served as the head football coach at the University of Idaho
University of Idaho
The University of Idaho is the State of Idaho's flagship and oldest public university, located in the rural city of Moscow in Latah County in the northern portion of the state...
from 1962 to 1964 and at Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
from 1965 to 1975, compiling career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 62–80–2. A native of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
and a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
veteran, Andros played college football as a guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
as the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
. After retiring from coaching, he was the athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Oregon State from 1976 to 1985.
Early life, military service, and playing career
Andros, born Demosthenes Konstandies Andrikoupolos, received his high school education at Oklahoma CityOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
's Central High School, and then enlisted in the military in 1942. Andros was a veteran of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
where he served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He was awarded the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
and spent more than a month under heavy fire on the island of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
. He was present at the famed moment when six soldiers raised the American flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima
Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima is a historic photograph taken on February 23, 1945, by Joe Rosenthal. It depicts five United States Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the flag of the United States atop Mount Suribachi during the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II.The photograph was extremely...
.
Andros played college football at Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
from 1946 to 1949, under hall of fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
head coach Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
. He was selected in the 14th round (177th overall) by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1950 NFL Draft. Dee's older brother Plato
Plato Andros
Plato Gus Andrecopoulos was a former college All-American and professional football player. A 6'0", 240 lbs. guard from the University of Oklahoma, Andros spent four years in the United States Coast Guard fighting German submarines before coming back to earn All-American honors as a Sooner in...
was an All-American in 1946
1946 College Football All-America Team
The 1946 College Football All-America team was composed of college football players selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers...
at Oklahoma and played four years in the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Cardinals.
Coaching career
Andros' coaching career included stops as an assistant at OklahomaOklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks football
The Kansas Jayhawks football program is the intercollegiate football program of the University of Kansas Jayhawks. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big 12 Conference....
, Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders football
Texas Tech Red Raiders football program is a college football team that represents Texas Tech University . The team competes, as a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, Nebraska
Nebraska Cornhuskers football
The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A...
, California
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
and Illinois
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
. While Dee was serving as an assistant, Texas Tech went to the Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
and California went to the Rose Bowl in 1959
1959 Rose Bowl
The 1959 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1959. It was the 45th Rose Bowl Game. The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the , 38–12. Bob Jeter, Iowa's star halfback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game...
. He earned his first head coaching position at Idaho
Idaho Vandals football
The Idaho Vandals are a college football team that represents the University of Idaho. The Vandals currently compete in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I...
in 1962.
After three seasons on the Palouse
Palouse
The Palouse is a region of the northwestern United States, encompassing parts of southeastern Washington, north central Idaho and, in some definitions, extending south into northeast Oregon. It is a major agricultural area, primarily producing wheat and legumes...
with the Vandals, Andros was hired as the head coach at Oregon State in 1965. He replaced the legendary Tommy Prothro
Tommy Prothro
James Thompson "Tommy" Prothro, Jr. was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1955 to 1964 and at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1965 to 1970, compiling a career college football record of 104–55–5...
, who had left for UCLA
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
. Andros compiled a 51–64–1 record (.409) in his 11 seasons at Oregon State. In the Civil War
Civil War (college football game)
The Civil War is the colloquial name for an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oregon Ducks football team of the University of Oregon and the Oregon State Beavers football team of the Oregon State University...
games against the Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
, he won his first seven, and was 9–2 overall. Andros was nicknamed "The Great Pumpkin
The Great Pumpkin
The Great Pumpkin is an imaginary character in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.The Great Pumpkin is a holiday figure that seems to exist only in the imagination of Linus van Pelt. Every year, Linus sits in a pumpkin patch on Halloween night waiting for the Great Pumpkin to appear...
" for his bright orange jacket and large physical size.
Andros is best known for his incredible 1967 season in which his team, dubbed the "Giant Killers", went 7–2–1. That season, the Beavers, led by quarterback Steve Preece
Steve Preece
Steven "Steve" Packer Preece is a former professional football player, a defensive back in the NFL for 9 seasons, from 1969 to 1977.-Early life:...
, beat #2 Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
, tied the new #2 UCLA, and then beat #1 USC. But because Oregon State lost to Washington
Washington Huskies football
College football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
and tied UCLA, USC won the conference title by a half game and earned a berth to the Rose Bowl
1968 Rose Bowl
The 1968 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1968. It was the 54th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Indiana Hoosiers, 14–7. O. J. Simpson, the USC tailback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game.-Teams:...
, where they defeated the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
's Indiana Hoosiers
1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team
The 1967 Indiana Hoosiers football team represented Indiana University in the 1967 college football season.-Schedule:-Team players in the NFL:-Awards and honors:*John Pont, Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year*John Pont, Paul Bear Bryant Award...
, 14–3, and won the national title. Oregon State finished with a #7 ranking in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
, but did not participate in a bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
as the Athletic Association of Western Universities allowed only the conference champion to do so. In 1968, the Beavers were ranked #6 in the pre-season and finishing #15 after a 7–3 campaign. They did not compete in a bowl game, as conference rules prohibited teams from going to any bowl other than the Rose Bowl.
Later life and family
After stepping down as head coach following the 1975 season, Andros was named athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
, succeeding Jim Barratt. Andros served in this capacity until the spring of 1985, when he retired. Though retired, Andros continued to serve as a special assistant within the Beaver Athletic Scholarship Fund until health problems forced him to remain at his Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
home. He spent nearly 40 years of his life involved with Oregon State athletics
Oregon State Beavers
The Oregon State Beavers is a name shared by all sports teams at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The Beavers are part of the Pacific-12 Conference . Oregon State's mascot is Benny the Beaver...
.
In 1992, his "Giant Killers" team of 1967 was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame
The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall...
. In the spring of 2003, Andros was awarded the Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fifth Annual Bennys celebration at Oregon State. Andros married Luella Andros, and they had one daughter named Jeanna. Andros died on October 22, 2003 at the age of 79 in Corvallis.