Dick Harlow
Encyclopedia
Richard Cresson "Dick" Harlow (October 19, 1889 – February 19, 1962) was an American football
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Pennsylvania State University
(1915–1917), Colgate University
(1922–1925), Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College
(1926–1934), and Harvard University
(1935–1942, 1945–1947), compiling a career college football
record of 149–69–17. Harlow pioneered modern defensive schemes. Often fielding undersized teams, he pioneered coordinated stunts to get around or between blockers rather than trying to overpower them. His offenses were based on deception and timing rather than power, utilizing shifts, reverses, and lateral passes. Harlow was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1954.
, Harlow attended Pennsylvania State University
. As a tackle
at Penn State, Harlow distinguished himself during the 1910 and 1911 seasons. A two-year letterman, he also was a member of the baseball
and track and field
teams.
, where he coached the football team. After an honorable discharge from the United States Army
, Harlow returned to Penn State in 1919 to assistant Hugo Bezdek
with the football team. Harlow also took charge of boxing at Penn State.
from 1922 to 1925. His overall coaching record at Colgate was 24–9–3. This ranks him seventh at Colgate in terms of total wins and sixth at Colgate in terms of winning percentage.
Coach-of-the-Year. He retired in 1947 with a lifetime record of 149–69–17, and was named to the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame
in 1954.
, the study of birds' eggs. In 1939, he was named curator of oology at the Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology
, and he remained in that position until 1954.
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 and coach. He served as the head football coach at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
(1915–1917), Colgate University
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
(1922–1925), Western Maryland College, now McDaniel College
McDaniel College
McDaniel College is a private four-year liberal arts college in Westminster, Maryland, located 30 miles northwest of Baltimore. The college also has a satellite campus located in Budapest, Hungary. Until July 2002, it was known as Western Maryland College...
(1926–1934), and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
(1935–1942, 1945–1947), compiling a 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 149–69–17. Harlow pioneered modern defensive schemes. Often fielding undersized teams, he pioneered coordinated stunts to get around or between blockers rather than trying to overpower them. His offenses were based on deception and timing rather than power, utilizing shifts, reverses, and lateral passes. Harlow was inducted into the College Football 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...
as a coach in 1954.
Playing career
A native of Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Harlow attended Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
. As a tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
at Penn State, Harlow distinguished himself during the 1910 and 1911 seasons. A two-year letterman, he also was a member of the baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams.
Penn State
Upon graduation from Penn State, Harlow remained with the Nittany Lions football team as an assistant coach for three seasons and was named head coach in 1915. After compiling a 20–8 record in three seasons, Harlow entered the military in 1918. During the fall of 1918, he was stationed at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
, where he coached the football team. After an honorable discharge from the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Harlow returned to Penn State in 1919 to assistant Hugo Bezdek
Hugo Bezdek
Hugo Francis Bezdek was a Czech-American sports figure who played American football and was a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He was the head football coach at the University of Oregon , the University of Arkansas , Penn State University , and Delaware Valley College...
with the football team. Harlow also took charge of boxing at Penn State.
Colgate
Harlow went on to become the 20th head coach at Colgate UniversityColgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York, USA. The school was founded in 1819 as a Baptist seminary and later became non-denominational. It is named for the Colgate family who greatly contributed to the university's endowment in the 19th century.Colgate has 52...
from 1922 to 1925. His overall coaching record at Colgate was 24–9–3. This ranks him seventh at Colgate in terms of total wins and sixth at Colgate in terms of winning percentage.
Western Maryland
Harlow was the head football coach at Western Maryland College from 1926 to 1934.Harvard
In 1935, Harlow became the first non-alumnus ever to coach at Harvard. It was there Harlow was voted Coach-of-the-Year in 1936 and a year later was chosen as the Ivy LeagueIvy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
Coach-of-the-Year. He retired in 1947 with a lifetime record of 149–69–17, and was named to the National Football Foundation College Football 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...
in 1954.
Oology
Harlow was an expert in oologyOology
Oology is a branch of ornithology studying bird eggs, nests and breeding behavior. Oology can also refer to the hobby of collecting wild birds' eggs, sometimes called birdnesting or egging, which is now illegal in many jurisdictions.-As a science:Oology became increasingly popular in Britain and...
, the study of birds' eggs. In 1939, he was named curator of oology at the Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology
Museum of Comparative Zoology
The Museum of Comparative Zoology, full name "The Louis Agassiz Museum of Comparative Zoology", often abbreviated simply to "MCZ", is a zoology museum located on the grounds of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is one of three museums which collectively comprise the Harvard Museum...
, and he remained in that position until 1954.
Head coaching record
See also
- List of presidents of the American Football Coaches Association
- Penn State Nittany Lions football under Dick HarlowPenn State Nittany Lions football under Dick HarlowDick Harlow coached the Penn State Nittany Lions football teams from 1915 to 1917. In his three seasons, he compiled a 20–8 record and a .714 winning percentage. His teams played their home games at New Beaver Field in State College, Pennsylvania.-1915 season:...