Eugene Oberst
Encyclopedia
Eugene G. "Gene" Oberst (July 23, 1901 – May 30, 1991) was an American football
player, track and field
athlete, coach of football and basketball
, and college athletics administrator. A native of Owensboro, Kentucky
, he played football at the University of Notre Dame
in the 1920s under coach Knute Rockne
, and competed in track and field as a javelin throw
er. He won the Olympic bronze medal
at the 1924 Summer Games
in Paris
. Oberst served as the head football coach at Washington and Lee University
(1929–1930), Canisius College
(1931–1932), and John Carroll University
(1946), compiling a career college football
record of 9–25–5. He was also the head basketball coach at John Carroll during the 1945–46 season, tallying mark of 4–11, and the school's athletic director
from 1947 to 1951.
from 1920 to 1923, wearing uniform No. 30 . He was one of Notre Dame's "Seven Mules," the offensive linemen who blocked for the team's legendary Four Horsemen in the 1920s. Oberst's teammates also included halfback George Gipp
.
As the possibly apocryphal story goes, Oberst was walking by a Notre Dame track and field practice one day when a javelin
landed nearby. He picked it up and threw it far beyond the original thrower. Rockne, who coached track and field as well as football, saw the toss, and drafted Oberst on the spot . Oberst was the 1921 NCAA javelin champion, with a throw of 191' 2" (58.27 m). At the 1924 Penn Relays
, Oberst's throw of 196' 2 5/8" (59.80 m) beat the meet record by more than 8 feet . Oberst had a disappointing performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Cambridge, Massachusetts
, finishing in 5th place with a throw of 180' 3" (54.94 m) . The U.S. Olympic Committee
added Oberst to the Olympic team, anyway, because of his better results at previous meets. The Olympic Trials winner, William Neufeld
of UC Berkeley
went on to finish fifth at the Olympics.
In Paris, Oberst's throw of 58.35 m won him the bronze medal, behind the defending Olympic champion, Jonni Myyrä
of Finland (62.96 m) and Gunnar Lindström
of Sweden (60.92 m). Oberst was the first American to win an Olympic medal in the javelin throw, and only seven Americans have medaled since, most notably Babe Didriksen at the 1932 Olympics
in Los Angeles
.
Oberst's Notre Dame football teammate Tom Lieb also made the 1924 U.S. Olympic team, in the discus throw
, and won the bronze medal.
, compiling a 6–11–2 record. In 1931 and 1932, Oberst coached at Canisius College
, where his record was 2–7–3.
Oberst later moved on to John Carroll College, now John Carroll University
, where he finished his career. He was a football line coach for the Blue Streaks from 1936 to 1942. Oberst then served as director of the school's V-12 Navy training program
from 1942 to 1946. He was head basketball
coach during the 1945–46 season, with a 4–11 record , and head football coach in 1946, with a 1–7 record. Oberst also coached the school's track and field team from 1947 to 1948. Finally, Oberst served as John Carroll's athletic director from 1947 to 1951. In 1971, he was inducted into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1976, he was inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. Oberst died in Cleveland in 1991.
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, 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...
athlete, coach of football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and college athletics administrator. A native of Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
, he played football at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
in the 1920s under coach Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
, and competed in track and field as a javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
er. He won the Olympic bronze medal
Bronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the 1924 Summer Games
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Oberst served as the head football coach at Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
(1929–1930), Canisius College
Canisius College
Canisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and...
(1931–1932), and John Carroll University
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
(1946), 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 9–25–5. He was also the head basketball coach at John Carroll during the 1945–46 season, tallying mark of 4–11, and the school's 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...
from 1947 to 1951.
Playing career
Oberst, who was listed at 6' 5" (1.96 m) and 203 lbs (92 kg), was a right tackle for the Fighting IrishNotre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
from 1920 to 1923, wearing uniform No. 30 . He was one of Notre Dame's "Seven Mules," the offensive linemen who blocked for the team's legendary Four Horsemen in the 1920s. Oberst's teammates also included halfback George Gipp
George Gipp
George "The Gipper" Gipp was a college football player who played for the University of Notre Dame. Gipp was selected as Notre Dame's first All-American and is Notre Dame's second consensus All-American , after Gus Dorais. Gipp played multiple positions, most notably halfback, quarterback, and...
.
As the possibly apocryphal story goes, Oberst was walking by a Notre Dame track and field practice one day when a javelin
Javelin
A Javelin is a light spear intended for throwing. It is commonly known from the modern athletic discipline, the Javelin throw.Javelin may also refer to:-Aviation:* ATG Javelin, an American-Israeli civil jet aircraft, under development...
landed nearby. He picked it up and threw it far beyond the original thrower. Rockne, who coached track and field as well as football, saw the toss, and drafted Oberst on the spot . Oberst was the 1921 NCAA javelin champion, with a throw of 191' 2" (58.27 m). At the 1924 Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, Oberst's throw of 196' 2 5/8" (59.80 m) beat the meet record by more than 8 feet . Oberst had a disappointing performance at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, finishing in 5th place with a throw of 180' 3" (54.94 m) . The U.S. Olympic Committee
United States Olympic Committee
The United States Olympic Committee is a non-profit organization that serves as the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States and coordinates the relationship between the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the World Anti-Doping Agency and various...
added Oberst to the Olympic team, anyway, because of his better results at previous meets. The Olympic Trials winner, William Neufeld
William Neufeld
William Neufeld was an American track and field athlete who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics.He was born in Molotschna and died in Riverside, California....
of UC Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
went on to finish fifth at the Olympics.
In Paris, Oberst's throw of 58.35 m won him the bronze medal, behind the defending Olympic champion, Jonni Myyrä
Jonni Myyrä
Joonas "Jonni" Myyrä was a Finnish athlete who competed mainly in the javelin throw. At his first Olympics, the 1912 Summer Olympics, he took 8th place in the javelin....
of Finland (62.96 m) and Gunnar Lindström
Gunnar Lindström
Nils Gunnar Lindström was a Swedish athlete who competed mainly in the 1920 Summer Olympics, in the 1924 Summer Olympics, and in the 1928 Summer Olympics in javelin throw....
of Sweden (60.92 m). Oberst was the first American to win an Olympic medal in the javelin throw, and only seven Americans have medaled since, most notably Babe Didriksen at the 1932 Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
Oberst's Notre Dame football teammate Tom Lieb also made the 1924 U.S. Olympic team, in the discus throw
Discus throw
The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
, and won the bronze medal.
Coaching career
After college, Oberst became a coach, teacher, and athletics administrator. In 1926 and 1927, his football teams at Roman Catholic High School won the championships of the Philadelphia Catholic League , with a combined record of 15–3–1. From 1929 to 1930, Oberst coached the Washington and Lee University GeneralsWashington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
, compiling a 6–11–2 record. In 1931 and 1932, Oberst coached at Canisius College
Canisius College
Canisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and...
, where his record was 2–7–3.
Oberst later moved on to John Carroll College, now John Carroll University
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
, where he finished his career. He was a football line coach for the Blue Streaks from 1936 to 1942. Oberst then served as director of the school's V-12 Navy training program
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II...
from 1942 to 1946. He was head basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach during the 1945–46 season, with a 4–11 record , and head football coach in 1946, with a 1–7 record. Oberst also coached the school's track and field team from 1947 to 1948. Finally, Oberst served as John Carroll's athletic director from 1947 to 1951. In 1971, he was inducted into the university's Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1976, he was inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame. Oberst died in Cleveland in 1991.