George Levene
Encyclopedia
Israel George "Izzy" Levene (May 1, 1885 – November 12, 1930) was an American football
player and coach. He served as the head coach
at the University of Tennessee
from 1907 to 1909 and at Wake Forest University
in 1922, compiling a career record of 18–15–5.
at the University of Pennsylvania
, and was named an All-American in 1905
and 1906
. In 1905, Penn went 12–0–1. Levene was known for being a football player who worked hard to help out his team, as well as one of the first good pass catching ends. The forward pass was legalized for the 1906 season
.
at the University of Pennsylvania
.
. In 1922, Levene served as the head coach at Wake Forest. He compiled a 3–5–2 record there.
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 coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
from 1907 to 1909 and at Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
in 1922, compiling a career record of 18–15–5.
Player career
Levene played college footballCollege 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...
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and was named an All-American in 1905
1905 College Football All-America Team
The 1905 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1905 college football season...
and 1906
1906 College Football All-America Team
The 1906 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams for the 1906 college football season...
. In 1905, Penn went 12–0–1. Levene was known for being a football player who worked hard to help out his team, as well as one of the first good pass catching ends. The forward pass was legalized for the 1906 season
1906 college football season
The 1906 college football season was the first in which the forward pass was permitted. Although there was no national championship, there were two teams that had won all nine of their games as the 1906 season drew to a close, the Princeton Tigers and the Yale Bulldogs, and on November 17, 1906,...
.
Assistant coaching career
Levene coached under head coach John HeismanJohn Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
.
Head coaching career
During his three year tenure at Tennessee, Levene compiled a 15–10–3 record. His best season came in 1907, when his team went 7–2–1. His worst season came in 1909, when his team went 1–6–2, with the one win coming against Transylvania UniversityTransylvania University
Transylvania University is a private, undergraduate liberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, affiliated with the Christian Church . The school was founded in 1780. It offers 38 majors, and pre-professional degrees in engineering and accounting...
. In 1922, Levene served as the head coach at Wake Forest. He compiled a 3–5–2 record there.