Harry Mehre
Encyclopedia
Harry J. Mehre was an American football
and basketball
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Georgia
(1928–1937) and the University of Mississippi
(1938–1945), compiling a career college football
record of 98–60–7. Mehre also served as the head coach of the Minneapolis Marines of the NFL
in 1923, tallying a mark of 4–5–2.
Mehre attended the University of Notre Dame
and played center on both the football
and basketball
teams (serving as co-captain
for the 1919–1920 basketball team and captain of the 1920–1921 team). He graduated in 1922 and played in that year and in 1923 with the Minneapolis Marines, also serving as head coach in 1923. Mehre was also a football line coach and head basketball coach at the University of St. Thomas
in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In 1924, Mehre came to the University of Georgia
as an assistant coach under George Woodruff
. Upon Woodruff's retirement, Mehre became head coach and compiled a 59–34–6 record over ten years. He also was Georgia's athletic director
. After leaving Georgia, Mehre served as the head coach at the University of Mississippi
from 1938 to 1945, compiling a 39–26–1 record there.
Mehre was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
in 1971. He died in Atlanta in 1978. In 1986, Butts–Mehre Heritage Hall was dedicated on the University of Georgia campus in honor of Mehre and fellow Bulldogs coach Wally Butts
.
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...
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...
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
(1928–1937) and the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
(1938–1945), 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 98–60–7. Mehre also served as the head coach of the Minneapolis Marines of 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...
in 1923, tallying a mark of 4–5–2.
Mehre attended 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...
and played center on both the football
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
and basketball
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
teams (serving as co-captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
for the 1919–1920 basketball team and captain of the 1920–1921 team). He graduated in 1922 and played in that year and in 1923 with the Minneapolis Marines, also serving as head coach in 1923. Mehre was also a football line coach and head basketball coach at the University of St. Thomas
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota)
The University of St. Thomas is a private, Catholic, liberal arts, and archdiocesan university located in St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States...
in St. Paul, Minnesota.
In 1924, Mehre came to the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
as an assistant coach under George Woodruff
George Cecil Woodruff
-Sources: * *-External links:...
. Upon Woodruff's retirement, Mehre became head coach and compiled a 59–34–6 record over ten years. He also was Georgia'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...
. After leaving Georgia, Mehre served as the head coach at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
from 1938 to 1945, compiling a 39–26–1 record there.
Mehre was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame is located in Macon, Georgia. It is the largest state sports hall of fame in America at .-Exhibitions:The Hall of Fame houses over of exhibit space broken down into sections including Hall of Fame Inductees, High School, collegiate sports, Olympic, Paralympic,...
in 1971. He died in Atlanta in 1978. In 1986, Butts–Mehre Heritage Hall was dedicated on the University of Georgia campus in honor of Mehre and fellow Bulldogs coach Wally Butts
Wally Butts
James Wallace "Wally" Butts, Jr. was an American football player and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head coach at the University of Georgia from 1939 to 1960, compiling a record of 140–86–9...
.
College
Sources
- History of the University of Georgia, Thomas Walter Reed, Imprint: Athens, Georgia : University of Georgia, ca.1949, pp.3543-3561
- New Georgia Encyclopedia entry for George Woodruff