Moon Ducote
Encyclopedia
Richard Joseph "Moon" Ducote (August 28, 1897 – March 26, 1937) was an American baseball
, football
, and basketball
coach, football and baseball player, football official
, and businessman. He served as the head football coach at Loyola University of New Orleans from 1924 to 1925 and at Spring Hill College
for five non-consecutive years between 1919 and 1934. Ducote was the head baseball and basketball coach at Louisiana State University
in 1924. He played minor league baseball with the Mobile Bears
, Portsmouth Truckers
, and Charlotte Hornets
. In 1920, he played with the Cleveland Tigers of the American Professional Football Association
.
on August 28, 1897. Later a resident of Mobile, Alabama
, Ducote attended Auburn University
, where he played on the football team
under Mike Donahue
, primarily as a fullback
, but also as a guard
and end from 1916 to 1917. He was named to the All-Southern Conference
team as an end in 1916 and as a fullback in 1917. At Auburn, he was known for his skill at drop kick
ing. In the 1917 game against , Ducote kicked a 40-yard field goal
off of his football helmet
in the mud, which proved the only points in the 3–0 Auburn victory. The maneuver prompted a rule that stated the ball must be kicked directly off the ground. In 1933, Mike Donahue
and Dr. John O. Rush published their choice for the "All-Time Auburn Football Team" in the Mobile Press-Register, which named Ducote as the fullback. Donahue noted that Ducote was "undoubtedly the best ever" according to The Tuscaloosa News
.
(later renamed the National Football League). From 1919 to 1921, he played minor league baseball with the Mobile Bears
in the Southern Association
. In 1923, he played for the Portsmouth Truckers
of the Virginia League
, and from 1925 to 1926, he played for the Charlotte Hornets
of the South Atlantic League
. During this time, he would spend the winters in New Orleans, where he served as a college football coach outside of the baseball season.
hired Ducote as its football coach in December 1918. He returned to the position for the 1921 season, a post he held through 1922. Ducote spent one season as head coach for the basketball and baseball teams
at Louisiana State University
. In basketball, he coached the Tigers to a 8–12 finish during the 1923–24 season. Ducote led the LSU baseball team to a 4–9 record in 1924.
The Loyola University of New Orleans hired Ducote as its head football coach for the 1924 season. In the opener, Bo McMillin
's Centenary routed Loyola, 51–0. Later in the year, the Wolves held Oglethorpe, the eventual Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
champions, to a 13–13 tie. Loyola finished the season with a 3–4–2 record. Before the 1925 season, SIAA officials ruled several Loyola players ineligible to compete, including 14 first-string players. After losing four of their first five games, Loyola left the SIAA and put the previously disallowed players back into action. The Wolves finished with a 2–7 record.
On January 9, 1926, he played as a member of the Southern All-Stars, which lost an exhibition game, 14–0, to the Red Grange
-led Chicago Bears
. In the late 1920s, Ducote was the vice president and general manager of the Nu-Way Cleansing Service.
In December 1932, Spring Hill College rehired Ducote as its head football coach. He resigned on June 1, 1935. From 1929 to 1934, he worked as a football official
in the Southern Conference and Southeastern Conference
, including as a linesman, umpire, and referee. Ducote helped officiate the 1935 Rose Bowl
as the field judge.
The Loyola University of New Orleans rehired Ducote as an assistant football and basketball coach in March 1935. He rejoined the football staff as the backfield coach. Ducote also served as Loyola's athletic director
, a role he from August 1936 until his death. On September 2, 1935, he was elected chairman of the Southern Football Officials' Association.
In March 1937, he was hospitalized in New Orleans for several weeks with high blood pressure and was considered to be in critical condition. He died in the hospital on March 26, 1937 at the age of 39.
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...
, football
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...
coach, football and baseball player, football official
Official (American football)
In American football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.During professional and college football games, seven officials operate on the field...
, and businessman. He served as the head football coach at Loyola University of New Orleans from 1924 to 1925 and at Spring Hill College
Spring Hill College
Spring Hill College is a private, Roman Catholic Jesuit liberal arts college in the United States. It was founded in 1830 on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, by Most Rev. Michael Portier, Bishop of Mobile, Alabama...
for five non-consecutive years between 1919 and 1934. Ducote was the head baseball and basketball coach at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in 1924. He played minor league baseball with the Mobile Bears
Mobile Bears
The Mobile Bears were an American minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama. The franchise was a member of the old Southern Association, a high-level circuit that folded after the 1961 season. Mobile joined the SA in 1908 as the Sea Gulls, but changed its name to the Bears in 1918, and...
, Portsmouth Truckers
Portsmouth Truckers
The Portsmouth Truckers were a Virginia League baseball team based in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA that existed on-and-off from 1895 to 1928. They also played in the Piedmont League in 1935, when they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs....
, and Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
. In 1920, he played with the Cleveland Tigers of the American Professional Football Association
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...
.
Early life
Ducote was born in Cottonport, LouisianaCottonport, Louisiana
Cottonport is a town in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,316 at the 2000 census.-History:Cottonport was founded in the early 19th century and incorporated in 1888 along the banks of Bayou Rouge . In the 19th century, large boats made their way through Cottonport with...
on August 28, 1897. Later a resident of Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Ducote attended Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
, where he played on the football team
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
under Mike Donahue
Mike Donahue
Michael Joseph "Iron Mike" Donahue was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, baseball, tennis, track, soccer, and golf, and a college athletics administrator...
, primarily as a fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, but also 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....
and end from 1916 to 1917. He was named to the All-Southern Conference
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
team as an end in 1916 and as a fullback in 1917. At Auburn, he was known for his skill at drop kick
Drop kick
A drop kick is a type of kick in various codes of football. It involves a player dropping the ball and then kicking it when it bounces off the ground. It contrasts to a punt, wherein the player kicks the ball without letting it hit the ground first....
ing. In the 1917 game against , Ducote kicked a 40-yard field goal
Field goal
A field goal is a general term used in some sports wherein a goal may be scored either during general play or via some sort of free shot...
off of his football helmet
Football helmet
A football helmet is a protective device used primarily in American football and Canadian football. It consists of a hard plastic top with thick padding on the inside, a face mask made of one or more plastic bars, and a chinstrap. Some players add polycarbonate visors to their helmets, which are...
in the mud, which proved the only points in the 3–0 Auburn victory. The maneuver prompted a rule that stated the ball must be kicked directly off the ground. In 1933, Mike Donahue
Mike Donahue
Michael Joseph "Iron Mike" Donahue was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, baseball, tennis, track, soccer, and golf, and a college athletics administrator...
and Dr. John O. Rush published their choice for the "All-Time Auburn Football Team" in the Mobile Press-Register, which named Ducote as the fullback. Donahue noted that Ducote was "undoubtedly the best ever" according to The Tuscaloosa News
The Tuscaloosa News
The Tuscaloosa News is a daily newspaper serving Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, and the surrounding area in west central Alabama.The newspaper is a member of the New York Times Regional Media Group, a subsidiary of the New York Times Company, through the corporate entity of NYT Holdings, Inc., an...
.
Professional playing career
In 1918, he played on the Cleveland Naval Reserve football team. In 1920, he played in one game for the Cleveland Tigers in the American Professional Football AssociationNational 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...
(later renamed the National Football League). From 1919 to 1921, he played minor league baseball with the Mobile Bears
Mobile Bears
The Mobile Bears were an American minor league baseball team based in Mobile, Alabama. The franchise was a member of the old Southern Association, a high-level circuit that folded after the 1961 season. Mobile joined the SA in 1908 as the Sea Gulls, but changed its name to the Bears in 1918, and...
in the Southern Association
Southern Association
The Southern Association was a higher-level minor league in American organized baseball from 1901 through 1961. For most of its existence, the Southern Association was two steps below the Major Leagues; it was graded Class A , Class A1 and Class AA...
. In 1923, he played for the Portsmouth Truckers
Portsmouth Truckers
The Portsmouth Truckers were a Virginia League baseball team based in Portsmouth, Virginia, USA that existed on-and-off from 1895 to 1928. They also played in the Piedmont League in 1935, when they were affiliated with the Chicago Cubs....
of the Virginia League
Virginia League
The Virginia League was a minor league baseball affiliation which operated in Virginia and North Carolina from 1906 to 1928. It was classified as a "C" league from 1906 to 1919 and as a "B" league from 1920 to 1928....
, and from 1925 to 1926, he played for the Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (baseball)
The Charlotte Hornets was the name of an American minor league baseball franchise based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The club was originally founded in 1901, and lasted in some form until 1973, capturing 11 league titles during its history...
of the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
. During this time, he would spend the winters in New Orleans, where he served as a college football coach outside of the baseball season.
Coaching career
Spring Hill CollegeSpring Hill College
Spring Hill College is a private, Roman Catholic Jesuit liberal arts college in the United States. It was founded in 1830 on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, by Most Rev. Michael Portier, Bishop of Mobile, Alabama...
hired Ducote as its football coach in December 1918. He returned to the position for the 1921 season, a post he held through 1922. Ducote spent one season as head coach for the basketball and baseball teams
LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference...
at Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
. In basketball, he coached the Tigers to a 8–12 finish during the 1923–24 season. Ducote led the LSU baseball team to a 4–9 record in 1924.
The Loyola University of New Orleans hired Ducote as its head football coach for the 1924 season. In the opener, Bo McMillin
Bo McMillin
Alvin Nugent "Bo" McMillin was an American football player and coach, who served at both the collegiate and professional levels. He played college football at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, where was a three-time All-American at quarterback, and led the Centre Praying Colonels to a...
's Centenary routed Loyola, 51–0. Later in the year, the Wolves held Oglethorpe, the eventual Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
champions, to a 13–13 tie. Loyola finished the season with a 3–4–2 record. Before the 1925 season, SIAA officials ruled several Loyola players ineligible to compete, including 14 first-string players. After losing four of their first five games, Loyola left the SIAA and put the previously disallowed players back into action. The Wolves finished with a 2–7 record.
On January 9, 1926, he played as a member of the Southern All-Stars, which lost an exhibition game, 14–0, to the Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
-led Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the late 1920s, Ducote was the vice president and general manager of the Nu-Way Cleansing Service.
In December 1932, Spring Hill College rehired Ducote as its head football coach. He resigned on June 1, 1935. From 1929 to 1934, he worked as a football official
Official (American football)
In American football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.During professional and college football games, seven officials operate on the field...
in the Southern Conference and Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
, including as a linesman, umpire, and referee. Ducote helped officiate the 1935 Rose Bowl
1935 Rose Bowl
The 1935 Rose Bowl was the 21st Rose Bowl game, an American post-season college football game that was played on New Year's Day 1935 in Pasadena, California. It featured the Alabama Crimson Tide against the...
as the field judge.
The Loyola University of New Orleans rehired Ducote as an assistant football and basketball coach in March 1935. He rejoined the football staff as the backfield coach. Ducote also served as Loyola'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...
, a role he from August 1936 until his death. On September 2, 1935, he was elected chairman of the Southern Football Officials' Association.
In March 1937, he was hospitalized in New Orleans for several weeks with high blood pressure and was considered to be in critical condition. He died in the hospital on March 26, 1937 at the age of 39.