Wayne Hardin
Encyclopedia
Irving Wayne Hardin is a former American football
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the United States Naval Academy
from 1959 to 1964 and at Temple University
from 1970 to 1982, compiling a career college football
record 118–74–5. Hardin led Navy
to appearances in the 1961 Orange Bowl
and the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1964, and coached two Midshipmen to the Heisman Trophy
, Joe Bellino
in 1960 and Roger Staubach
in 1963. After leaving Navy, Hardin coached the Philadelphia Bulldogs of the Continental Football League
, leading the team to a championship in 1966.
and attended high school in Stockton, California
. He played college football at the College of the Pacific under Hall of Fame
coach Amos Alonzo Stagg
and his successor, Larry Siemering
. Hardin won 11 varsity letters at Pacific before he graduated in 1950. He was inducted into the College of the Pacific's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
After serving as a student assistant coach in 1949 at Pacific, Hardin began his professional coaching career in 1950 at Ceres High School in Ceres, California
. There he coached football and basketball
. Hardin returned to his alma mater, Pacific, in 1952 as the backfield coach under Ernie Jorge. He then moved on to Porterville College
, a community college in Porterville, California
, where in two seasons as head football coach, 1952 and 1953, he tallied a mark of 9–8. In 1955, Hardin was hired as an assistant football coach at the United States Naval Academy
under Eddie Erdelatz
.
From 1959 to 1964, Hardin was the head coach at Navy, where he compiled a 38–22–2 record. His Navy teams posted five consecutive wins against archrival Army
, a feat not surpassed until 2007 when Paul Johnson
's Navy squad won their sixth consecutive contest in the Army–Navy Game. Hardin coached Navy's two winners of the Heisman Trophy
, Joe Bellino
, who received the award in 1960
, and Roger Staubach
, who did so in 1963
.
Hardin was the head coach at Temple from 1970 to 1982, where he compiled an 80–50–3 record. His 80 wins are the most in school history. Hardin coached numerous future professional players at Temple including New York Jets
defensive lineman Joe Klecko
, Pittsburgh Steelers
tight end
Randy Grossman
, Kansas City Chiefs
cornerback
Kevin Ross, San Diego Chargers
linebacker
Bill Singletary, and New York Jets quarterback
Steve Joachim
, who won the Maxwell Award
in 1974 playing for the Owls. Under Hardin, Temple's school-record 14-game winning streak over two seasons from 1973 into 1974 was the longest Division I winning streak at the time.
Hardin's 1979 squad was the most successful in Temple football's history. The team went 10–2 and finished the season ranked #17 in both major polls, the only Temple team to finish a campaign ranked. The 1979 team concluded their season with a victory in the Garden State Bowl
over heavily favored Cal
. Temple did not return to a bowl game
until the 2009 season
.
Hardin's career college record was 118–74–5.
for the Baltimore Colts
.
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 the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
from 1959 to 1964 and at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
from 1970 to 1982, 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 118–74–5. Hardin led Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
to appearances in the 1961 Orange Bowl
1961 Orange Bowl
The 1961 edition to the Orange Bowl featured the fifth ranked Missouri Tigers and the fourth ranked Navy Midshipmen.Navy jumped to a 6-0 lead with a 98-yard fumble return for a touchdown. But Missouri answered when Norm Beal intercepted Navy’s Hal Spooner, rumbling down the sideline for a 90-yard...
and the Cotton Bowl Classic in 1964, and coached two Midshipmen to the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, Joe Bellino
Joe Bellino
Joseph Michael Bellino is a former American football halfback in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1960.-Early life:...
in 1960 and Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
in 1963. After leaving Navy, Hardin coached the Philadelphia Bulldogs of the Continental Football League
Continental Football League
The Continental Football League was a professional minor American football league that operated in North America from 1965 through 1969. It was established following the collapse of the original United Football League, and hoped to become the major force in professional football outside of the...
, leading the team to a championship in 1966.
Early life and playing career
Hardin was born in Smackover, ArkansasSmackover, Arkansas
Smackover is a city in Union County, Arkansas. According to the 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city stands at 1,929.The name Smackover comes from an anglicization of the French "Sumac Couvert" which translates to "covered in sumac"...
and attended high school in Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
. He played college football at the College of the Pacific under 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...
coach Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football...
and his successor, Larry Siemering
Larry Siemering
Lawrence Edwin Siemering was an American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of San Francisco and professionally in the NFL with the Boston Redskins in 1935 and 1936...
. Hardin won 11 varsity letters at Pacific before he graduated in 1950. He was inducted into the College of the Pacific's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
Coaching career
Ceres, California
Ceres is a city in Stanislaus County, California, United States. The population was 45,417 at the 2010 census, up from 34,609 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Modesto Metropolitan Statistical Area.-General:...
. There he coached 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...
. Hardin returned to his alma mater, Pacific, in 1952 as the backfield coach under Ernie Jorge. He then moved on to Porterville College
Porterville College
Porterville College, established in 1927, is a community college located in Porterville, California.-External links:**...
, a community college in Porterville, California
Porterville, California
Porterville is a city in the San Joaquin Valley, in Tulare County, California, United States. Porterville's population was 54,165 at the 2010 census. The city's population grew dramatically as the city annexed many properties and unincorporated areas in and around Porterville. Not included in the...
, where in two seasons as head football coach, 1952 and 1953, he tallied a mark of 9–8. In 1955, Hardin was hired as an assistant football coach at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
under Eddie Erdelatz
Eddie Erdelatz
Eddie Erdelatz was an American collegiate and Professional Football player and coach who was the head football coach of the U.S. Naval Academy for nine years, as well as holding the distinction of being the first head coach of the American Football League's Oakland Raiders.Erdelatz's mother died...
.
From 1959 to 1964, Hardin was the head coach at Navy, where he compiled a 38–22–2 record. His Navy teams posted five consecutive wins against archrival Army
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946....
, a feat not surpassed until 2007 when Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson (American football coach)
Paul Johnson is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology, a position he has held since the 2008 season. Previously, Johnson served as the head coach at Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001 and at the United States Naval Academy...
's Navy squad won their sixth consecutive contest in the Army–Navy Game. Hardin coached Navy's two winners of the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
, Joe Bellino
Joe Bellino
Joseph Michael Bellino is a former American football halfback in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1960.-Early life:...
, who received the award in 1960
1960 Navy Midshipmen football team
The 1960 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 1960 college football season. The offense scored 262 points while the defense allowed 103 points. Led by head coach Wayne Hardin, the Midshipmen finished the season with nine wins and an appearance in the...
, and Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
, who did so in 1963
1963 Navy Midshipmen football team
The 1963 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 1963 college football season.-Season:Quarterback Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy and the Maxwell Award while leading the Midshipmen to a 9-1 regular season record and a final ranking of #2 in the nation....
.
Hardin was the head coach at Temple from 1970 to 1982, where he compiled an 80–50–3 record. His 80 wins are the most in school history. Hardin coached numerous future professional players at Temple including New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
defensive lineman Joe Klecko
Joe Klecko
Joseph Edward Klecko is a former American football player as a defensive lineman best remembered for his days as a member of the New York Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange."-Temple University Owls:...
, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Randy Grossman
Randy Grossman
Curt Randy Grossman is a former professional American football player who played tight end for eight seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League.-Early life:...
, Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Kevin Ross, San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Bill Singletary, and New York Jets quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Steve Joachim
Steve Joachim
Steve Joachim was an American football player. He won the 1974 Maxwell Award and would play professionally with the New York Jets. He grew up in Havertown, PA and played High School Football at Haverford High School....
, who won the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
in 1974 playing for the Owls. Under Hardin, Temple's school-record 14-game winning streak over two seasons from 1973 into 1974 was the longest Division I winning streak at the time.
Hardin's 1979 squad was the most successful in Temple football's history. The team went 10–2 and finished the season ranked #17 in both major polls, the only Temple team to finish a campaign ranked. The 1979 team concluded their season with a victory in the Garden State Bowl
Garden State Bowl
The Garden State Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from 1978 to 1981...
over heavily favored Cal
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
. Temple did not return to a bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
until the 2009 season
2009 Temple Owls football team
The 2009 Temple Owls football team represented Temple University in the college 2009 football season. They competed in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision . Temple competed as a member of the Mid-American Conference East Division...
.
Hardin's career college record was 118–74–5.
After coaching
Hardin also spent time as a color commentator for CBS SportsCBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
for the Baltimore Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
College