American Eagles
| American University Eagles | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| University | American University |
| Conference | Patriot League |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletic director | Billy Walker |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Varsity teams | 14 (6 men's & 8 women's) |
| Football stadium | Reeves Field |
| Basketball arena | Bender Arena |
| Mascot | Clawed, Z. Eagle |
| Nickname | Eagles |
| Fight song | All hail the mighty AU Eagles! |
| Colors | Blue, White, and Red |
| Website | www |
The American Eagles are the athletics teams that represent the American University in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition. American is a member of the Patriot League in all sports except wrestling, where it is a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. Many of the teams have gone on to win championships over the years, particularly their field hockey, volleyball, and wrestling teams. The team colors are AU red and blue.
American University was founded in 1893, and the first building opened for classes in 1907. But it wasn't until the fall of 1925 that the university organized intercollegiate athletics. The university fielded both a men's and women's basketball team, and a football team. George Springston was appointed Athletic Director (AD) and head coach of the men's basketball team and football team, fielding his first teams in October 1925.
In February 1929, Springston resigned and Walter Young was named his replacement the same day. On October 16, 1931, a new football stadium called "American University Field" was opened. Young resigned as AD on January 30, 1937. He had signaled his intention to resign as AD and head coach of the football and basketball teams in the fall of 1937, but a serious automobile accident in late January prompted him to resign suddenly.
On February 4, 1937, AU announced the hiring of Gus Welch as its Athletic Director. Welch had been a football teammate of legendary player Jim Thorpe at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he was coached by the equally legendary Glenn "Pop" Warner. He had played two years of professional football with the Canton Bulldogs (from 1915 to 1917) prior to his service in World War I. After the war, he was head football coach at Washington State University from 1919 to 1922, head football coach at Randolph Macon College from 1923 to 1929, head football coach at the University of Virginia from 1930 to 1933, and AD and head football coach at Haskell Indian Nations University from 1933 to 1936. Welch provide to be highly popular, even though AU had so few students he could barely field an 11-man football team. He told witty stories to the press, and pulled stunt after stunt to try to get his football team to win. He once tried to play a female student as a place kicker, but referees wouldn't allow it. At least once, he dressed cheerleaders and other students in football uniforms and had them sit on the bench to fool opposing teams into thinking he had a bigger team and more depth that reported. Frustrated with the lack of football recruits, Welch resigned suddenly as coach and AD on December 6, 1938.
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