Earle Bruce
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
March 8, 1931 Cumberland, Maryland |
| Playing career | |
| 1951 | Ohio State |
| Position(s) | Running back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1953–1955 | Mansfield HS (OH) (assistant) |
| 1956–1959 | Salem HS (OH) |
| 1960–1963 | Sandusky HS (OH) |
| 1964–1965 | Massillon Washington HS (OH) |
| 1966–1971 | Ohio State (assistant) |
| 1972 | Tampa |
| 1973–1978 | Iowa State |
| 1979–1987 | Ohio State |
| 1988 | Northern Iowa |
| 1989–1992 | Colorado State |
| 1994 | Cleveland Thunderbolts |
| 1995–1996 | St. Louis Stampede |
| 2003 | Iowa Barnstormers |
| 2004 | Columbus Destroyers |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 154–90–2 (college) 82–12–3 (high school) 19–25 (AFL) |
| Bowls | 7–5 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4 Big Ten (1979, 1981, 1984, 1986) | |
| Awards | |
|
AFCA Coach of the Year (1979) Big Ten Coach of the Year (1979) |
|
|
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2002 (profile) |
|
Earle Bruce (born March 8, 1931) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Tampa (1972), Iowa State University (1973–1978), Ohio State University (1979–1987), the University of Northern Iowa (1988), and Colorado State University (1989–1992), compiling a career college football record of 154–90–2. At Ohio State, Bruce was the successor to the legendary Woody Hayes, and won four Big Ten Conference titles. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2002. Bruce returned to coaching in 2003 to helm the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League for a season and also guided the Columbus Destroyers the following year.
Bruce was recruited as a fullback at the Ohio State University by head coach Wes Fesler. He played on the OSU freshman team in 1950, but before he could join the varsity team in 1951 he suffered a torn meniscus, ending his football career. Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes asked Bruce to join the coaching staff, which he did until his graduation in 1953. He was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity while attending Ohio State.
Bruce accumulated a collegiate coaching record of 154–90–2 with five different universities. Preceding that, Bruce was one of the most successful high school football coaches in Ohio history, accumulating a record of 82–12–3 in 10 seasons of head coaching positions with three Ohio high schools. He led four different college teams to bowl games, where he had a 7–5 record.
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