Francis Schmidt
circa 1920
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| Sport(s) | Football, basketball, baseball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
December 3, 1885 Downs, Kansas |
| Died | September 19, 1944 (aged 58) Spokane, Washington |
| Alma mater | University of Nebraska |
| Playing career | |
| 1905 | Nebraska |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1915–1916 | Kendall (assistant) |
| 1919–1921 | Kendall/Tulsa |
| 1922–1928 | Arkansas |
| 1929–1933 | TCU |
| 1934–1940 | Ohio State |
| 1941–1942 | Idaho |
| Basketball | |
| 1915–1917 | Kendall |
| 1918–1922 | Kendall/Tulsa |
| 1923–1929 | Arkansas |
| 1929–1934 | TCU |
| Baseball | |
| 1923–1929 | Arkansas |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 156–58–11 (football) 258–72 (basketball) 38–64 (baseball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 Oklahoma Intercollegiate (1919–1920) 2 SWC (1929, 1932) 2 Big Ten (1935, 1939) |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1971 (profile) |
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Francis Albert Schmidt (December 3, 1885 – September 19, 1944) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Tulsa (1919–1921), the University of Arkansas (1922–1928), Texas Christian University (1929–1933), The Ohio State University (1934–1940), and the University of Idaho (1941–1942), compiling a career record of 156–58–11 (.718).
Schmidt's teams were known for trick plays involving multiple laterals and non-standard tackle-eligible, and even guard-eligible, formations. The press labeled Schmidt's approach as the "razzle-dazzle offense." Because Schmidt's teams were known for high scoring, the media nicknamed him Francis "Close the Gates of Mercy" Schmidt. Schmidt was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1971. Schmidt also served as the head basketball coach at Tulsa (1915–1917, 1918–1922), Arkansas (1923–1929), and Texas Christian (1929–1934), compiling a career record of 258–72 (.782), and the head baseball coach at Arkansas (1923–1929), tallying a mark of 38–64.
Schmidt was born in Downs, Kansas, and played college football at the University of Nebraska. He earned a varsity letter with the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1905 and received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Law a few years later.
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