Hector Cowan

Hector Cowan

Cowan at Princeton during his playing years
Sport(s)	Football
Biographical details
Born	(1863-07-12)July 12, 1863 Hobart, New York
Died	October 19, 1941(1941-10-19) (aged 78) Stamford, New York
Playing career
1885–1889	Princeton
Position(s)	Tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1888	North Carolina
1894–1896	Kansas
Head coaching record
Overall	18–8–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 WIUFA (1895)
Awards
All-American (1889)
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1951 (profile)

Hector William "Hec" Cowan (July 12, 1863 – October 19, 1941) was an American football player and coach, and an ordained Presbyterian minister. He played college football at Princeton University from 1885 to 1889. He was team captain for Princeton and selected to the first College Football All-America Team in 1889. Cowan served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for two games during the 1888 season and at the University of Kansas from 1894 to 1896, compiling a career coaching record of 18–8–1. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1951.

Cowan played football for the Princeton Tigers from 1885 to 1889. While at Princeton, he had several games against William "Pudge" Heffelfinger of Yale who said Cowan had "the strongest shoulders and arms I've ever been up against and his stubby legs drove like pistons when he carried the ball..."

The 1885 season was notable for one of the most celebrated football plays of the 19th century - a 90-yard punt return by Henry "Tillie" Lamar of Princeton in the closing minutes of the game against Yale. In 1889, Princeton was national champion as in '85, and Cowan was selected for the inaugural All-America team.

Cowan was the head football coach at North Carolina for two games in their inaugural season of 1888. He was the school's first paid coach, and changed the style of play in that section in his two weeks spent training the team.