Jeff Cravath
| Sport(s) | Football |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
January 3, 1903 Breckenridge, Colorado |
| Died | December 10, 1953 (aged 50) Calexico, California |
| Playing career | |
| 1924–1926 | USC |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1927–1928 | USC (assistant) |
| 1929–1931 | Denver |
| 1932 | Chaffey College (assistant) |
| 1933–1940 | USC (assistant) |
| 1941 | San Francisco |
| 1942–1950 | USC |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 74–43–9 |
| Bowls | 2–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4 PCC (1943–1945, 1947) | |
Newell Jefferson "Jeff" Cravath (February 3, 1903 – December 10, 1953) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach the University of Denver from 1929 to 1931, at the University of San Francisco in 1941, and at the University of Southern California (USC) from 1942 to 1950, compiling a career college football record of 74–43–9. In nine seasons under Cravath, the USC Trojans football team compiled a 54–28–8 record, won four Pacific Coast Conference titles, and made four appearances in the Rose Bowl Game. Cravath introduced the T formation to the USC program.
Cravath was born in Breckenridge, Colorado. His mother died in childbirth and his father died is when he was six. Cravath was raised by his maternal grandparents, Augustus and Kate Cravath, of Santa Ana, California, as well as his uncle, Major League Baseball outfielder Gavvy Cravath, and grandparents in Kansas. Jeff was a nickname given to him when he was very young as he was a "fighter" like James J. Jeffries. He was called "little Jeffries".
Cravath graduated from Santa Ana High School in Santa Ana, California, and entered the University of Southern California, starring as a center on the football team from 1924 to 1926. Among his teammates were John Wayne and Ward Bond. Cravath also became a Sigma Chi member at USC. In his senior year, in which he was team captain, USC began its intersectional rivalry with Notre Dame. The team finished 8–2, with losses to Stanford and Notre Dame both coming by 13–12 scores. All-American teammate Jesse Hibbs later noted, "I played with Jeff the year we opened the series against Notre Dame. He should have been made All-America center. That year the Notre Dame center [Bud Boeringer] made the team and Jeff completely outplayed him. He was a champ on and off the field." Cravath went on to play in the January 1927 East–West Shrine Game.
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