Robert Zuppke
Zuppke at Illinois, c. 1920
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| Sport(s) | Football |
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| Biographical details | |
| Born |
July 2, 1879 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | December 22, 1957 (aged 78) Champaign, Illinois |
| Alma mater | Milwaukee State |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1906–1909 | Hackley Manual Training (MI) |
| 1910–1912 | Oak Park and River Forest HS |
| 1913–1941 | Illinois |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 131–81–12 (college) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 4 National (1914, 1919, 1923, 1927) 7 Big Ten (1914–1915, 1918–1919, 1923, 1927–1928) |
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| Awards | |
| Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1948) | |
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College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1951 (profile) |
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Robert Carl Zuppke (July 2, 1879 – December 22, 1957) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign from 1913 until 1941, compiling a career college football record of 131–81–12. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, Zuppke coached his teams to national titles in 1914, 1919, 1923, and 1927. Zuppke's teams also won seven Big Ten Conference championships. While at the University of Illinois, Zuppke was a member of the Alpha-Gamma Chapter of Kappa Sigma. Among the players Zuppke coached at Illinois was Red Grange, the era's most celebrated college football player. The field at the University of Illinois's Memorial Stadium is named Zuppke Field in his honor. Zuppke is credited for many football inventions and traditions, including the huddle and the flea flicker.
Prior to coaching at the University of Illinois, Zuppke coached at Muskegon High School in Muskegon, Michigan and Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois, where he tutored future Pro Football Hall of Famer George Trafton. Zuppke led the team to state championships in 1911 and 1912. He had several coaching influences. He used some plays developed by Pop Warner.
Zuppke also was a writer and a fine art painter. From 1930 to 1948, Zuppke wrote the syndicated newspaper strip Ned Brant, drawn by Walt Depew. During the 1930s, Zuppke also wrote syndicated sports-related columns. As a painter, Zuppke was known for his rugged Western landscapes.
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