John Pont
Sport(s) | Football |
---|---|
Biographical details | |
Born |
Canton, Ohio | November 13, 1927
Died |
July 1, 2008 80) Oxford, Ohio | (aged
Playing career | |
1949–1951 | Miami (OH) |
1952 | Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers |
Position(s) | Halfback |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1953–1955 | Miami (OH) (assistant) |
1956–1962 | Miami (OH) |
1963–1964 | Yale |
1965–1972 | Indiana |
1973–1977 | Northwestern |
1984–1989 | Hamilton HS (OH) |
1990–1992 | Mount St. Joseph |
1990–2004 | ROCBULL (X-League) |
Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
1975–1980 | Northwestern |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 107–141–4 (college) |
Bowls | 0–2 |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
2 MAC (1957–1958) 1 Big Ten (1967) | |
Awards | |
Imperial Oil Trophy (1952) AFCA Coach of the Year (1967) Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1967) Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1967) Sporting News College Football COY (1967) Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1967) | |
John Pont (November 13, 1927 – July 1, 2008) was an American football player and coach. He served as head coach at Miami University, Yale University, Northwestern University and Indiana University. He was the only Indiana University coach to take a team to the Rose Bowl. Later in his career, Pont was recruited to start a football program at Cincinnati's College of Mount St. Joseph. He later served as coach and consultant in creating a semi-professional football league in Japan.[1] He was honored as NCAA Division I-A coach of the year in 1967, the year his Hoosiers appeared in the Rose Bowl. He was a member of the Cradle of Coaches and the Miami and Indiana Athletic Halls of Fame as well as Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.
Pont was born on November 13, 1927 in Canton, Ohio to Bautista and Suzannah Pont.[2] He graduated from Timken High School in Canton. As an undergraduate at Miami University, Pont was an outstanding halfback, playing for coaches Woody Hayes and Ara Parseghian, and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. After a serving a tour as a Navy submariner, Pont played professional football in Canada. He and several of his "Cradle of Coaches" compatriots are the subject of the book Fields of Honor, written by Pont's niece, Sally Pont. Pont died at his home in Oxford, Ohio on July 1, 2008.
Playing career
After playing college football at Miami University, Pont went to Canada and played with Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers of the Ontario Rugby Football Union, where he won the Imperial Oil Trophy as league MVP in 1952.[3]
Head coaching record
College
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Miami Redskins (Mid-American Conference) (1956–1962) | |||||||||
1956 | Miami | 7–1–1 | 4–0–1 | 2nd | |||||
1957 | Miami | 6–3 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
1958 | Miami | 6–3 | 5–0 | 1st | |||||
1959 | Miami | 5–4 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
1960 | Miami | 5–5 | 2–3 | 4th | |||||
1961 | Miami | 6–4 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
1962 | Miami | 8–2–1 | 3–1–1 | 3rd | L Tangerine | ||||
Miami: | 43–22–2 | 25–8–2 | |||||||
Yale Bulldogs (Ivy League) (1963–1964) | |||||||||
1963 | Yale | 6–3 | 4–3 | T–4th | |||||
1964 | Yale | 6–2–1 | 4–2–1 | 3rd | |||||
Yale: | 12–5–1 | 8–5–1 | |||||||
Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten Conference) (1965–1972) | |||||||||
1965 | Indiana | 2–8 | 1–6 | 9th | |||||
1966 | Indiana | 1–8–1 | 1–5–1 | 9th | |||||
1967 | Indiana | 9–2 | 6–1 | T–1st | L Rose | 6 | 4 | ||
1968 | Indiana | 6–4 | 4–3 | T–5th | |||||
1969 | Indiana | 4–6 | 3–4 | T–5th | |||||
1970 | Indiana | 1–9 | 1–6 | T–9th | |||||
1971 | Indiana | 3–8 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
1972 | Indiana | 5–6 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
Indiana: | 31–51–1 | 21–36–1 | |||||||
Northwestern Wildcats (Big Ten Conference) (1973–1977) | |||||||||
1973 | Northwestern | 5–6 | 4–4 | T–4th | |||||
1974 | Northwestern | 2–8 | 2–6 | T–7th | |||||
1975 | Northwestern | 3–8 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
1976 | Northwestern | 1–10 | 1–7 | 10th | |||||
1977 | Northwestern | 1–10 | 1–8 | 10th | |||||
Northwestern: | 12–43 | 10–31 | |||||||
Mount St. Joseph Lions (NAIA Division II independent) (1990–1992) | |||||||||
1990 | Mount St. Joseph | 1–9 | |||||||
1991 | Mount St. Joseph | 4–6 | |||||||
1992 | Mount St. Joseph | 4–5 | |||||||
Mount St. Joseph: | 9–20 | ||||||||
Total: | 107–141–4 | ||||||||
National championship Conference title Conference division title | |||||||||
#Rankings from final Coaches Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll. |
References
- ↑ RICHARD GOLDSTEIN (July 3, 2008). "John Pont, Who Coached Indiana to Rose Bowl, Dies at 80". New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
- ↑ "Legendary Miami Player and Coach John Pont Passes Away". Miami Ohio Official Athletic Site. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ↑ Imps Place 9 on All Stars, Jack Sullivan, Ottawa Citizen, November 15, 1952
External links
- John Pont at the College Football Data Warehouse
- John Pont at Find a Grave
- Cradle of Coaches Archive: A Legacy of Excellence - John Pont, Miami University Libraries
- John Pont Collection, Cradle of Coaches Archive, Miami University Libraries