Hall of Fame
Position: Halfback
Years: 1921-1923
Place of Birth: Lansing, MI
Date of Birth: Mar 26, 1899
Place of Death: Port Huron, MI
Date of Death: Sep 14, 1972
Jersey Number: 6
Height: 5-11
Weight: 155
High School: Lansing, MI (Central HS)
It was the Roaring Twenties, and stadium crowds never roared louder than they did at he sight of a Harry Kipke punt. Considered the finest punter in the nation as a junior All- America in 1922, Kipke was even more respected by opposing Big Ten coaches for his excellence as a ball carrier, passer or blocker. He made the Maize and Blue work in those glory years of Wolverine football, pacing Michigan to a three-year mark of 19-1-2. Kipke captained the UM team as a senior and had developed one of the finest football minds in the country. He later became coach at Michigan State, then took over as head coach at his alma mater in 1929, holding that position through the 1937 season while compiling a 46- 26-4 record. His teams of the early 1930s went unscored upon through 15 of 20 games, pointing out his strong belief in defensive power. "Perhaps it is elementary, but if they can't score, they can't beat you. When the defense is strong and positive, there's an actual advantage in letting the other team strain and struggle. This permits you to conserve your own weapons." While coaching at Michigan, Kipke was elected president of the American Football Coaches Association. His Michigan teams won four straight Big Ten titles 1930-33 and Michigan was national champion in 1932 and 1933.
