Hall of Fame
Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf's first college job was at Oklahoma
City. The school had won one game in three years. Waldorf
won five his first year, 1926, and eight his second year. He
spent 1928 as assistant at Kansas, then moved to Oklahoma
State, which had just finished a 1-7 season. In five years
1929-33 Waldorf went 34-10-7, won four Missouri Valley
championships, and never lost to arch-rival Oklahoma. In
1934 he was at Kansas State, which had never won a
championship. He went 7-2-1 and won the Big Six. He
moved to Northwestern, which had just gone through three
losing seasons. He was 4-3-1 in 1935 with a big win over
Notre Dame; this made him the nation's Coach of the Year,
the first time the award was made. His 1936 team won the
Big 10; his 12-year mark at Northwestern was 49-45-7.
Next: California, which had not had a winning season in eight
years. His first team, 1947, went 9-1, his next three won
Pacific Coast Conference titles. His California record through
1956 was 67-32-4; his career totals 170-94-22. He was
born October 3, 1902, the son of Bishop Ernest Waldorf of
the Methodist Church. He played tackle at Syracuse 1922-
24. He served as personnel director for the San Francisco
49ers 1957-72, and he died August 15, 1981. Waldorf may
have been the best coach in history in taking over a losing
program and making it a winner.
