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George Gauthier (American football)

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George Gauthier
Biographical details
Born(1890-02-03)February 3, 1890
DiedAugust 11, 1964(1964-08-11) (aged 74)
Blind River, Ontario, Canada
Playing career
1911–1914Michigan Agricultural
Position(s)Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1915–1917Michigan Agricultural (assistant)
1918Michigan Agricultural
1921–1946Ohio Wesleyan
Basketball
1916–1920Michigan Agricultural
1945–1946Ohio Wesleyan
Head coaching record
Overall125–101–15 (football)
47–46 (basketball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
2 OAC (1922, 1925)
2 Buckeye (1926, 1928)

George E. "Gooch" Gauthier (February 3, 1890 – August 11, 1964) was an American football and basketball player, athletic coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University, in 1918 and at Ohio Wesleyan University from 1921 to 1946, compiling a career record of 125–101–15. Gauthier was also the head basketball coach at Michigan Agricultural from 1916 to 1920 and at Ohio Wesleyan for the 1945–1946 season, tallying a career mark of 47–46.

Athlete at Michigan State

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A native of Detroit, Michigan, Gauthier played both basketball and football for Michigan Agricultural College between 1911 and 1914. While attending the school, "Gauthier peeled three bushels of potatotes daily to pay for his meals and delivered laundry for expense money."[1] He was also president of the student council as a senior.[1] He was the starting quarterback for the school's football team in 1912 and 1913 and led the team to upset victories over Ohio State in 1912 and Michigan in 1913. In the 1912 game against Ohio State, the Aggies trailed 20–0 at halftime but scored 32 points in the second half, including two scores by Gauthier, to win the game, 32–20.[2] Years later, Gauthier described the victory over Michigan as his first great thrill:

"My mind goes back to 1913, when Michigan State's team — a little band of agriculture students — journeyed to Ann Arbor to meet mighty Michigan. I was the 130-pound quarterback, cocky and confident we could beat the Wolverines. I insisted my mother come over from Detroit to see the game, her first football contest. We won the game 12–7 and my mother became a football fan to provide my first big thrill."[2]

The 12–7 win over the Wolverines marked the first victory by a Michigan State team in the long Michigan-Michigan State rivalry and ruined Michigan's unbeaten season.[3] The 1912 and 1913 football teams with Gauthier as quarterback won 14 games and lost only one game.[4] Gauthier later recalled, "I played two years at quarterback, never missed a minute of play, and never played in a losing game."[2]

Coach at Michigan State

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After graduating from M.A.C. in 1914, Gauthier remained in East Lansing as an assistant athletic director for six years.[5] He was an assistant football coach under John Macklin from 1915 to 1917,[6] and became the head football coach in 1918, compiling a record of 4–3. The biggest victory in his single season as head football coach was a 12–9 decision over Knute Rockne's Notre Dame team.[1] Gauthier was also the head basketball coach at Michigan Agricultural from 1916 to 1920, tallying a record of 38–35.

Coach and athletic director at Ohio Wesleyan

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Gauthier served as the head football coach at Ohio Wesleyan University for 26 years from 1921 to 1946 and compiled a record of 121–98–15.[5][7] He coached the Ohio Wesleyan football team to a 17–7 win over the Michigan Wolverines in the opening game of the 1928 college football season, marking the first loss by Michigan in a season opener since 1883.[8][9] The 1928 victory over Michigan was also the first game played in the newly constructed Michigan Stadium. Gauthier later described the victory over Michigan as the greatest thrill of his career:

"No one who was there will ever forget — that little band of Battling Bishops against the mighty Wolves. A special train-load of faculty, alumni and students went along for the dedication game. We were nervous in the unfinished dressing rooms. With a half-hour to go to game time someone started singing, and soon the locker room rang with close harmony college songs. We were relaxed, and we were ready. After the first few minutes, a player coming off the field told me: 'They're not too tough, coach. We can take them.'"[2]

Gauthier also served as Ohio Wesleyan's athletic director for 34 years from 1921 to 1955.[5][10] He also served as the men's track & field coach from 1922 to 1955 and as cross country coach from 1955 to 1958.[11] He was nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame in 1960.[12] Gauthier was one of the initial inductees into the Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame in 1961.[13] He was also a charter inductee into the Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches Hall Of Fame in 1969.[14] He was also inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame for his contributions to collegiate athletics.[1]

Gauthier died in August 1964 in a hospital in Ontario, Canada, two weeks after suffering a heart attack.[15] He was survived by his wife, Ruth Gauthier, a son Richard Gauthier, and two stepchildren.[5] The Board of Education in Delaware, Ohio voted just a few hours before Gauthier's death to name a new high school stadium in his honor.[5]

Head coaching record

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Football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Michigan Agricultural Aggies (Independent) (1918)
1918 Michigan Agricultural 4–3
Michigan Agricultural: 4–3
Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1921–1925)
1921 Ohio Wesleyan 1–6–1 1–6–1 16th
1922 Ohio Wesleyan 8–1 7–0 1st
1923 Ohio Wesleyan 6–2 5–0 2nd
1924 Ohio Wesleyan 7–2 4–1 3rd
1925 Ohio Wesleyan 7–1–1 6–0 1st
Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops (Ohio Athletic Conference / Buckeye Athletic Association) (1926–1927)
1926 Ohio Wesleyan 6–2–1 5–1–1 / 3–0–1 6th / 1st
1927 Ohio Wesleyan 4–3–2 2–2–1 / 1–2–1 11th / 4th
Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops (Buckeye Athletic Association) (1928–1938)
1928 Ohio Wesleyan 8–1 4–1 T–1st
1929 Ohio Wesleyan 6–2–1 3–1–1 2nd
1930 Ohio Wesleyan 7–2 3–1 2nd
1931 Ohio Wesleyan 5–3 2–1 T–3rd
1932 Ohio Wesleyan 5–4 2–2 T–3rd
1933 Ohio Wesleyan 6–4 2–3 4th
1934 Ohio Wesleyan 7–2 3–1 2nd
1935 Ohio Wesleyan 5–3–1 3–2 T–2nd
1936 Ohio Wesleyan 1–6–2 1–3–1 6th
1937 Ohio Wesleyan 2–7 1–4 5th
1938 Ohio Wesleyan 1–9 1–3 T–4th
Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops (Independent) (1939–1946)
1939 Ohio Wesleyan 5–4–1
1940 Ohio Wesleyan 2–4–3
1941 Ohio Wesleyan 5–4
1942 Ohio Wesleyan 4–4
1943 Ohio Wesleyan 4–6
1944 Ohio Wesleyan 1–8–1
1945 Ohio Wesleyan 3–4
1946 Ohio Wesleyan 5–4–1
Ohio Wesleyan: 121–98–15 55–32–5
Total: 125–101–15
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Former Star At MSU Dies". Ironwood Daily Globe. August 12, 1964.
  2. ^ a b c d "Victory Over Michigan Gauthier's Big Moment". Portsmouth Times. August 14, 1964.
  3. ^ "Spartans, Wolverines Mark 100th Football Game: MSU's last win in the series came on Nov. 3, 2001, 26–24, in Spartan Stadium". Michigan State University. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  4. ^ The Spartan Sports Encyclopedia, by Jack Seibold, p. 48.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Ex-Wesleyan Coach: George E. Gauthier Dies At Age Of 74". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio. August 12, 1964.
  6. ^ "GAUTHIER IS NO OBSERVER OF WEATHER: Aggie Instructor Sends Squad Through Bake Oven Session at Pine Lake". Detroit Free Press. September 15, 1915. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Ohio Wesleyan Football History". Ohio Wesleyan University.
  8. ^ "Ohio Wesleyan First Small Team to Beat Yost at Michigan". The Evening Independent. October 28, 1928.
  9. ^ "All-Time University of Michigan Football Record 1879–2009". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library.
  10. ^ "The History of Ohio Wesleyan Athletics". Ohio Wesleyan University.
  11. ^ "Eight to be Inducted Into OWU Athletic Hall of Fame, Bruce to Receive George Gauthier Award". Ohio Wesleyan University. September 30, 2009.
  12. ^ "Greasy Neale Nominated For Football Hall of Fame". The Free Lance-Star. March 22, 1960.
  13. ^ "Ohio Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame". Ohio Wesleyan University.
  14. ^ "Class of 1969". Ohio Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches. Retrieved May 21, 2010.
  15. ^ "George Gauthier Sports Figure, Dies In Ontario". The Newark Advocate. August 11, 1964.
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