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Hunk Anderson

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For the American businessman and art collector, see Harry W. Anderson.

Heartley Anderson
c. 1920
Biographical details
Born(1898-09-22)September 22, 1898
Calumet, Michigan, U.S.
DiedApril 24, 1978(1978-04-24) (aged 79)
West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Playing career
1918–1921Notre Dame
1920–1921Canton Bulldogs
1922–1923Chicago Bears
1923Cleveland Indians
1924–1925Chicago Bears
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1927Notre Dame (assistant)
1928–1929Saint Louis
1930Notre Dame (line)
1931–1933Notre Dame
1934–1936NC State
1937Michigan (line)
1939Detroit Lions (assistant)
1942–1945Chicago Bears
Head coaching record
Overall34–34–4 (college)
24–12 (NFL)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1974 (profile)
Anderson (right) alongside Chicago Bears co-head coach Luke Johnsos (left), in 1942.

Heartley William "Hunk" Anderson (September 22, 1898 – April 24, 1978) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Saint Louis University (1928–1929), University of Notre Dame (1931–1933), and North Carolina State University (1934–1936), compiling a career college football record of 34–34–4. From 1942 to 1945, Anderson was the head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), tallying a mark of 24–12 and winning the 1943 NFL Championship.

From 1918 to 1921, Anderson played as a guard for the Notre Dame football team, under new head coach Knute Rockne. During his time in South Bend he played under an assumed name for the Canton Bulldogs in 1920–1921, but Anderson later argued that he had only played in exhibition games.[1] From 1922 to 1926, he played professionally for the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Bears. Anderson played in 39 career games while starting in 32 of them. In 1939, he was an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions under Gus Henderson.

Born in Calumet, Michigan, on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula, Anderson attended Calumet High School. He was 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) and weighed 170 lb (77 kg). Anderson was named to the National Football League 1920s All-Decade Team, and is one of only two players on the list not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1974.

A head coach at Saint Louis for two years, he returned to Notre Dame as an assistant under Rockne in 1930 and the Irish won all ten games. The following spring, Rockne was killed in a plane crash,[2][3][4] and Anderson was promoted to head coach ten days later.[5][6][7]

Head coaching record

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College

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing
Saint Louis Billikens (Independent) (1928–1929)
1928 Saint Louis 4–4–1
1929 Saint Louis 3–4–1
Saint Louis: 7–8–1
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Independent) (1931–1933)
1931 Notre Dame 6–2–1
1932 Notre Dame 7–2
1933 Notre Dame 3–5–2
Notre Dame: 16–9–2
NC State Wolfpack (Southern Conference) (1934–1936)
1934 NC State 2–6–1 1–3–1 8th
1935 NC State 6–4 2–2 T–5th
1936 NC State 3–7 2–4 12th
NC State: 11–17–1 5–9–1
Total: 34–34–4

NFL

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Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
CHI 1942 6 0 0 1.000 1st in NFL Western 0 1 .000 Lost to Washington Redskins in NFL Championship Game.
CHI 1943 8 1 1 .850 1st in NFL Western 1 0 1.000 1943 NFL Champions
CHI 1944 6 3 1 .650 2nd in NFL Western – – – –
CHI 1945 3 7 0 .300 4th in NFL Western – – – –
CHI Total 23 11 2 .667 – – – –
Total 23 11 2 .667 – – – –

Personal life

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Anderson was a Freemason.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "The Taylorville Scandal" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Report Knute Rockne killed in plane crash". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. March 31, 1931. p. 1.
  3. ^ "Rockne's tragic death". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 1, 1931. p. 1A.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Sorrow shrouds Notre Dame faculty and students with passing of Knute Rockne". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. April 1, 1931. p. 16.
  5. ^ "'Hunk' Anderson named Notre Dame coach". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 11, 1931. p. 23.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Anderson named Rockne successor for year". Pittsburgh Press. United Press. April 11, 1931. p. 9.
  7. ^ "Hunk Anderson lacking wizardry of psychology, but is man of action". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. April 12, 1931. p. 3C.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "10,000 Famous Freemasons By William R. Denslow - Volume 1 "A-D"". www.phoenixmasonry.org. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
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