Charles Thomas (American football)

Charles Ladd Thomas (October 21, 1871 – September 19, 1920) was an American college football player and coach and newspaper reporter and editor. A native of Omaha, Nebraska,[1] Thomas enrolled at the University of Michigan, where he played at the guard position for the Michigan Wolverines football teams of 1891 and 1892.[2] After graduating from Michigan in 1893, Thomas returned to Nebraska, where he served as an assistant football coach at the University of Nebraska under Frank Crawford in 1893 and 1894. In 1895, he took over as Nebraska's head football coach, posting a 6–3 record. In 1897, Thomas was the head football coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University.[3] From 1901 to 1902, he served as the head football coach at Arkansas, where he compiled a 9–8 record.

Charles Thomas
Biographical details
Born(1871-10-21)October 21, 1871
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
DiedSeptember 19, 1920(1920-09-19) (aged 48)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Playing career
1891–1892Michigan
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1892–1894Nebraska (assistant)
1893Baker
1895Nebraska
1897Nebraska Wesleyan
1901–1902Arkansas
Head coaching record
Overall26–13–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 WIUFA (1895)

Nebraska

After Frank Crawford left Nebraska to go to the University of Texas in 1894, Thomas became the head coach for the 1895 season. He remained the coach for one year and had a 6–3 record while winning a share of the Western Interstate University Football Association title. Thomas took the Nebraska football team on its first long road trip with a game in Butte, Montana to play Butte's local athletic club.

Late life and death

Thomas later worked as a reporter and editor for the Omaha Daily Bee in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. He died at his home in Omaha, on September 19, 1920, after suffering a paralytic stroke.[4]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Baker Methodists (Independent) (1893)
1893 Baker 5–0–1
Baker: 5–0–1
Nebraska Bugeaters (Western Interstate University Football Association) (1895)
1895 Nebraska 6–32–1T–1st
Nebraska: 6–32–1
Nebraska Wesleyan (Independent) (1897)
1897 Nebraska Wesleyan 5–2
Nebraska Wesleyan: 5–2
Arkansas Cardinals (Independent) (1901–1902)
1901 Arkansas 3–5
1902 Arkansas 6–3
Arkansas: 9–8
Total:25–13–1
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References
  1. "Football Rosters Results Page". Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  2. "1892 Football Team -- University of Michigan Athletics".
  3. "Game Was Easy—Wesleyan Defeats Tabor Inducing Much Perspiration". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. November 2, 1897. p. 1. Retrieved April 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com open access.
  4. "Charles Thomas, Bee Editor, Dead—Well Known Newspaper Man Former Cornhusker Coach Succumbs to Stroke". The Lincoln Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. September 20, 1920. p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com open access.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.