Earl C. "Tuffy" Abell (May 29, 1892 – May 26, 1956) was an American college football player and coach. He played football as a tackle at Colgate University. He later returned to Colgate as an assistant coach in 1925, and took over the head coaching job in 1928. He spent the 1929 and 1930 football seasons as head football coach at the University of Virginia. Abell was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as player in 1973.
![]() Abell pictured in Reveille 1925, Mississippi State yearbook | |
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Portage, Wisconsin, U.S. | May 29, 1892
Died | May 26, 1956 Pardeeville, Wisconsin, U.S. | (aged 63)
Playing career | |
Football | |
1912–1915 | Colgate |
Position(s) | Tackle |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
Football | |
1917–1918 | VMI |
1919–1920 | Sewanee |
1922 | Virginia (line) |
1923–1924 | Mississippi A&M |
1925–1927 | Colgate (assistant) |
1928 | Colgate |
1929–1930 | Virginia |
Basketball | |
1917–1919 | VMI |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 38–34–6 (football) 14–12 (basketball) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Awards | |
| |
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1973 (profile) |
Early life
editAbell attended Portage High School in Portage, Wisconsin.
Coaching career
editVMI
editAbell was the 13th head football coach at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia, serving for two seasons, from 1917 to 1918, and compiling a record of 7–7–1.[1]
Colgate
editAbell was the 22nd head football coach at Colgate University in the Hamilton New York, serving for the 1928 season, and compiling a record of 6–3.
Personal life
editBorn in Portage, Wisconsin, Abell attended Colgate University, where he became a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Abell was married and had three children. He worked for the American Can Company upon retiring from coaching. He died of a heart attack on May 26, 1956.[2][3]
Head coaching record
editFootball
editYear | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VMI Keydets (Independent) (1917–1918) | |||||||||
1917 | VMI | 4–4–1 | |||||||
1918 | VMI | 3–3 | |||||||
VMI: | 7–7–1 | ||||||||
Sewanee Tigers (Independent) (1919–1920) | |||||||||
1919 | Sewanee | 3–6 | |||||||
1920 | Sewanee | 4–3–1 | |||||||
Sewanee: | 7–9–1 | ||||||||
Mississippi A&M Aggies (Southern Conference) (1923–1924) | |||||||||
1923 | Mississippi A&M | 5–2–2 | 2–1–2 | T–9th | |||||
1924 | Mississippi A&M | 5–4 | 3–2 | T–6th | |||||
Mississippi A&M: | 10–6–2 | 5–3–2 | |||||||
Colgate (Independent) (1928) | |||||||||
1928 | Colgate | 6–3 | |||||||
Colgate: | 6–3 | ||||||||
Virginia Cavaliers (Southern Conference) (1929–1930) | |||||||||
1929 | Virginia | 4–3–2 | 1–3–2 | 16th | |||||
1930 | Virginia | 4–6 | 2–5 | 17th | |||||
Virginia: | 8–9–2 | 3–8–2 | |||||||
Total: | 38–34–6 |
Note: In the 1918 season, Abell served as a co-coach alongside Mose Goodman.
Basketball
editSeason | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VMI Keydets (Independent) (1917–1919) | |||||||||
1917–18 | VMI | 6–6 | |||||||
1918–19 | VMI | 8–6 | |||||||
VMI: | 14–12 | ||||||||
Total: | 14–12 |
References
edit- ^ Virginia Military Institute Coaching Records Archived December 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Services Held For E.C. Abell". The Milwaukee Journal. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. May 29, 1956. p. 12. Archived from the original on February 21, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2012 – via Google News.
- ^ "Earl C. Abell Dies Saturday". Portage Daily Register. Portage, WI. May 28, 1956. p. 3. Retrieved August 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ 2013–14 VMI Basketball Fact Book