Glenn Thistlethwaite

(Redirected from Glenn F. Thistlethwaite)

Glenn Franklin Thistlethwaite (March 18, 1885 – October 6, 1956) was an American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field coach. He served as the head football coach at Illinois College (1908), Earlham College (1909–1912), Northwestern University (1922–1926), the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1927–1931), Carroll College—now known as Carroll University—in Waukesha, Wisconsin (1932–1933), and the University of Richmond (1934–1941), compiling a career college football record of 117–74–16. Coaching at Northwestern from 1922 to 1926, Thistlethwaite compiled a 21–17–1 record, making him one of the most successful coaches in Northwestern Wildcats football history. In 1926, his team won a share of the Big Ten Conference title, only the second in school history, and his tenure sparked a revival in Northwestern football after a post-World War I decline. From 1927 to 1931, Thistlethwaite coached at Wisconsin, tallying a 26–16–3 mark. From 1934 to 1941, he coached at Richmond, where he oversaw the school's entry into the Southern Conference in 1936. Born in Franklin, Indiana in 1885, Thistlethwaite died at the age of 71, on October 6, 1956, of a heart attack at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia.[1]

Glenn Thistlethwaite
Thistlethwaite pictured in Sargasso 1913, Earlham yearbook
Biographical details
Born(1885-03-18)March 18, 1885
Franklin, Indiana, U.S.
DiedOctober 6, 1956(1956-10-06) (aged 71)
Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1905–1907Earlham
Position(s)Tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1908Illinois College
1909–1912Earlham
1910sOak Park HS (IL)
1922–1926Northwestern
1927–1931Wisconsin
1932–1933Carroll (WI)
1934–1941Richmond
Basketball
1909–1913Earlham
Baseball
1910–1911Earlham
1913Earlham
Men's track and field
1935–1941Richmond
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1934–1942Richmond
Head coaching record
Overall117–74–16 (college football)
22–25 (college basketball)
18–17–1 (college baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
1 Big Ten (1926)
1 Virginia (1934)

Coaching career

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Northwestern

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Thistlethwaite was the 15th head football coach at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and held that position for five seasons, from 1922 until 1926. His record at Northwestern was 21–17–1.[2]

Carroll

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Thistlethwaite was the 17th head football coach at Carroll College—now known as Carroll University—in Waukesha, Wisconsin and held that position for two seasons, from 1932 until 1933. His record at Carroll College was 10–2–1.

Head coaching record

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College football

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Thistlethwaite (left) shakes the hand of Tim Lowry (right) as Lowry receives the 1925 Chicago Tribune Silver Football. In between them is Athletics Director Kenneth L. Wilson
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Illinois College Blue Boys (Independent) (1908)
1908 Illinois College 1–4–2
Illinois College: 1–4–2
Earlham Quakers (Independent) (1909–1912)
1909 Earlham 5–1
1910 Earlham 3–3
1911 Earlham 6–1
1912 Earlham 4–4
Earlham: 18–9
Northwestern Purple/Wildcats (Big Ten Conference) (1922–1926)
1922 Northwestern 3–3–1 1–3–1 7th
1923 Northwestern 2–6 0–6 10th
1924 Northwestern 4–4 1–3 8th
1925 Northwestern 5–3 3–1 T–2nd
1926 Northwestern 7–1 5–1 T–1st
Northwestern: 21–17–1 10–13–1
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (1927–1931)
1927 Wisconsin 4–4 1–4 T–9th
1928 Wisconsin 7–1–1 3–1–1 2nd
1929 Wisconsin 4–5 1–4 10th
1930 Wisconsin 6–2–1 2–2–1 T–4th
1931 Wisconsin 5–4–1 3–3 6th
Wisconsin: 26–16–3 10–14–2
Carroll Pioneers (Big Four Conference) (1932–1933)
1932 Carroll 4–2 2–1 2nd
Carroll Pioneers (Independent) (1932–1933)
1933 Carroll 6–0–1
Carroll: 10–2–1 2–1
Richmond Spiders (Virginia Conference) (1934–1935)
1934 Richmond 8–1 2–1 T–1st
1935 Richmond 3–3–3 1–1–1
Richmond Spiders (Southern Conference) (1936–1941)
1936 Richmond 4–4–2 1–3 13th
1937 Richmond 5–4–1 2–3 T–8th
1938 Richmond 6–3–1 3–2–1 5th
1939 Richmond 7–1–2 3–1–1 T–4th
1940 Richmond 6–3 3–2 T–5th
1941 Richmond 2–7 0–6 16th
Richmond: 41–26–9 15–19–3
Total: 117–74–16
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ "Glenn Thistlethwaite; Former Footboll Coach Had Only One Losing Season" (PDF). The New York Times. Associated Press. October 7, 1956. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  2. ^ Northwestern Wildcats coaching records Archived October 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
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