Stewart Ferguson (January 27, 1900 – December 29, 1955) was an American football and basketball coach.[1] He served as the head football coach at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota from 1929 to 1933 and at Arkansas Agricultural and Mechanical College—now known as the University of Arkansas–Monticello—in 1934 and from 1938 to 1941, compiling a career college football coaching record of 20–69–2.[2] As a college football coach, he was credited with inventing the Swinging gate formation.[3] Ferguson was also the head basketball coach at Dakota Wesleyan from 1929 to 1934, tallying a mark of 65–17.

Stewart Ferguson
Biographical details
Born(1900-01-27)January 27, 1900
Carthage, Missouri, U.S.
DiedDecember 29, 1955(1955-12-29) (aged 55)
Deadwood, South Dakota, U.S.
Playing career
Football
c. 1920Dakota Wesleyan
Position(s)End
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1929–1933Dakota Wesleyan
1934Arkansas A&M
1938–1941Arkansas A&M
1944–1954Deadwood HS (SD)
Basketball
1929–1934Dakota Wesleyan
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1929–Dakota Wesleyan
1934–?Arkansas A&M
Head coaching record
Overall20–69–2 (college football)
65–17 (college basketball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
1 SDIC (1929)

Basketball
4 SDIC regular season (1930–1933)

A native of Carthage, Missouri, Ferguson played college football at Dakota Wesleyan, starting as an end on teams coached by Bud Daugherty.[4][5] He died of a heart attack, on December 29, 1955, in Deadwood, South Dakota.[6]

Ferguson was humorously profiled by Frank X. Tolbert in his collection, Tolbert's Texas. [7]

Head coaching record

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College football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Dakota Wesleyan Tigers (South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference) (1929–1933)
1929 Dakota Wesleyan 5–2–1 4–0–1 T–1st
1930 Dakota Wesleyan 6–3 3–1 4th
1931 Dakota Wesleyan 2–6–1 2–3–1 T–7th
1932 Dakota Wesleyan 3–5 2–3 6th
1933 Dakota Wesleyan 1–6 1–6 9th
Dakota Wesleyan: 17–22–2 12–13–2
Arkansas A&M Boll Weevils (Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference) (1934)
1934 Arkansas A&M 0–8
Arkansas A&M Boll Weevils (Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference) (1938–1941)
1938 Arkansas A&M 0–9
1939 Arkansas A&M 1–9
1940 Arkansas A&M 2–9
1941 Arkansas A&M 0–12
Arkansas A&M: 3–47
Total: 20–69–2
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Basketball

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Dakota Wesleyan Tigers (South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference) (1929–1934)
1929–30 Dakota Wesleyan 10–6 9–2 1st
1930–31 Dakota Wesleyan 13–2 10–0 1st
1931–32 Dakota Wesleyan 19–1 11–0 1st
1932–33 Dakota Wesleyan 12–4 10–1 1st
1933–34 Dakota Wesleyan 11–5 9–2 2nd
Dakota Wesleyan: 65–17 49–5
Total: 65–17

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

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  1. ^ "basketball". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  2. ^ "All Time Year-by-Year" (PDF). UAM. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  3. ^ "Stewart Ferguson". South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  4. ^ "Stewart Ferguson Chosen To Coach Wesleyan Teams". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. February 28, 1929. p. 8. Retrieved April 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com  .
  5. ^ "Stewart Ferguson To Coach Monticello Aggies". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. August 28, 1934. p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com  .
  6. ^ "Stewart Ferguson, Deadwood Football Coach, Dies at 55". Argus Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. December 29, 1955. p. 9. Retrieved November 26, 2018 – via Newspapers.com  .
  7. ^ Tolbert, Frank X. (1983). Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company. ISBN 0-385-08582-6. "Tolbert's Texas," page 169-174: "Winning Wasn't Everything"