Bob Commings (December 24, 1932 in
Youngstown, OhioYoungstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County, whose urban area borders Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
– February 20, 1992) was a
college footballCollege football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies. It was the venue through which American football first gained popularity in the United States...
player and coach at the
University of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public research university located in Iowa City, Iowa. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was also a high school football coach for 24 years in the state of Ohio.
Background
Bob Commings was born on
Christmas EveChristmas Eve, December 24, is the night before Christmas Day, which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ.-Western Churches:Many Roman Catholics and Anglicans traditionally celebrate a midnight Mass which begins sometime before midnight on Christmas Day; this ceremony, which is held in churches...
at the height of the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He grew up in
OhioOhio is a Midwestern state of the United States. The thirty-fourth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the seventh-most populous with nearly 11.5 million residents...
and played high school football at Youngstown's
East High Schoolfor schools of the same nameEast High School is a public high school in the city of Youngstown, Ohio, United States. It had its first school year in fall 2007 since 1998, when a previous incarnation of the school closed. The original school was open from 1925 to 1998 when it was converted to a...
. After graduating from high school in 1952, he enrolled at the
University of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public research university located in Iowa City, Iowa. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. Commings spent his first two years at Iowa, lettering as a
sophomoreSophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 2nd year of study ....
in 1953. That season, Coach
Forest EvashevskiForest "Evy" Evashevski was a college football player at the University of Michigan and a college football coach and athletic director at the University of Iowa. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000....
's Hawkeyes finished the year ranked ninth in the nation in the final
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(AP) poll.
With the
Korean WarThe Korean War is a war that started between North Korea and South Korea on 25 June 1950 and paused with an armistice signed 27 July, 1953...
raging abroad, Commings signed up with the
Marine CorpsMarines are military forces optimised for operations at sea. Historically the marine forces or marine corps are infantry forces that are part of the country's navy...
, serving for two years before returning to Iowa. He played his junior season in 1956 on the offensive and defensive lines. That Iowa team won the
Big TenThe Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its eleven member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Iowa and Minnesota in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title, and Commings started in the 1957 Rose Bowl for the Hawkeyes, helping to lead Iowa to a 35-19 victory.
As a senior in 1957, Commings helped Iowa to a 7-1-1 record and a number six ranking in the final AP poll. He was good friends with fellow lineman
Alex KarrasAlexander George "Alex" Karras , nicknamed "The Mad Duck", is a former football player, professional wrestler, and actor who is best known for playing with the Detroit Lions from 1958-1962 and 1964-1970...
, who later had success as a professional athlete and actor. Though Karras won the 1957
Outland TrophyThe Outland Trophy is awarded to the best United States college football interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland...
, it was Bob Commings at the end of the year that was voted as Iowa's 1957 MVP. In his three years at Iowa, Commings helped the Hawkeyes to a 21-5-1 record, and Iowa finished the year ranked in the top ten of the AP poll in each of his three years as a Hawkeye player.
Bob Commings was an assistant coach at Iowa for two seasons in 1958 and 1959 before leaving to become a high school coach in Ohio. He coached Struthers High School in
Struthers, OhioStruthers is a city in Mahoning County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,036 at the 2000 census. Struthers is served by a branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. It is part of the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :John...
, for seven seasons from 1962-1968, compiling a 50-16-4 record. Commings then took over at Massillon Washington High School in
Massillon, OhioMassillon is a city in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 31,325 at the 2000 census.Massillon, along with neighboring Canton, are principal cities of the Canton–Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
In five seasons from 1969-1973, Commings' teams had a combined 43-6-2 record. His 1970 Massillon team had an undefeated 10-0 record, outscoring their opponents 412-29 and winning a state poll championship. His 1971 team lost two games by one point each but outscored their other eight opponents 287-18. His 1972 team took a 10-0 record to the first Ohio state playoffs before losing. His 1973 team was unbeaten before dropping their season finale. The 21-0 loss in that game was his worst loss in five years at Massillon.
Iowa Coaching Career
In 1974,
Iowa footballThe Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .-...
was in the dumps. The Hawkeyes had not had a winning season for 12 years, and the school had just fired their previous coach,
Frank LauterburFrancis X. Lauterbur was a college football coach, most notably at the University of Toledo. He also coached at the University of Iowa and as an assistant in the NFL.-Background:...
, for having a 4-28-1 record at Iowa over three years. Iowa was gaining a reputation as a coaching graveyard, and many wondered if any coach could win at Iowa.
Commings let it be known that he wanted the job badly, and he even came to Iowa to campaign for it. At one of these rallies, Commings told reporters, "I feel I can win at Iowa. Obviously, it's going to take football players, but I don't feel anybody has a better rapport with the high school players than me. We have always had a very sophisticated football program at Massillon. My coaching staff (nine men) is larger than at most colleges."
Commings appealed to Iowa fans, because he had a Hawkeye background as a player and assistant coach during the Rose Bowl years. Though he had never coached at the college level, he had had tremendous success coaching high school football in Ohio, a state known as a hotbed for football talent. Finally, his enthusiasm for the job was evident. Commings stated that the Iowa job was the only college job he would ever want, and he offered to work with a one-year contract if necessary. If he did not deliver on his promise to win at Iowa, he could be let go after just one year. Commings said, "All I want is the job. If they had told me I had to pick corn in the off-season to get the job, I'd have done it." Iowa athletic director
Bump ElliottChalmers W. "Bump" Elliott is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University and the University of Michigan...
took Bob Commings up on his challenge, making him the 23rd head coach in the history of
Iowa footballThe Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association .-...
by signing him to a one-year contract for the 1974 season. He was the third Iowa graduate to take the reins as Iowa's head football coach, joining
John G. GriffithJohn G. "Red" Griffith was a college football coach, primarily for the University of Idaho. He was born in Iowa City, Iowa. He played college football at the University of Iowa and served as Iowa's ninth football coach....
in 1909 and
Leonard RaffenspergerLeonard Raffensperger was a college football player and coach at the University of Iowa. He was born in Victor, Iowa.-Background:...
in 1950-1951.
Unfortunately, Iowa was riding a school-record 11 game losing streak, and Iowa's first four games in 1974 were against teams ranked in the top 20 of the AP poll. After a road loss at Michigan, Commings coached his first home game in Iowa City against #12 UCLA. He told his team, a two touchdown underdog, before the game, "You are unique. In addition to being ridiculed for last season, you have the nation's toughest schedule. Now you have a chance to show people all over America what desire and determination can prove. It may be that you are the chosen children." The Hawkeyes shocked the country, and most of its fans, by pulling a 21-10 upset. Iowa fans sported "Chosen Children" badges, and Commings' contract was extended to three years. The Hawks also defeated
Northwestern{{Infobox university|name = Northwestern University|image_name = NU seal.png|motto = Quaecumque sunt vera |mottoeng =Whatsoever things are true |established = 1851|type = Private|calendar = Quarter...
to snap a nine game conference losing streak in 1974 and ended the year with a 3-8 record.
Iowa had another 3-8 record in 1975, but three of the losses were by four points or less. The Hawkeyes were competitive again, and Commings' contract was extended through 1979. In 1976, the Hawkeyes, nicknamed the "Wild Bunch", stunned
Penn StateThe Pennsylvania State University is a state-related, land-grant, space grant public research university located in the University Park area and within State College and College Township in Pennsylvania, United States...
, the number 11 ranked team in the nation, in Happy Valley for Iowa's first non-conference road win in 11 years. Iowa finished the 1976 season with a 5-6 record, agonizingly close to a winning record.
The 1977 season was highlighted by Iowa's first game with
Iowa StateThe Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced a number of astronauts, scientists, Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners,...
in 34 years. The first meeting between the two schools after such a long suspension in the series was met with great anticipation across the state. Seemingly, the only person unexcited about the game was Coach Commings, who said, "I'd rather be playing Utah." Before the game, Iowa State coach
Earle BruceEarle Bruce is a former college football and arena football coach from Cumberland, Maryland. Bruce was the successor to legendary Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes. In 2002, Earle Bruce was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame....
had Iowa State change into special jerseys emblazoned with the phrase "Beat Iowa" across the chest above the numbers. Iowa defeated the Cyclones, 12-10, in a defensive struggle. Although Commings was not a big fan of the rivalry, that win probably earned him another year after a disappointing season in 1977. Iowa had a record of 4-7, although some sources note that UCLA was forced to forfeit their win against Iowa due to an ineligible player and list Iowa's record that season as 5-6.
Whether it was 4-7 or 5-6, the fact remained that Iowa had posted its 16th consecutive non-winning season, which was now the longest streak in the nation. The feeling among fans seemed to be that Commings, in his fifth year, needed to deliver a winning season in 1978. Iowa's starting quarterback in 1978 was Bob Commings, Jr. He performed well, but the team did not. After winning the opening game, the 1978 Hawkeyes lost their next eight games and ended the year with a 2-9 record. Commings, who had one year left on his contract, said that he thought the school had a "moral and legal" obligation to allow him to coach in 1979.
Bump ElliottChalmers W. "Bump" Elliott is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played halfback at Purdue University and the University of Michigan...
disagreed, and Bob Commings was relieved of his duties after the 1978 season.
Bob Commings had accepted the Iowa football head coaching job with glee. Later, he admitted, "It's a tougher job than I figured. No one outside of coaching has a concept of what it takes. I guess the answer still is that it takes time. There are so many things involved." His Iowa ties and the fact that he considered the Hawkeye coaching position as his dream job made his firing especially painful. But while he delivered several shocking wins, the overall record was poor. Commings was the tenth man to coach Iowa for at least five years, and his record of 17-38 was the poorest among the ten.
Return To High School
Commings turned down an offer from the university to take another job within the athletic department. He remained in Iowa City for several months as a representative of an insurance agency. During the 1979 season, he was a color commentator for Iowa football games.
But coaching was always in his blood. In 1980, Commings took a job at Glen Oak High School in
Canton, OhioCanton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.Founded in 1805 on the West and Middle Branches of the Nimishillen Creek, Canton became a manufacturing center because of its numerous railroad lines...
. He coached there for 12 seasons, compiling a 76-44-1 record. Bob Commings was diagnosed with cancer in 1991 and turned his football team over to his son, Bob Commings, Jr. He died within six months, survived by his wife, Sharon, and another son, Don.
In 24 seasons as a high school coach in Ohio, Bob Commings had a 169-66-7 record.