Dewey Luster
Encyclopedia
Dewey William "Snorter" Luster (February 1, 1899 – October 13, 1980) was an American football
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma
from 1941 to 1945, compiling a record of 27–18–3. Luster was also a player on the Oklahoma Sooners football
team from 1917 to 1920 under head coach Bennie Owen
and was the captain of the 1920 undefeated team.
Luster was born in Tahlequah, capital of the Cherokee Nation, the son of Otis V. and Callie (Bates) Luster. His father was a merchant and later a newspaper editor in Pauls Valley.
Luster's tenure as head coach at Oklahoma was complicated by World War II
. In the six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor
, nearly 60 Sooner athletes in all sports had enlisted in some branch of the armed services and more continued to enlist as the war progressed. Luster resigned as head coach almost immediately after his Sooner team lost 47–0 to Oklahoma A&M on November 24, 1945. His official reason for his resignation was "poor health."
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
from 1941 to 1945, compiling a record of 27–18–3. Luster was also a player on the Oklahoma Sooners football
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
team from 1917 to 1920 under head coach Bennie Owen
Bennie Owen
Benjamin Gilbert Owen was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball...
and was the captain of the 1920 undefeated team.
Luster was born in Tahlequah, capital of the Cherokee Nation, the son of Otis V. and Callie (Bates) Luster. His father was a merchant and later a newspaper editor in Pauls Valley.
Luster's tenure as head coach at Oklahoma was complicated by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In the six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
, nearly 60 Sooner athletes in all sports had enlisted in some branch of the armed services and more continued to enlist as the war progressed. Luster resigned as head coach almost immediately after his Sooner team lost 47–0 to Oklahoma A&M on November 24, 1945. His official reason for his resignation was "poor health."