Harry Stiteler
Encyclopedia
Robert Harry Stiteler was an American
athlete and football
coach
. While attending Texas A&M University
, he set a Southwest Conference record in the pole vault
and played football at the quarterback position for the Aggies football
team in 1930. From 1931 to 1945, Stiteler was a high school football coach in Texas, leading teams from Corpus Christi
and Waco
to state championships. He was the head football coach at Texas A&M from 1948 to 1950.
from 1927 to 1931. He lettered in track three times and broke the Southwest Conference record in the pole vault
. He tried out for the football team in his senior year and, despite weighing only 137 pounds, became the number two quarterback
for the Aggies in 1930.
(1931–1933), and later coached high school teams in Bellville
(1934–1937), Corpus Christi
(1938–1941), and Waco
(1942–1945). In 15 years as a high school football coach, Stiteler's teams won ten district championships, two regional championships, a Texas state championship with Corpus Christi in 1938, and a tie for another state championship with Waco in 1945. His 1938 Corpus Christi team finished the season 13–0–1, outscored opponents 466–85, and won the state championship in front of 21,000 spectators at the Cotton Bowl
. His record from 1934-1938 was 55–1–2. He was the president of the Texas High School Coaches Association in 1942.
as an assistant football coach. Rice head coach Jess Neely
hired Stiteler to fill a vacancy created when backfield coach Buster Brannon resigned to take a position at the University of Florida
. Stiteler helped lead the 1946 Rice Owls football
team to a 9-2 record and a victory over the Tennessee Volunteers
in the Orange Bowl
on January 1, 1947.
team.
In December 1947, he was hired as the head coach
for the Texas A&M football team following the resignation of Homer Norton. In his first season as head coach, the Aggies failed to win a game, accumulating a record of 0–9–1. For the 1949 season, the Aggies won only one game and had a record of 1–8–1. Despite the poor record in his first two seasons, Stiteler developed a reputation as a good recruiter. In 1950, Stiteler turned the program around with a 7–4 record, including impressive wins over Arkansas
(42–13) and SMU
(25–20) and a 40–20 win over Georgia
in the Presidential Cup Bowl
at Baltimore. The 1950 team had the best record of any Texas A&M football team in the first decade after World War II
(1945–1954).
In December 1950, Stiteler reported that he had been attacked and beaten by a stranger near the Shamrock Hotel in Houston
, where Stiteler had been scheduled to address a group of Texas A&M alumni. Stiteler tried to downplay the incident, but the press reported Stiteler declined to provide details to the police and that there were conflicting versions as to what had happened. The San Antonio Light reported the incident under a banner headline, "MYSTERY SHROUDS STITELER BEATING." In March 1951, Stiteler admitted that he had misrepresented the facts concerning the assault. He reported that he had known his attacker and "the affair was a personal one." Stiteler submitted his letter of resignation to the President of Texas A&M upon revealing the true facts concerning "my affair in Houston." Following the resignation, the members of the football team issued a statement in support of their former coach:
In three years as the head coach at Texas A&M, Stiteler compiled a record of 8-21-2.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
athlete and football
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...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. While attending Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, he set a Southwest Conference record in the pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
and played football at the quarterback position for the Aggies football
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
team in 1930. From 1931 to 1945, Stiteler was a high school football coach in Texas, leading teams from Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
and Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
to state championships. He was the head football coach at Texas A&M from 1948 to 1950.
Athlete
Stiteler attended Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
from 1927 to 1931. He lettered in track three times and broke the Southwest Conference record in the pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
. He tried out for the football team in his senior year and, despite weighing only 137 pounds, became the number two quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Aggies in 1930.
High school football coach
After graduating from Texas A&M, Stiteler served as a high school football coach from 1931 to 1945. He began his coaching career at Smithville, TexasSmithville, Texas
Smithville is a city in Bastrop County, Texas, United States, near the Colorado River. The population was 3,901 at the 2000 census. The population grew to an estimated 4,339 for 2004.-History:...
(1931–1933), and later coached high school teams in Bellville
Bellville, Texas
Bellville is a city in and the county seat of Austin County, Texas, United States, located in the southeastern part of the state. The population was 3,794 at the 2000 census. Bellville was named for Thomas Bell, one of Stephen F. Austin's earliest colonists, after he and his brother James Bell...
(1934–1937), Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
(1938–1941), and Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
(1942–1945). In 15 years as a high school football coach, Stiteler's teams won ten district championships, two regional championships, a Texas state championship with Corpus Christi in 1938, and a tie for another state championship with Waco in 1945. His 1938 Corpus Christi team finished the season 13–0–1, outscored opponents 466–85, and won the state championship in front of 21,000 spectators at the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
. His record from 1934-1938 was 55–1–2. He was the president of the Texas High School Coaches Association in 1942.
Rice Institute
In February 1946, after leading Waco to the Texas football co-championship in 1945, Stiteler was hired by Rice InstituteRice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...
as an assistant football coach. Rice head coach Jess Neely
Jess Neely
Jess C. Neely was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Southwestern University, now Rhodes College , Clemson University , and Rice University , compiling a career college football record of 207–176–19...
hired Stiteler to fill a vacancy created when backfield coach Buster Brannon resigned to take a position at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. Stiteler helped lead the 1946 Rice Owls football
Rice Owls football
The Rice Owls football team represents Rice University in NCAA Division I college football. The Owls have competed in Conference USA's Western Division since 2005. Rice Stadium, built in 1950, hosts the Owls' home football games.-Venue:...
team to a 9-2 record and a victory over the Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers and Lady Volunteers are the National Collegiate Athletic Association college sports teams at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mike Hamilton is the most recent Men's Athletic Director, but resigned on June 7, 2011, and Joan Cronan is the current Women's...
in the Orange Bowl
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935 and celebrated its 75th playing on January 1, 2009...
on January 1, 1947.
Texas A&M
Stiteler returned to his alma mater in July 1947 as the backfield coach for the Texas A&M Aggies footballTexas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
team.
In December 1947, he was hired as the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for the Texas A&M football team following the resignation of Homer Norton. In his first season as head coach, the Aggies failed to win a game, accumulating a record of 0–9–1. For the 1949 season, the Aggies won only one game and had a record of 1–8–1. Despite the poor record in his first two seasons, Stiteler developed a reputation as a good recruiter. In 1950, Stiteler turned the program around with a 7–4 record, including impressive wins over Arkansas
Arkansas Razorbacks football
The Arkansas Razorbacks football program is a college football team that represents the University of Arkansas. The team is a member of the Southeastern Conference's Western Division, which is in Division I's Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
(42–13) and SMU
SMU Mustangs football
The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team that represents Southern Methodist University . The team competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member Conference USA...
(25–20) and a 40–20 win over Georgia
Georgia Bulldogs football
The Georgia Bulldogs football team represents the University of Georgia in football. The Bulldogs are a member of the Southeastern Conference and are frequently a top-25 team. The University of Georgia has had a football team since 1892 and has an all-time record of 738–398–54...
in the Presidential Cup Bowl
Presidential Cup Bowl
The Presidential Cup Game was a postseason American college football bowl game played at Byrd Stadium in College Park, Maryland, on December 9, 1950 between Texas A&M University and University of Georgia....
at Baltimore. The 1950 team had the best record of any Texas A&M football team in the first decade after 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...
(1945–1954).
In December 1950, Stiteler reported that he had been attacked and beaten by a stranger near the Shamrock Hotel in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, where Stiteler had been scheduled to address a group of Texas A&M alumni. Stiteler tried to downplay the incident, but the press reported Stiteler declined to provide details to the police and that there were conflicting versions as to what had happened. The San Antonio Light reported the incident under a banner headline, "MYSTERY SHROUDS STITELER BEATING." In March 1951, Stiteler admitted that he had misrepresented the facts concerning the assault. He reported that he had known his attacker and "the affair was a personal one." Stiteler submitted his letter of resignation to the President of Texas A&M upon revealing the true facts concerning "my affair in Houston." Following the resignation, the members of the football team issued a statement in support of their former coach:
"We believe that whatever happened to Mr. Stiteler was a personal matter and it should have remained that. A lot of us boys came to A. and M. in 1948 not because A. and M. had won games but simply because of Harry Stiteler and his character. He has never ceased to set us that same example in the years we have played and worked for him."
In three years as the head coach at Texas A&M, Stiteler compiled a record of 8-21-2.