Don Larson (American football)
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1926 Princeton, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1994 Normal, Illinois, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1946–1949 | Illinois Wesleyan |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1954–1986 | Illinois Wesleyan |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 166–121–6 (football) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 5 CCI/CCIW (1964, 1965, 1974, 1977, 1980) | |
| Awards | |
| Football CCIW Coach of the Year (1977, 1980) 6× NAIA District 20 Coach of the Year | |
Don "Swede" Larson (c. 1926 – November 29, 1994) was an American college football coach. He was the head football coach at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, for 33 years from 1954 to 1986. He compiled a career record of 166–121–6 and led the team to conference championships in 1964 and 1965, and conference co-championships in 1974, 1977, and 1980. He was selected as the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Coach Of The Year in 1977 and 1980. He also played football at Illinois Wesleyan and was captain of the 1949 Illinois Wesleyan football team. He also coached the tennis, track, golf, and swimming teams at Illinois Wesleyan.[1][2][3][4][5]
Head coaching record[edit]
Football[edit]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Wesleyan Titans (College Conference of Illinois / College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) (1954–1986) | |||||||||
| 1954 | Illinois Wesleyan | 5–3 | 4–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1955 | Illinois Wesleyan | 6–3 | 5–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1956 | Illinois Wesleyan | 3–5–1 | 3–3–1 | T–4th | |||||
| 1957 | Illinois Wesleyan | 1–7–1 | 1–5–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1958 | Illinois Wesleyan | 4–4 | 4–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1959 | Illinois Wesleyan | 6–3 | 5–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 1960 | Illinois Wesleyan | 7–2 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1961 | Illinois Wesleyan | 2–7 | 1–5 | 6th | |||||
| 1962 | Illinois Wesleyan | 4–5 | 4–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1963 | Illinois Wesleyan | 6–3 | 4–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1964 | Illinois Wesleyan | 7–1–1 | 5–0–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1965 | Illinois Wesleyan | 8–0 | 6–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1966 | Illinois Wesleyan | 5–3 | 4–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1967 | Illinois Wesleyan | 7–2 | 5–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1968 | Illinois Wesleyan | 6–3 | 5–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1969 | Illinois Wesleyan | 3–6 | 3–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 1970 | Illinois Wesleyan | 5–3–1 | 5–2–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1971 | Illinois Wesleyan | 5–4 | 5–3 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1972 | Illinois Wesleyan | 4–5 | 4–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1973 | Illinois Wesleyan | 5–4 | 5–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1974 | Illinois Wesleyan | 8–1 | 7–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1975 | Illinois Wesleyan | 4–4–1 | 4–3–1 | 6th | |||||
| 1976 | Illinois Wesleyan | 6–3 | 5–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1977 | Illinois Wesleyan | 6–3 | 6–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 1978 | Illinois Wesleyan | 4–5 | 3–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1979 | Illinois Wesleyan | 7–2 | 6–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1980 | Illinois Wesleyan | 7–2 | 6–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 1981 | Illinois Wesleyan | 3–6 | 3–5 | T–4th | |||||
| 1982 | Illinois Wesleyan | 4–5 | 4–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1983 | Illinois Wesleyan | 5–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1984 | Illinois Wesleyan | 5–4 | 5–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1985 | Illinois Wesleyan | 3–6 | 3–5 | 5th | |||||
| 1986 | Illinois Wesleyan | 5–3–1 | 4–3–1 | T–4th | |||||
| Illinois Wesleyan: | 166–121–6 | 142–89–6 | |||||||
| Total: | 166–121–6 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References[edit]
- ^ "Don Larson, 1949 Captain, New Football Coach: Wesleyan Picks Princeton Man To Handle Team". The Pantagraph. April 19, 1954. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wesleyan football family fetes Larson". The Pantagraph. May 10, 1987. p. D1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Larson, IWU football part company". The Pantagraph. November 19, 1986. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jim Barnhart (November 21, 1986). "Larson resignation not fair to coach". The Pantagraph. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Larson remembered as 'caring' coach, full of pride for IWU: Winningest Titan football coach dies at 68". The Pantagraph. November 30, 1994. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
Categories:
- 1920s births
- 1994 deaths
- Illinois Wesleyan Titans football coaches
- Illinois Wesleyan Titans football players
- College golf coaches in the United States
- College swimming coaches in the United States
- College tennis coaches in the United States
- College track and field coaches in Illinois
- People from Princeton, Illinois
- Coaches of American football from Illinois
- Players of American football from Illinois
- Tennis coaches from Illinois