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John Pont

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John Pont
Biographical details
Born(1927-11-13)November 13, 1927
Canton, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJuly 1, 2008(2008-07-01) (aged 80)
Oxford, Ohio, U.S.
Playing career
1949–1951Miami (OH)
1952Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers
Position(s)Halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1953–1955Miami (OH) (assistant)
1956–1962Miami (OH)
1963–1964Yale
1965–1972Indiana
1973–1977Northwestern
1984–1989Hamilton HS (OH)
1990–1992Mount St. Joseph
1990–2004ROCBULL (X-League)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1975–1980Northwestern
Head coaching record
Overall107–141–4 (college)
Bowls0–2
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 MAC (1957–1958)
1 Big Ten (1967)
Awards
Imperial Oil Trophy (1952)
AFCA Coach of the Year (1967)
Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1967)
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1967)
Sporting News College Football COY (1967)
Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1967)
Miami RedHawks No. 42 retired

John Pont (November 13, 1927 – July 1, 2008) was an American football player and coach. He served as head football coach at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, from 1956 to 1962, Yale University from 1963 to 1964, Indiana University Bloomington from 1965 to 1972, Northwestern University from 1973 to 1977, and Mount St. Joseph University in Delhi, Ohio, from 1990 to 1992, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 107–141–4.

Early life

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Pont was born on November 13, 1927, in Canton, Ohio, to Bautista and Suzannah Pont.[1] He graduated from Timken High School in Canton. As an undergraduate at Miami University, Pont was an outstanding halfback, playing for coaches Woody Hayes and Ara Parseghian, and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. After a serving a tour as a Navy submariner, Pont played professional football in Canada. He and several of his "Cradle of Coaches" compatriots are the subject of the book Fields of Honor, written by Pont's niece, Sally Pont.

Career

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Playing

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After playing college football at Miami University, Pont went to Canada and played with Toronto Balmy Beach Beachers of the Ontario Rugby Football Union, where he won the Imperial Oil Trophy as league MVP in 1952.[2]

Coaching

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He was the only Indiana University coach to take a team to the Rose Bowl. Later in his career, Pont was recruited to start a football program at Cincinnati's College of Mount St. Joseph. He later served as coach and consultant in creating a semi-professional football league in Japan.[3] He was honored as NCAA Division I-A coach of the year in 1967, the year his Hoosiers appeared in the Rose Bowl. He was a member of the Cradle of Coaches and the Miami and Indiana Athletic Halls of Fame as well as Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.

Despite rumors that he would stay at Indiana, Pont signed a five-year contract to succeed Alex Agase at Northwestern University on December 23, 1972.[4] He announced on November 14, 1977, that he would remain as athletic director while relinquishing his head coaching duties effective at the end of the season.[5] Rick Venturi succeeded him seventeen days later on December 1.[6] Both Pont and Venturi were dismissed on November 18, 1980, after the Wildcats went 1–31–1 within a three-year span culminating with a 0–11 campaign and a twenty-game losing streak.[7] Additionally, all but one of the black players on the football team had protested against the unequal treatment of African-American student athletes within the program.[8]

Death

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Pont's number 42 displayed at Yager Stadium. Pont is one of four football players to have his number retired by Miami University.

Pont died at his home in Oxford, Ohio, on July 1, 2008.

Head coaching record

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College

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Miami Redskins (Mid-American Conference) (1956–1962)
1956 Miami 7–1–1 4–0–1 2nd
1957 Miami 6–3 5–0 1st
1958 Miami 6–3 5–0 1st
1959 Miami 5–4 3–2 3rd
1960 Miami 5–5 2–3 4th
1961 Miami 6–4 3–2 3rd
1962 Miami 8–2–1 3–1–1 3rd L Tangerine
Miami: 43–22–2 25–8–2
Yale Bulldogs (Ivy League) (1963–1964)
1963 Yale 6–3 4–3 T–4th
1964 Yale 6–2–1 4–2–1 3rd
Yale: 12–5–1 8–5–1
Indiana Hoosiers (Big Ten Conference) (1965–1972)
1965 Indiana 2–8 1–6 9th
1966 Indiana 1–8–1 1–5–1 9th
1967 Indiana 9–2 6–1 T–1st L Rose 6 4
1968 Indiana 6–4 4–3 T–5th
1969 Indiana 4–6 3–4 T–5th
1970 Indiana 1–9 1–6 T–9th
1971 Indiana 3–8 2–6 9th
1972 Indiana 5–6 3–5 T–6th
Indiana: 31–51–1 21–36–1
Northwestern Wildcats (Big Ten Conference) (1973–1977)
1973 Northwestern 5–6 4–4 T–4th
1974 Northwestern 2–8 2–6 T–7th
1975 Northwestern 3–8 2–6 9th
1976 Northwestern 1–10 1–7 10th
1977 Northwestern 1–10 1–8 10th
Northwestern: 12–43 10–31
Mount St. Joseph Lions (NAIA Division II independent) (1990–1992)
1990 Mount St. Joseph 1–9
1991 Mount St. Joseph 4–6
1992 Mount St. Joseph 4–5
Mount St. Joseph: 9–20
Total: 107–141–4
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ "Legendary Miami Player and Coach John Pont Passes Away". Miami Ohio Official Athletic Site. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 21, 2010.
  2. ^ Imps Place 9 on All Stars, Jack Sullivan, Ottawa Citizen, November 15, 1952
  3. ^ Goldstein, Richard (July 3, 2008). "John Pont, Who Coached Indiana to Rose Bowl, Dies at 80". The New York Times. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  4. ^ "Pont Leaves Indiana Post To Coach at Northwestern," The New York Times, Sunday, December 24, 1972. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  5. ^ "Pont Quitting as Northwestern Coach," The Associated Press (AP), Monday, November 14, 1977. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  6. ^ "People in Sports...," The New York Times, Friday, December 2, 1977. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  7. ^ Rosen, Ron. "Griffith Wallows in Record Red Ink," The Washington Post, Wednesday, November 19, 1980. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  8. ^ Monaghan, Shane. "35 years before Missouri, Northwestern athletes pushed for racial equality," Medill Reports Chicago (Northwestern University), Wednesday, November 25, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
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