Pappy Waldorf

Lynn Osbert "Pappy" Waldorf (October 3, 1902 – August 15, 1981) was an American college football player and coach.

As a collegiate athlete, Waldorf played tackle for Syracuse University from 1922 to 1924 and was named an All American in each of those three years.

He graduated with degrees in sociology and psychology.

Waldorf coached from 1925 to 1956, serving as the head football coach at Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma State University, Kansas State University, Northwestern University, and the University of California, Berkeley.

Waldorf's career coaching record was 174–100–22.

In 1925 he married his wife, Louise McKay.

In 1925 Waldorf was hired as an athletic director at Oklahoma City University, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

He was able to get the job through his father, a Methodist bishop.

Waldorf also became the head coach for football, basketball, and track teams.

He was paid $4,000 per year, a substantial salary for that time.

As a coach Waldorf emphasized the fundamentals of blocking and tackling as well as each player's involvement in practice.

In his three years as the head coach he was able to turn the one-win and seven-loss Oklahoma City Goldbugs into and an eight-win, one-loss and two-tie shared Collegiate Conference champion.

As an athletic director and administrator Waldorf was successful in funding and constructing sports facilities as well generating new income through scheduling games against powerhouse opponents.

He left Oklahoma City in 1927.

After leaving the Goldbugs, Waldorf served one year as an assistant coach at the University of Kansas.

In 1928, the year before Waldorf's arrival, the team won only one game and lost the other seven.

They lost their rivalry game against University of Oklahoma forty six to nothing.

In his first year Waldorf's team won four, lost three and tied Oklahoma seven to seven.

The year after that Oklahoma A&M won seven games including, beating Oklahoma seven to nothing.

In 1929, after one year at Kansas, the 26 year old Waldorf became the head coach at the Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical University.

Oklahoma A&M is now called the Oklahoma State University at Stillwater and is also known as OSU.

He coached there from 1929 to 1933.

As a coach Waldorf emphasized the same blocking and tackling fundamentals as he did at Oklahoma City.

He hired Albert Exendine as the backfield assistant coach, who was at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School under Pop Warner.

Waldorf's and Exedine's cooperation brought forth one of the significant innovations in football, they developed a precursor to future development of individual position substitutions as well as separate offensive and defensive units.

Several backfield groups were created, consisting of quarterback, fullback and two halfbacks.

These groups where then rotated in between plays depending on the on field situation.

As a coach, Waldorf became known for putting the players through hard work and discipline as well as encouraging them through mentoring and humor.

This approach to coaching had an immediate effect.

From 1929 to 1933 Waldorf went 34–10–7, winning three Missouri Valley Conference championships.

He never lost to Oklahoma, with the Cowboys holding their arch-rivals scoreless for 19 quarters in a row.

Waldorf's reputation was soaring and he was actively recruited by other universities.

In 1931, in order to deal with the significant financial difficulties brought by the Great Depression, Waldorf took on the responsibilities of the university's athletic director.

Previously, Waldorf had already brought administrative changes, such as installation of stadium lights to play night games, as well as holding some games on Fridays.

Following 1931, Oklahoma A&M could not maintain his salary and had to decrease it.

He received the first national collegiate football coach of the year award in 1935.

Waldorf became known for his motivational coaching, connection with his players and the extremely organized and consistent coaching technique.

He won conference titles with each of the five teams that he coached.

Waldorf was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

Waldorf, a son of Methodist bishop Ernest Lynn Waldorf, was born in Clifton Springs, New York.