Embarrassing...

[techtim72]

Not expert but I don't think that NU was in nearly as good a financial shape in the '70's as it is now. Same thing on the academic excellence front. Certainly a highly respected school and a Midwest Ivy, but the reputation of its grad schools in particular grew in later years. So I suspect Strotz had some logic to his penny pinching.

NU also played big programs in Evanston and in the late '60's and early '70's plenty of top tier programs came to Evanston. The crowds on average were far larger than recent years. Even though Agase had the two big years we also suffered plenty of 50-14 type games over my four years there. Big Ten teams did not play the Eastern Illinois' of the football world. NU was looked at as the perfect opponent to get a little competition but not too much.

 

[hdhntr1]

I was there ‘71-‘75 when NU had a decent program under Alex Agase until he left in ‘72 for his alma mater Purdue. (Alex was born and raised in Evanston.) Then NU Pres. Strotz was not a fan of sports and brought in John Pont and the program began its long slide until Gary Barnett and Randy Walker brought it back to life. I’m pretty sure we had the worst record in nation during the period between post-Alex and pre-Barney. Pretty brutal.

One of his Alma Matters. He was also at IL

 

[hdhntr1]

Not expert but I don't think that NU was in nearly as good a financial shape in the '70's as it is now. Same thing on the academic excellence front. Certainly a highly respected school and a Midwest Ivy, but the reputation of its grad schools in particular grew in later years. So I suspect Strotz had some logic to his penny pinching.

NU also played big programs in Evanston and in the late '60's and early '70's plenty of top tier programs came to Evanston. The crowds on average were far larger than recent years. Even though Agase had the two big years we also suffered plenty of 50-14 type games over my four years there. Big Ten teams did not play the Eastern Illinois' of the football world. NU was looked at as the perfect opponent to get a little competition but not too much.

I believe that we had recently used a big portion of the endowment in the creation of the lakefill. It was done for 1962-1964.

Northwestern University Lakefill - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Fanaticat98]

This is some great history, guys!

 

[Hungry Jack]

The French would say that Pont was a bridge from relevance to the Dark Ages

He tried to be the Pont of no return for football at NU

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

This is some great history, guys!

It pays to have a lot of fossils on this board!

 

[NJCat]

That is why Strotz hired Dennis Green, not to save the football program but to regain lost university donations. The fact that Green was a half decent coach was just an unexpected result. Green was promised that the University would give him a bigger budget with better facilities. When Strotz wouldn’t do so, Green abruptly left and never looked back.

I played a pick-up game against Green in Patton Gym. Dude had a big tush which he used to back-down weak undergrads for easy lay-ups.

 

[ToledoCat]

Thanks for the history. The Lakefill was an amazing success.

 

[docrugby1]

I was there from 68-73. Top seasons were 70 and 71. Agase was a very good coach, Campus protests led to Rocky Miller leaving and after 15 months Strotz was elevated to President in 1970 NU had always been tight witht he budget (that is how they lost Parsegian) but nothing compared to what Strotz did. Strotz was the one that forced out Agase with the limited (read that non existent) support for the program a year after he was promoted,

Much of Pont's success at Indiana was with players brought in by previous coach and after that glorious season it slid back down. That said he was successful there, Not sure if he realized how bad Strotz was or how much he was a willing participant but he was a big part of the destruction of the FB He did not take over the AD position till a couple years after he started as Head FB Coach(but while he was still HC). Unfortunately BB also suffered ( but now where near as badly) Don't remember why Glass left but he was there my first year and was a reasonably good HC

As I recall, Larry Glass resigned and said " If I couldn't win with this team, it was time to go" NU had very good teams in the late 60's but probably underachieved. NU actually had the #1 recruiting class in the nation in '63 or '64. Some of the players from that era included Jim Pitts, Jim Burns, Ron Koslickl, Walt Tiberi ,Mike Weaver, Don Adams, Dale Kelly, Terry Gamber, Dan Davis

Only one team from the B1G made the NCAA Tournament during that time period

The most memorable game from '69 was against UCLA((Lou Alcindor) at the Chicago Stadium. NU had a 10 point lead at the half but could not hold on. NU used 3 centers to pound LA , but shot poorly in the second half.
UCLA featured Alcindor, Wicks ,Rowe, Shackleford, and others, later winning the National Championship

 

[Catreporter]

Pont was also plagued by a black boycott which had begun against him at Indiana. Ironically, as an undergrad and football star at Miami Ohio, he led campus pushback against a Ku Klux Klan appearance on that far southern Ohio campus

 

[CatManTrue]

Pont was also plagued by a black boycott which had begun against him at Indiana. Ironically, as an undergrad and football star at Miami Ohio, he led campus pushback against a Ku Klux Klan appearance on that far southern Ohio campus

John Pont’s grandson, John Pont, has been head coach at D3 Oberlin College since 2023.

John Pont - Football Coach - Oberlin College Athletics

Recruiting Areas Quarterbacks & Offensive Line John Pont will enter his third season as the Oberlin College Head Football Coach in 2025, after being hired in

goyeo.com

 

[hdhntr1]

As I recall, Larry Glass resigned and said " If I couldn't win with this team, it was time to go" NU had very good teams in the late 60's but probably underachieved. NU actually had the #1 recruiting class in the nation in '63 or '64. Some of the players from that era included Jim Pitts, Jim Burns, Ron Koslickl, Walt Tiberi ,Mike Weaver, Don Adams, Dale Kelly, Terry Gamber, Dan Davis

Only one team from the B1G made the NCAA Tournament during that time period

The most memorable game from '69 was against UCLA((Lou Alcindor) at the Chicago Stadium. NU had a 10 point lead at the half but could not hold on. NU used 3 centers to pound LA , but shot poorly in the second half.
UCLA featured Alcindor, Wicks ,Rowe, Shackleford, and others, later winning the National Championship

I was at that game as well at the Stadium. What happened was Alcindor fouled out the three centers and then we could not stay with them

 

[techtim72]

Football at Oberlin. Who would have thunk?

 

[AdamOnFirst]

Football at Oberlin. Who would have thunk?

Football at Oberlin is probably futbol.

 

[hdhntr1]

Football at Oberlin is probably futbol.

Foosball

 

[techtim72]

Oberlin doesn't do cheerleaders. They call them sideline protesters. Mostly signs.

 

[Hungry Jack]

John Pont’s grandson, John Pont, has been head coach at D3 Oberlin College since 2023.

John Pont - Football Coach - Oberlin College Athletics

Recruiting Areas Quarterbacks & Offensive Line John Pont will enter his third season as the Oberlin College Head Football Coach in 2025, after being hired in

goyeo.com

He’s 2-28 there. He’s following grandpa’s footsteps.

 

[Hungry Jack]

Not expert but I don't think that NU was in nearly as good a financial shape in the '70's as it is now. Same thing on the academic excellence front. Certainly a highly respected school and a Midwest Ivy, but the reputation of its grad schools in particular grew in later years. So I suspect Strotz had some logic to his penny pinching.

NU also played big programs in Evanston and in the late '60's and early '70's plenty of top tier programs came to Evanston. The crowds on average were far larger than recent years. Even though Agase had the two big years we also suffered plenty of 50-14 type games over my four years there. Big Ten teams did not play the Eastern Illinois' of the football world. NU was looked at as the perfect opponent to get a little competition but not too much.

Arnold Weber was hired the year I came in . He was a fundraiser, and he had a lot of work to do at NU.

 

[docrugby1]

I was at that game as well at the Stadium. What happened was Alcindor fouled out the three centers and then we could not stay with them

I do not know if you saw UCLA run out to the court before the game, but there were 4' x 8' boards over the ice from the runway to the floor. UCLA players missed the planks and fell in a mass pile on the ice.
Jim Sarno and Jerry Sutton were 2 of the centers but the 3rd escapes me. Dan Davis , Stirling Burke and Don Adams were forwards. Dale Kelly and Terry Gamber were the guards.
Another game that stands out was NU v Kentucky at McGaw. Watching Rupp's warm up drills was like watching the Globetrotters. Ironically, in a tie game, NU took the last shot and lost the game.

 

[hdhntr1]

I do not know if you saw UCLA run out to the court before the game, but there were 4' x 8' boards over the ice from the runway to the floor. UCLA players missed the planks and fell in a mass pile on the ice.
Jim Sarno and Jerry Sutton were 2 of the centers but the 3rd escapes me. Dan Davis , Stirling Burke and Don Adams were forwards. Dale Kelly and Terry Gamber were the guards.
Another game that stands out was NU v Kentucky at McGaw. Watching Rupp's warm up drills was like watching the Globetrotters. Ironically, in a tie game, NU took the last shot and lost the game.

I think the KY game was before my time

 

[Catreporter]

We are 1-14 vs. Kentucky all time. We played them a lot back in the day. Last time was 1977 and McKinney led NU to its only win, 89-77, over a Kentucky team that had won the NIT the year before (when that was still a meaningful tournament). Don't think we've played them since.

 

[No Chores]

I believe that we had recently used a big portion of the endowment in the creation of the lakefill. It was done for 1962-1964.

Northwestern University Lakefill - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Correct. The lakefill campus was being created while I was at NU, but here were no buildings on it when I graduated in 1965. Even when I went back for my 60th reunion in 2025 I was amazed to see what the lakefill campus had become. Of course I was equally amazed when I went back for my annual visits in previous years.

 

[CatManTrue]

He’s 2-28 there. He’s following grandpa’s footsteps.

John Pont’s record isn’t just 2-28: he’s gone 1-9, 1-9, 0-10 with a number of UGLY blowouts to mid-tier D3 teams.

He’s as bad a football mind as his grandfather, if not somehow worse.

Thankfully D3 football players remain unpaid, and thus “pure blood” collegiate athletes. Right @bringbacktherantboard ?

2025 Football Schedule - Oberlin College Athletics

The official 2025 Football schedule for the Oberlin College Yeomen and Yeowomen

goyeo.com

 

[hdhntr1]

Correct. The lakefill campus was being created while I was at NU, but here were no buildings on it when I graduated in 1965. Even when I went back for my 60th reunion in 2025 I was amazed to see what the lakefill campus had become. Of course I was equally amazed when I went back for my annual visits in previous years.

They were beginning to build when I got there in 1968 and I believe the library was the first building, The land wasn't settled so over the years the library sank a bit,

 

[hdhntr1]

John Pont’s record isn’t just 2-28: he’s gone 1-9, 1-9, 0-10 with a number of UGLY blowouts to mid-tier D3 teams.

He’s as bad a football mind as his grandfather, if not somehow worse.

Thankfully D3 football players remain unpaid, and thus “pure blood” collegiate athletes. Right @bringbacktherantboard ?

2025 Football Schedule - Oberlin College Athletics

The official 2025 Football schedule for the Oberlin College Yeomen and Yeowomen

goyeo.com

Be careful of saying that the original John Pont who came to NU was a bad coach. He was from the cradle of coaches Miami of Ohio and did well there and at Yale. He took Indiana to their only Rose Bowl prior to this year. It was more that in the BIG, he was at places that were known for lack of institutional support. Cannot talk for Indiana but reality is that till this last couple years, they were never know for their institutional support (for FB). And at NU, funding was always low but it was cut even further from there (relative to other BIG programs at least) during the end of Agase's tenure and even further during Pont's.

Strotz was awful and he was head of NU for the entire time Pont was at NU. Pont was a decent enough coach but everything else at NU was aimed at gutting FB

 

[CatManTrue]

Be careful of saying that the original John Pont who came to NU was a bad coach. He was from the cradle of coaches Miami of Ohio and did well there and at Yale. He took Indiana to their only Rose Bowl prior to this year. It was more that in the BIG, he was at places that were known for lack of institutional support. Cannot talk for Indiana but reality is that till this last couple years, they were never know for their institutional support (for FB). And at NU, funding was always low but it was cut even further from there (relative to other BIG programs at least) during the end of Agase's tenure and even further during Pont's.

Strotz was awful and he was head of NU for the entire time Pont was at NU. Pont was a decent enough coach but everything else at NU was aimed at gutting FB

Pont had one amazing season at Indiana (their only Rose Bowl appearance) followed by a mediocre one in 1968, which was his last winning season as a HC. He was also not of the caliber of most Miami OH coaches (Walker had much more success at NU).

I don’t doubt that Strotz was awful. But Pont was too, and his namesake is awful

 

[hdhntr1]

Pont had one amazing season at Indiana (their only Rose Bowl appearance) followed by a mediocre one in 1968, which was his last winning season as a HC. He was also not of the caliber of most Miami OH coaches (Walker had much more success at NU).

I don’t doubt that Strotz was awful. But Pont was too, and his namesake is awful

I am just suggesting that Pont was not as bad a coach as you suggest, Till Cignetti, Ind had not had a coach with an overall winning record since the 40s, Nobody really succeeded there. (Mallory came the closest) And what Strotz did doomed the program, In FB it is more about the Jimmys and Joes than the Xs and Os and both programs made getting them pretty difficult. Strotz wanted FB gone, There was zero institutional support which is why Agase left,

I can blame Pont for a lot but I don't think he was that bad a coach. And I say that having been there for his first season, I had graduated but was still able to go to games in 73.

 

[NU'06er]

I am just suggesting that Pont was not as bad a coach as you suggest, Till Cignetti, Ind had not had a coach with an overall winning record since the 40s, Nobody really succeeded there. (Mallory came the closest) And what Strotz did doomed the program, In FB it is more about the Jimmys and Joes than the Xs and Os and both programs made getting them pretty difficult. Strotz wanted FB gone, There was zero institutional support which is why Agase left,

I can blame Pont for a lot but I don't think he was that bad a coach. And I say that having been there for his first season, I had graduated but was still able to go to games in 73.

It's hard to disentangle the institutional effect from the coaching prowess or lack thereof for various coaches from that era.

Dennis Green of all people has one of the worst career winning percentages at Northwestern in school history (.182, good for 27th of 30) and I don't think anyone would say he was a bad coach. (Pont at .218 is 25th.) Years ago, HailtoPurple had a coaches ranking that had A.A. Ewing last with the amusing anecdote that Ewing actually played for the University of Chicago in a game against Northwestern when he was still technically recorded as Northwestern's coach: https://hailtopurple.com/features/coachlist.html . I'd say that's a pretty strong argument for worst ever...

 

[prez77]

They were beginning to build when I got there in 1968 and I believe the library was the first building, The land wasn't settled so over the years the library sank a bit,

It was because they didn’t account for the weight of the books

 

[hdhntr1]

It was because they didn’t account for the weight of the books

Yep.

 

[hdhntr1]

It's hard to disentangle the institutional effect from the coaching prowess or lack thereof for various coaches from that era.

Dennis Green of all people has one of the worst career winning percentages at Northwestern in school history (.182, good for 27th of 30) and I don't think anyone would say he was a bad coach. (Pont at .218 is 25th.) Years ago, HailtoPurple had a coaches ranking that had A.A. Ewing last with the amusing anecdote that Ewing actually played for the University of Chicago in a game against Northwestern when he was still technically recorded as Northwestern's coach: https://hailtopurple.com/features/coachlist.html . I'd say that's a pretty strong argument for worst ever...

One thing you can do is look at what he did at MoO where he was pretty successful with a couple MAC championships. Followed up by Yale, (Not sure why that move) Add in that he was an improvement for Dickens at IND and actually got them to RB. Pretty reasonable to see why he was brought to NU when Agase left

 

[hdhntr1]

Pont had one amazing season at Indiana (their only Rose Bowl appearance) followed by a mediocre one in 1968, which was his last winning season as a HC. He was also not of the caliber of most Miami OH coaches (Walker had much more success at NU).

I don’t doubt that Strotz was awful. But Pont was too, and his namesake is awful

You have no clue,. Walker had an TON more support than Pont ever had. Especially after Barnett success showed the benefits. Still not up to the levels of many other schools in the BIG but good for NU a heck of a lot more than what Pont ever saw, I was there both periods. It was not even close. Strotz wanted FB gone, and gutted all support .

Both Pont and Walker had very similar backgrounds,. Both were Running Backs for Miami of Ohio (Ponet even had his number there retired) and eventually became HC at MoO. Their records there were also pretty similar. All in all they were similar in level of coaching but one had institutional support and the other did not.

 

[WestCoastWildcat]

One worrisome aspect of the Strotz era was there was discussion of NU leaving the BigTen which would have been a disaster for NU and our sports program. Losing Alex Agase to Purdue (he had been at NU for 9 solid seasons) because of lack of institutional support/funding was the start of the dark ages for NU sports.

FWIW- Rick Telander, former NU dback/sportswriter who played under Coach Agase wrote the obituary below about Alex when he passed away in 2007.

Obituary information for Alexander Agase

View Alexander Agase's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

www.donnellanfuneral.com

 

[bringbacktherantboard]

Thankfully D3 football players remain unpaid, and thus “pure blood” collegiate athletes. Right @bringbacktherantboard ?

They play for the love of the game.

 

[hdhntr1]

One worrisome aspect of the Strotz era was there was discussion of NU leaving the BigTen which would have been a disaster for NU and our sports program. Losing Alex Agase to Purdue (he had been at NU for 9 solid seasons) because of lack of institutional support/funding was the start of the dark ages for NU sports.

FWIW- Rick Telander, former NU dback/sportswriter who played under Coach Agase wrote the obituary below about Alex when he passed away in 2007.

Obituary information for Alexander Agase

View Alexander Agase's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

www.donnellanfuneral.com

Strotz did not even deserve to lick his boots

I remember seeing him after as an assistant (unpaid I think) at Mich years after he left NU