Wilfred Joseph "Dukes" Duford(June 11, 1898 – May 8, 1981) was an Americancollege footballplayer, coach, and universityathletic director.He was the head football coach atSaint Louis University,Saint Ambrose University,and theUniversity of Saint Mary (Kansas).
![]() Duford during his tenure at Saint Louis | |
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Menomonie, Wisconsin,U.S. | June 11, 1898
Died | May 8, 1981 Clayton, Missouri,U.S. | (aged 82)
Playing career | |
Football | |
1921–1923 | Marquette |
1924 | Green Bay Packers |
Position(s) | Halfback |
Coaching career (HCunless noted) | |
Football | |
1929–1930 | St. Mary's (KS) |
1931–1939 | St. Ambrose |
1940–1947 | Saint Louis |
Basketball | |
1931–1939 | St. Ambrose |
1944–1945 | Saint Louis |
Administrative career (ADunless noted) | |
1940-1947 | Saint Louis |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 92–50–9 (football) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
Football 1Iowa Conference(1937) | |
Biography
editDuford was born on June 11, 1898, inMenomonie, Wisconsin.[1]Duford attended Niagara High School[2]andMarquette University,where he played football, baseball, and basketball.[3][4]Duford lettered in basketball from 1921 to 1923.[5]He graduated in 1924.[3]
After college, he played professional football in theNational Football League(NFL) for one season with theGreen Bay Packers.He saw action in three games in 1924 as ahalfback.[1]
Duford began his college football coaching career with a two-year stint at theUniversity of Saint MaryinKansas.He then moved on toSaint Ambrose UniversityinIowa,where he coached from 1931 to 1939.[6]During his tenure there, Saint Ambrose posted a 60–10–7 record.[3]
Impressed by his winning record,St. Ambrose Universitysigned Duford to a multi-year contract as its football coach. Duford served as both the head football coach and athletic director at Saint Louis from 1940 to 1947.[6]He also served as the basketball coach for the 1944–45 season and posted an 11–6 record.[7]Duford and his staff resigned from Saint Louis after the 1947 season in which the football team amassed a 4–6 record.[8]In his autobiography,Memories of a Hall of Fame Sportswriter,Bob Broegcalled Duford his "candidate for the most noble coach of all."[9]
In 1966, Duford was working as the Commissioner of the St. Louis Council on Human Relations,[10]which was set up to facilitate racial integration of the city.[11]Duford returned to Saint Louis University as its interim athletic director in 1967.[6]Duford was inducted into the Saint Louis University's Billiken Hall of Fame in 1995.[12]
Duford died at his Missouri home in 1981 of a heart ailment.[13]
Head coaching record
editFootball
editYear | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
St. Mary's Irish(Independent)(1929–1930) | |||||||||
1929 | St. Mary's | 2–5–2 | |||||||
1930 | St. Mary's | 6–3 | |||||||
St. Mary's: | 8–8–2 | ||||||||
St. Ambrose Saints / Fighting Bees(Iowa Conference)(1931–1939) | |||||||||
1931 | St. Ambrose | 9–1 | 6–1 | 2nd | |||||
1932 | St. Ambrose | 5–1–2 | 5–1–1 | 7th | |||||
1933 | St. Ambrose | 4–4 | 4–2 | T–3rd | |||||
1934 | St. Ambrose | 6–2 | 5–0 | 2nd | |||||
1935 | St. Ambrose | 7–1 | 4–0 | 2nd | |||||
1936 | St. Ambrose | 8–0–1 | 4–0–1 | 2nd | |||||
1937 | St. Ambrose | 8–0 | 5–0 | T–1st | |||||
1938 | St. Ambrose | 7–0–1 | 3–0 | 2nd | |||||
1939 | St. Ambrose | 6–1–1 | 2–0 | 3rd | |||||
St. Ambrose: | 60–10–5 | 38–4–2 | |||||||
Saint Louis Billikens(Missouri Valley Conference)(1940–1947) | |||||||||
1940 | Saint Louis | 3–6–1 | 2–3 | 5th | |||||
1941 | Saint Louis | 4–5–1 | 1–3–1 | 4th | |||||
1942 | Saint Louis | 4–5 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
1943 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
1944 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
1945 | Saint Louis | 5–4 | 0–1 | 5th | |||||
1946 | Saint Louis | 4–6 | 1–1 | T–3rd | |||||
1947 | Saint Louis | 4–6 | 1–1 | 3rd | |||||
Saint Louis: | 24–32–2 | 7–12–1 | |||||||
Total: | 92–50–9 | ||||||||
National championshipConference titleConference division title or championship game berth |
Basketball
editSeason | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Saint Louis Billikens(Missouri Valley Conference)(1944–1945) | |||||||||
1944–45 | Saint Louis | 10–4 | [Note A] | [Note A] | |||||
Total: | 10–4 (.714) |
- ^A.The MVC also cancelled the season due to World War II.
References
edit- ^abDukes Duford,Pro Football Reference, retrieved June 24, 2010.
- ^Dukes DufordArchivedJune 10, 2011, at theWayback Machine,Database Football, retrieved July 1, 2010.
- ^abcSt. Louis Signs Dukes Duford; Marquette Graduate Given Long Contract Because of St. Ambrose Record[permanent dead link],The Milwaukee Journal,January 31, 1940.
- ^A miss and a tip[permanent dead link],The Milwaukee Journal,December 13, 1979.
- ^All-Time LetterwinnersArchived2010-02-08 at theWayback Machine,Marquette University, retrieved June 25, 2010.
- ^abcFormer Coach Duford Named By St. Louis[permanent dead link],The Milwaukee Journal,June 3, 1967.
- ^Billiken CoachesArchived2012-11-12 at theWayback Machine(PDF),2007-08 Men's Basketball Media Guide,p. 128, Saint Louis University, 2007.
- ^Dukes Duford Out As Billikens CoachArchived2016-07-01 at theWayback Machine,December 6, 1947.
- ^Bob Broeg,Bob Broeg: Memories of a Hall of Fame Sportswriter,p. 148, 1995,ISBN1-57167-010-6.
- ^HOUSING EQUALITY HITS A RAW NERVE; In St. Louis, as in Other Big Cities, the Idea of a Negro Neighbor Stirs Anxiety,The New York Times,September 20, 1966.
- ^Victory without violence: the first ten years of the St. Louis Committee of Racial Equality (CORE), 1947-1957,p. 86, 2003,ISBN0-8262-1303-0.
- ^Billiken Hall of Fame MembersArchivedJuly 16, 2011, at theWayback Machine,Saint Louis University, retrieved July 1, 2010.
- ^"Ex-SLU director dies",Pacific Stars and Stripes,Tuesday, May 12, 1981, Tokyo, Japan, Japan
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information fromNFL.com·Pro Football Reference
- Dukes DufordatFind a Grave