Emil Liston
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Stockton, Missouri,U.S. | August 21, 1890
Died | October 26, 1949 Baldwin, Kansas,U.S. | (aged 59)
Playing career | |
Football | |
c. 1912 | Baker |
Baseball | |
1914 | Emporia Bidwells |
1916 | Wichita Witches/Colorado Springs Millionaires |
Coaching career (HCunless noted) | |
Football | |
1918–1919 | Wesleyan |
1920–1937 | Baker |
1940–1942 | Baker |
Basketball | |
1911–1913 | Baldwin HS (KS) |
1918–1920 | Wesleyan |
1920–1946 | Baker |
Administrative career (ADunless noted) | |
1916–1918 | Michigan Mines |
1918–1920 | Wesleyan |
?–1946 | Baker |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 107–69–18 (college football) 239–211 (college basketball) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
Football 7KCAC(1922, 1927–1928, 1934, 1937, 1941–1942) | |
Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 1975 (profile) | |
College Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 |
Emil Smith "Liz" Liston(August 21, 1890 – October 26, 1949) was an American athletic coach and administrator. He coachedbasketball,footballandbaseballatWesleyan UniversityandBaker University.He was the founder of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics,organized theNAIA college basketball tournamentin 1937 and served as the first executive director of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Basketball(predecessor to the NAIA) from 1940 to 1949. He was posthumously inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famein 1975.
Early years
[edit]A native ofStockton, Missouri,Liston attendedBaker Universityin Kansas. From 1916 to 1918, he was the athletic director at Michigan College of Mines (which is now known asMichigan Technological University). According to some accounts, he also played football at Michigan College of Mines.[1]
Wesleyan
[edit]In September 1918, Liston was hired byWesleyan Universityas coach of the school'sfootball team.[2][3]He left Wesleyan in June 1919 to play professional baseball for theWichita, Kansasteam in theWestern League.[4]After spending the summer playing baseball in Wichita, Liston returned to Wesleyan as the head football coach in the fall of 1919.[5][6]In two years as Wesleyan's football coach, Liston compiled a 10–3 record. His.769 winning percentage at Wesleyan remains the highest of any Wesleyan football coach with at least ten games as coach.[7]Liston also coached the basketball and baseball teams at Wesleyan.[8][9]In April 1920, Liston announced his resignation from Wesleyan.[9]
Baker
[edit]After resigning from Wesleyan, Liston announced he was through with the coaching profession and that it was his intention to move to Kansas to work on the farm of his father-in-law.[10]
He returned to coaching in 1920 withBaker UniversityinBaldwin City, Kansas.He coached both football and basketball at Baker. He was the coach of the basketball team from 1930 to 1945 and led the school to Kansas Conference championships in 1930 and 1937.[11]He also coached Baker's football teams and was for many years the school's winningest football coach with 97 wins; the career wins record was broken in 1992 byCharlie Richard.[12]
The university named their football stadiumListon Stadiumin his honor.[13]
NAIA/NAIB
[edit]Liston was also the founder of theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics,[14]organized theNAIAcollege basketball tournament, and a close friend ofJames Naismith.[11]In 1945, Liston resigned his coaching position at Baker University to become the NAIB's first executive director; he held that position until his death in 1949.[11]He was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famein 1975.[14]Liston's biography at the Basketball Hall of Fame states: "With sheer initiative, drive, and foresight, Emil Liston fought for uniformity and equality in college athletics. A dedicated administrator, Liston envisioned a small college, national tournament and organized the NAIB (now known as the NAIA). The first NAIA tournament was played in Kansas City with an eight-team field in 1937."[11]
Later years and death
[edit]Liston died of a heart attack, on October 26, 1949, while reading at his home inBaldwin, Kansas.[15]
Head coaching record
[edit]College football
[edit]Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wesleyan Methodists(Independent)(1918–1919) | |||||||||
1918 | Wesleyan | 4–2 | |||||||
1919 | Wesleyan | 6–1 | |||||||
Wesleyan: | 10–3 | ||||||||
Baker Wildcats(Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference)(1920–1937) | |||||||||
1920 | Baker | 5–4 | 4–3 | T–5th | |||||
1921 | Baker | 5–3–1 | 4–3–1 | T–6th | |||||
1922 | Baker | 8–1 | 7–1 | 1st | |||||
1923 | Baker | 4–1–4 | 3–1–4 | T–4th | |||||
1924 | Baker | 4–5 | 3–5 | T–11th | |||||
1925 | Baker | 4–3–1 | 3–3–1 | T–8th | |||||
1926 | Baker | 3–3–2 | 2–3–2 | 10th | |||||
1927 | Baker | 7–0–1 | 6–0–1 | T–1st | |||||
1928 | Baker | 6–0–2 | 5–0–2 | 1st | |||||
1929 | Baker | 5–3–1 | 2–2–1 | 3rd | |||||
1930 | Baker | 5–4 | 4–1 | 2nd | |||||
1931 | Baker | 2–5–2 | 1–2–1 | T–4th | |||||
1932 | Baker | 4–4–1 | 2–2 | 3rd | |||||
1933 | Baker | 2–7 | 1–3 | 4th | |||||
1934 | Baker | 4–4–1 | 4–1 | T–1st | |||||
1935 | Baker | 3–4–2 | 3–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
1936 | Baker | 2–6 | 1–4 | 5th | |||||
1937 | Baker | 5–4 | 4–1 | 1st | |||||
Baker Wildcats(Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference)(1940–1942) | |||||||||
1940 | Baker | 5–3 | 4–2 | 2nd | |||||
1941 | Baker | 7–2 | 5–1 | 1st | |||||
1942 | Baker | 7–0 | 6–0 | 1st | |||||
Baker: | 97–66–18 | 74–39–14 | |||||||
Total: | 107–69–18 | ||||||||
National championshipConference titleConference division title or championship game berth |
References
[edit]- ^"Liston to Coach Wesleyan".The New York Tribune.August 22, 1919.
- ^"E.S. LISTON TO HELP COACH AT WESLEYAN".The Christian Science Monitor.September 26, 1918.
- ^"LISTON MAKING GOOD AS WESLEYAN COACH: Received Brief Trial with Hartford Club Last Season".The Hartford Courant.March 12, 1919.
- ^"LISTON LEAVES WESLEYAN".The Christian Science Monitor.June 18, 1919.
- ^"START WORK AT WESLEYAN.; Many Veteran Players Take Part in First Football Practice"(PDF).The New York Times.September 3, 1919.
- ^"SELECTED TO COACH WESLEYAN FOOTBALL".The Hartford Courant.August 23, 1919.
- ^"ALL-TIME COACHING RECORDS".Wesleyan University. Archived fromthe originalon June 1, 2010.RetrievedJune 11,2010.
- ^"Wesleyan For Basketball".The Christian Science Monitor.December 14, 1918.
- ^ab"Liston to Leave Wesleyan"(PDF).The New York Times.April 20, 1920.
- ^"Wesleyan Baseball Coach Quits"(PDF).The New York Times.June 19, 1920.
- ^abcd"Hall of Famers: Emil S. Liston".Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2017.RetrievedJune 12,2010.
- ^Andrew Hartsock (September 13, 1992)."Wildcats win return of Sheldon, Richard".Lawrence Journal-World.
- ^Newton, Allysha (October 28, 2011)."Liston name lives on".Baker Orange. Archived fromthe originalon June 12, 2013.RetrievedApril 1,2013.
- ^ab"NAIA founder added to Hall".Gadsden Times.April 29, 1975.
- ^"Emil S. Liston Dies".The Kansas City Times.Kansas City, Missouri.October 27, 1949. p. 39.RetrievedJuly 7,2017– viaNewspapers.com.
External links
[edit]- Emil Listonat theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information fromBaseball Reference (Minors)
- Emil ListonatFind a Grave
- 1890 births
- 1949 deaths
- Baker Wildcats athletic directors
- Baker Wildcats football coaches
- Baker Wildcats football players
- Baker Wildcats men's basketball coaches
- Colorado Springs Millionaires players
- Emporia Bidwells players
- Michigan Tech Huskies athletic directors
- Michigan Tech Huskies football players
- Wesleyan Cardinals athletic directors
- Wesleyan Cardinals baseball coaches
- Wesleyan Cardinals men's basketball coaches
- Wesleyan Cardinals football coaches
- Wichita Witches players
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- High school basketball coaches in the United States
- People from Baldwin City, Kansas
- People from Stockton, Missouri
- Coaches of American football from Missouri
- Players of American football from Missouri
- Basketball coaches from Missouri