Hugo Bezdek

Hugo Bezdek
Biographical details
Born(1884-04-01)April 1, 1884
Prague, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary
DiedSeptember 19, 1952(1952-09-19) (aged 68)
Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1904–1905Chicago
Position(s)Fullback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1906Oregon
1907Chicago (assistant)
1908–1912Arkansas
1913–1916Oregon
1918–1929Penn State
1937–1938Cleveland Rams
1949Delaware Valley
Basketball
1906–1907Oregon
1913–1917Oregon
1919Penn State (interim HC)
Baseball
1908–1913Arkansas
1914–1917Oregon
1917–1919Pittsburgh Pirates
1920–1930Penn State
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1918–1936Penn State
Head coaching record
Overall127–58–16 (college football)
1–13 (NFL)
28–37 (college basketball)
166–187 (MLB)
222–123–1 (college baseball)
Bowls2–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1954 (profile)

Hugo Francis Bezdek (April 1, 1884 – September 19, 1952) was a Czech American athlete who played American football and was a coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He was the head football coach at the University of Oregon (1906, 1913–1917), the University of Arkansas (1908–1912), Pennsylvania State University (1918–1929), and Delaware Valley College (1949). Bezdek also coached the Mare Island Marines in the 1918 Rose Bowl and the Cleveland Rams of the National Football League (NFL) in 1937 and part of the 1938 season. In addition, Bezdek coached basketball at Oregon (1906–1907, 1913–1917) and Penn State (1919), coached baseball at Arkansas (1909–1913), Oregon (1914–1917) and Penn State (1920–1930), and served as the manager of Major League Baseball's Pittsburgh Pirates (1917–1919). He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954.

Coach Bezdek is the only Coach to bring three different teams to the Rose Bowl Game; University of Oregon, Mare Island Marines and Pennsylvania State University. Bezdek was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame on December 31, 2022.