John R. Richards

John Robertson "Big John" Richards (February 24, 1875 – October 28, 1947) was an American football player, coach, educator, and public administrator. He served as the head football coach at Shurtleff College (1897), Colorado College (1905–1909), the University of Wisconsin–Madison (1911, 1917, 1919–1922), and Ohio State University (1912).

John R. Richards
Biographical details
Born(1875-02-24)February 24, 1875
Wisconsin
DiedOctober 28, 1947(1947-10-28) (aged 72)
Los Angeles, California
Playing career
1892–1895Wisconsin
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1897Shurtleff
1905–1909Colorado College
1911Wisconsin
1912Ohio State
1917Wisconsin
1919–1922Wisconsin
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 OAC (1912)

Richards' 1912 season at Ohio State was notable for his action of pulling his team from the field during a loss to Penn State due to rough play. This action was widely ridiculed in contemporary newspapers by commentary such as "Coach Richards of Ohio State, who took his team off the field Saturday because he declared Penn State was too rough, evidently was never on Lake Erie on a choppy sea."[1]

In 1904, Richards was appointed as the principal of a high school in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Previously he had been a high school football coach and economics instructor in Dubuque, Iowa and a principal of military academies in Minnesota and Missouri.[2] After retiring from coaching, Richards was a director of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District, a part of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, from 1929 to 1947.[3] He died on October 28, 1947 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 72.[4]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Colorado College Tigers (Colorado Football Association) (1905–1908)
1905 Colorado College 5–1–2
1906 Colorado College 3–2–21–2–1T–4th
1907 Colorado College 5–23–12nd
1908 Colorado College 5–22–13rd
Colorado College Tigers (Colorado Faculty Athletic Conference) (1909)
1909 Colorado College 5–22–12nd
Colorado College: 23–9–4
Wisconsin Badgers (Western Conference) (1911)
1911 Wisconsin 5–1–12–1–13rd
Ohio State Buckeyes (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1912)
1912 Ohio State 6–35–01st
Ohio State: 6–35–0
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (1917)
1917 Wisconsin 4–2–13–2T–3rd
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (1919–1922)
1919 Wisconsin 5–23–2T–4th
1920 Wisconsin 6–14–12nd
1921 Wisconsin 5–1–13–1–14th
1922 Wisconsin 4–2–12–2–14th
Wisconsin: 29–9–414–7–3
Total:58–21–8

References
  1. "Random Shots". Toledo News-Bee. November 18, 1912. Retrieved March 15, 2014.
  2. "John Richards Advanced; Is Elected Principal of Colorado Springs High School for 1905". Telegraph Herald. June 3, 1904. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  3. "The Metropolitan Water District Southern California Annual Report For The Fiscal Year July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009" (PDF). Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. p. 29. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 29, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
  4. "John R. Ricards" (PDF). The New York Times. Associated Press. October 29, 1947. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
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