Ira Rodgers

Ira Rodgers
Biographical details

Sport(s)	Football, basketball, baseball, golf
Born	(1895-05-26)May 26, 1895 Bethany, West Virginia
Died	February 15, 1963(1963-02-15) (aged 67) Morgantown, West Virginia
Playing career
Football
1915–1917	West Virginia
1919	West Virginia
Basketball
1915–1919	West Virginia
Baseball
1916–1919	West Virginia
Position(s)	Fullback, quarterback (football) Shortstop (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1920–1924	West Virginia (assistant)
1925–1930	West Virginia
1943–1945	West Virginia
Baseball
1921–1946	West Virginia
Head coaching record
Overall	44–31–8 (football) 204–208–3 (baseball)
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
All-American, 1919

College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1957 (profile)

Ira Errett "Rat" Rodgers (May 26, 1895 – February 15, 1963) was an American football, basketball, baseball, and golf player and coach. He played college football for West Virginia University where he was selected as an All-American in 1919. He also served as the school's head football coach from 1925 to 1930 and again from 1943 to 1945.

Collegiate career

"Rajah" Rodgers of West Virginia

Rodgers was a high school standout football player, who was recruited by powerhouse schools such as the University of Pittsburgh and Washington & Jefferson College. In 1915, however, Mountaineer coach Mont McIntyre won the honors of Rodgers, who started his first game of the season as a quarterback. He played quarterback most of his freshman season, until later in the season when he was moved to fullback. He played fullback for the next three years of his career. He was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity on campus.

As a senior, in 1919, Rodgers had one of the greatest seasons of any player from West Virginia University. Rodgers led the nation in scoring with 147 points on 19 touchdowns and 33 extra-point kicks. He also threw 11 touchdown passes, which was a rare feat for that era and a WVU record until 1949. Rodgers earned consensus All-American honors that season, the first All-American in WVU history.

Rodgers is considered one of the greatest players of his era, and one of the greatest athletes in Mountaineer history. Rodgers was the first Mountaineer to rush for more than 200 yards in a game. He also holds the school record for the most rushing touchdowns season (19). His record of most touchdowns in a career (42), was broken by running back Steve Slaton who rushed for his 50th touchdown in 2007. Rodgers also threw 24 touchdown passes in his career as well.

Rodgers has been a long-time member of the West Virginia University Athletics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1953.

Baseball career

Rodgers' baseball skills led to a professional offer from Connie Mack, the long-time manager of the Philadelphia Athletics, but he chose instead to remain at West Virginia to teach and coach. He was the Mountaineer baseball coach for 23 years. During summer months, Rodgers did play and manage some professional baseball including a stint as the player-manager of the Kinston Highwaymen of the "outlaw" Eastern Carolina Baseball Association in 1922.

Coaching career

After his honorable playing career, Rodgers moved on to coach the Mountaineers in football, baseball and golf. He compiled a 41–31–8 mark as a football coach and a 204–208–3 mark as a baseball coach.

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall
West Virginia Mountaineers (West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1925–1927)
1925	West Virginia	8–1
1926	West Virginia	6–4
1927	West Virginia	2–4–3
West Virginia Mountaineers (Independent) (1928–1930)
1928	West Virginia	8–2
1929	West Virginia	4–3–3
1930	West Virginia	5–5
West Virginia Mountaineers (NCAA University Division independent) (1943–1945)
1943	West Virginia	4–3
1944	West Virginia	5–3–1
1945	West Virginia	2–6–1
West Virginia:		41–31–8
Total:		41–31–8

References

External links

West Virginia Mountaineers starting quarterbacks

Ira Rodgers Dan Kendra Mark Hoffman Oliver Luck Jeff Hostetler Kevin White Mike Timko Major Harris Greg Jones Darren Studstill Jake Kelchner Chad Johnston Marc Bulger Brad Lewis Rasheed Marshall Pat White Jarrett Brown Geno Smith Paul Millard Ford Childress Clint Trickett Skyler Howard

West Virginia Mountaineers head baseball coaches

No coach (1892–1893)
A. R. Stahlings (1894–1896)
J. E. B. Sweeney (1897–1898)
Owen Altman (1899–1900)
H. Brown (1901)
Lee Hutchinson (1902–1905)
Carl Forkum (1906–1908)
Dick Nebinger (1909)
J. L. Core (1910)
L. L. McClure (1911)
John Gronninger (1912)
Charlie Hickman (1913)
B. P. Pattison (1914)
Charlie Hickman (1915–1917)
Skeeter Shelton (1918–1920)
Ira Rodgers (1921–1942)
No team (1943–1945)
Ira Rodgers (1946)
Charles Hockenberry (1947)
Steve Harrick (1948–1967)
Dale Ramsburg (1968–1994)
Greg Van Zant (1995–2012)
Randy Mazey (2013– )

West Virginia Mountaineers head football coaches

Frederick Lincoln Emory (1891)
No team (1892)
F. William Rane (1893–1894)
Harry McCrory (1895)
Thomas Trenchard (1896)
George Krebs (1897)
Harry Anderson (1898)
Lewis Yeager (1899)
John Ethan Hill (1900)
Lewis Yeager (1901–1902)
Harry E. Trout (1903)
Anthony Chez (1904)
Carl Forkum (1905–1906)
Clarence W. Russell (1907)
Charles Augustus Lueder (1908–1911)
William P. Edmunds (1912)
Edwin Sweetland (1913)
Sol Metzger (1914–1915)
Mont McIntire (1916–1917)
No team (1918)
Mont McIntire (1919–1920)
Clarence Spears (1921–1924)
Ira Rodgers (1925–1930)
Greasy Neale (1931–1933)
Charles Tallman (1934–1936)
Marshall Glenn (1937–1939)
Bill Kern (1940–1942)
Ira Rodgers (1943–1945)
Bill Kern (1946–1947)
Dudley DeGroot (1948–1949)
Art Lewis (1950–1959)
Gene Corum (1960–1965)
Jim Carlen (1966–1969)
Bobby Bowden (1970–1975)
Frank Cignetti, Sr. (1976–1979)
Don Nehlen (1980–2000)
Rich Rodriguez (2001–2007)
Bill Stewart (2007–2010)
Dana Holgorsen (2011– )

1919 College Football All-America Team consensus selections

Backfield	QB Benny Boynton QB Bo McMillin HB Eddie Casey HB Chic Harley FB Ira Rodgers

Line	E Lester Belding E Bob Higgins E Henry Miller T Pete Henry T Belford West G Joe Alexander G Swede Youngstrom C Charles Carpenter C Red Weaver

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