Gus Zitrides

Gregory George "Gus" Zitrides (April 4, 1915 – January 27, 1987) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Brown University for one season, in 1950, compiling a record of 1–8.[1] Zitrides also spent time as an assistant coach at Brown and Cornell University. He played as a guard at Dartmouth under Earl Blaik from 1936 to 1938.

Gus Zitrides
Biographical details
Born(1915-04-04)April 4, 1915
Manchester, New Hampshire
DiedJanuary 27, 1987(1987-01-27) (aged 71)
Langhorne, Pennsylvania
Playing career
1936–1938Dartmouth
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1939–1941Cornell (assistant)
1947–1949Brown (line)
1950Brown
Head coaching record
Overall1–8

Early life

Born to a family of Greek descent,[2] Zitrides attended Central High School in Manchester, New Hampshire, where he played high school football from 1932 to 1935.[3] Zitrides then attended Dartmouth College, where he played for the football team as a guard from 1936 to 1938 under head coach Earl Blaik.[4]

Coaching career and military service

Zitrides then served for three years as an assistant coach at Cornell University.[5] In 1942, Zitrides resigned his position to enter the United States Navy and earn a reserve commission through the V-5 program, which ran physical fitness programs around the country to train Navy pilots.[6]

After the War, Zitrides returned to his alma mater as a line coach in 1947 under head coach Rip Engle.[7] Before the 1950 season, Engle left to take over at Penn State, and he offered to bring along his assistants, Zitrides and Bill Doolittle.[8] Zitrides declined the offer because Brown University offered him the head coaching position.[8] Doolittle elected to remain at Brown as Zitrides's assistant.[8] Zitrides was relieved after recording only one win to eight losses in his first season.[9][10]

Later life

After his coaching career, Zitrides entered government service in 1951, in which he worked until his retirement in 1973.[3] He died in Langhorne, Pennsylvania on January 27, 1987 at the age of 71.[11] Manchester Central High School inducted him into its hall of fame in 1996.[3]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Brown Bears (Independent) (1950)
1950 Brown 1–8
Brown: 1–8
Total:1–8

References
  1. All-Time Coaching Records, Brown University, retrieved June 20, 2010.
  2. In the Wake of the News, The Chicago Tribune, November 28, 1938.
  3. CHS Hall of Fame Archived May 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Manchester Central High School, retrieved June 20, 2010.
  4. DARTMOUTH IS FAVORITE; Hanoverians Expected to Defeat Brown Eleven Today, The New York Times, October 16, 1937.
  5. Gus Zitrides Quits Coaching for Navy, The Hartford Courant, March 21, 1941.
  6. Navy Claims Sports Stars and Coaches, The St. Petersburg Times, April 14, 1942.
  7. Zitrides Appointed To Succeed Engle As Brown University Football Coach, The Hartford Courant, April 25, 2010.
  8. Gene Collier, Joe Paterno, and Mike Bynum, The Paterno Legacy, p. 1951, Epic Sports, 1997, ISBN 0-9660788-0-2.
  9. Zitrides Is Probably Relieved, But Brown AC Mum, The Harvard Crimson, December 12, 1950.
  10. Brown Names Alva Kelley As Head Football Coach; Yale Line Mentor Succeeds Gus Zitrides, Whose Team Won Only One Game Out of Nine Last Fall; Assumes New Duties Monday New Brown Coach, The Hartford Courant, January 21, 1951.
  11. DEATHS HERE, The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 31, 1987.
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