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D. M. Balliet

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D. M. Balliet
Balliet cropped from the 1894 Purdue team photo
Biographical details
Born(1866-08-25)August 25, 1866
Lehighton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedAugust 6, 1960(1960-08-06) (aged 93)
Myerstown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
c. 1891Lehigh
1892–1893Princeton
Position(s)Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1893Auburn
1893–1895Purdue
1901Purdue
1902Princeton (assistant)
1902Washington and Lee (assistant)
1903–1904Washington and Lee
Head coaching record
Overall30–15–2
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1893–1894)

David Milton "Pete" Balliet (August 25, 1866 – August 6, 1960) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Auburn University for one game in February 1893, at Purdue University from 1893 to 1895 and again in 1901, and at Washington and Lee University from 1903 to 1904, compiling a career head coaching record of 30–15–2. Balliet played as a center at Lehigh University and Princeton University.

Early years and playing career

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Balliet cropped from the 1891 Lehigh football team photo

Balliet was a native of Lehighton, Pennsylvania, and was born on August 25, 1866.[1] He attended preparatory school at the Meyerstown Academy and then played center for two seasons for the Lehigh University football team.[2]

Princeton

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In the fall of 1892, Balliet joined the Princeton Tigers football team. In September 1892, The New York Times reported: "Among the promising new men who are practicing are Balliet, centre rush of last year's Lehigh team."[3] He played at center for Princeton during the 1892 and 1893 seasons.[4][5][6]

The 1893 Princeton team finished the season undefeated at 11–0, and was later recognized as a national champion.[7] Balliet graduated from Princeton with the class of 1894.[8]

Coaching career

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Balliet was the second head coach in the history of Auburn Tigers football. He coached only a single game for the program, a contest against Alabama played on February 22, 1893, at Lakeview Park in Birmingham, Alabama, the first intercollegiate game in the state. Auburn defeated Alabama in the game, the first meeting between the two schools, by a score of 32 to 22.[9][10]

In the fall of 1893, Balliet became the head football coach at Purdue University. He led the team to a 5–2–1 record in 1893 and 9–1 in 1894. During the 1894 season, Balliet's Purdue squad defeated Amos Alonzo Stagg's Chicago Maroons and outscored opponents by a collective score of 177 to 42.[11][12] His 1895 squad finished with a record of 4–3.[13] In 1897, Balliet was reported to have given up a successful law practice to join the Klondike Gold Rush in Alaska.[14]

Balliet was re-hired as the head coach at Purdue in September 1901.[15] He led the 1901 Purdue team to a 4–4–1 record, but finished the season with consecutive losses to Notre Dame, Illinois, and Northwestern.[16] At the end of the 1901 season, Purdue opted not to renew his services. In March 1902, the Indianapolis News reported, "He is known to be a good coach, but he turned out a loser last year and Purdue wants a change."[17] In four seasons as Purdue's head coach, Balliet compiled a record of 22–10–2.[18]

Balliet began the fall of 1902 back at his alma mater, Princeton, as an assistant coach. In early October, he joined the football team at Washington and Lee University to assist physical director, Bill Wertenbaker.[19][20] Balliet served as the head football coach at Washington and Lee for the 1903 and 1904 seasons.[21][22]

Family and later years

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Balliet married Sara A. Uhrich on July 19, 1894. The couple had a daughter, Catharine Urich, born on July 5, 1895.[8] He moved to Myerstown, Pennsylvania, in approximately 1895 and lived there for the next 65 years. Balliet worked for most of his career as a coal salesman.[23] In 1909, Balliet was employed by the Clark Brothers Coal Mining Company in Philadelphia. He described himself at the time as "a globe-trotter for a wholesale coal company."[8]

Death

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He died at his home in Myerstown on August 6, 1960, at age 93.[23]

Head coaching record

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Auburn Tigers (Independent) (1893)
1893 Auburn 1–0[n 1]
Auburn: 1–0
Purdue Boilermakers (Indiana Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1893–1894)
1893 Purdue 5–2–1 4–0 1st
1894 Purdue 9–1 4–0 1st
Purdue Boilermakers (Independent) (1895)
1895 Purdue 4–3
Purdue Boilermakers (Western Conference) (1901)
1901 Purdue 4–4–1 0–3–1 7th
Purdue: 22–10–2 8–3–1
Washington and Lee Generals (Independent) (1904)
1903 Washington and Lee 4–1
1904 Washington and Lee 3–4
Washington and Lee: 7–5
Total: 30–15–2

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ George Roy Harvey coached four games in the fall of 1893.

References

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  1. ^ "Funeral Notices", Lebanon Daily News, August 8, 1960, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, "In Lebanon on August 6, 1960 David M. Balliet aged 93 years 11 months and 12 days."
  2. ^ Henderson, Jeremy (December 8, 2010). "Ballin' like Balliet: the legendary prank-play of Auburn's most mysterious and winning-est percentage-est coach". The War Eagle Reader. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  3. ^ "Training at Princeton" (PDF). The New York Times. September 21, 1892.
  4. ^ "Big Tigers Won" (PDF). The New York Times. October 6, 1892.
  5. ^ "Statistics Of The Yale And Princeton Football Teams". The Daily Princetonian. November 28, 1893. Retrieved October 29, 2011.
  6. ^ "Balliet Leaves Princeton: A Little Trouble with Capt. Trenchard Causes Him to Leave the Field" (PDF). The New York Times. November 22, 1893.
  7. ^ "Princeton Yearly Results, 1890-1894". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  8. ^ a b c Wilkins, John F. (1909). Quindecennial Record of the Class of Eighteen Hundred and Ninety Four Princeton University. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 12. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  9. ^ "2011 Auburn Football Fact Book" (PDF). CBS Interactive. p. 145. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  10. ^ "Auburn Yearly Results, 1891-1894". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 23, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  11. ^ "Stagg's Men Beaten: Purdue Lays 'Varsity Low In A Game Of Sharp Interest". Chicago Daily Tribune. November 4, 1894. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  12. ^ "1894 Purdue". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  13. ^ "Purdue Yearly Results". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  14. ^ "In the Push". The Weekly Argus News. July 31, 1897. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  15. ^ "Short Sporting Notes". Daily True American. September 9, 1901. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  16. ^ "1901 Purdue". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  17. ^ "College Notes". The Daily News-Review. March 18, 1902. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  18. ^ "All-Time Coaching Records: D.M. Balliet Records by Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
  19. ^ "Washington and Lee's New Football Coach; Balliott, Princeton's Famous Center, Will Coach the Virginia Boys". Baltimore Morning Herald. September 30, 1902. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  20. ^ The Calyx 1903. 1903. p. 153. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  21. ^ The Calyx 1904. 1904. p. 138. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  22. ^ The Calyx 1905. 1905. p. 135. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  23. ^ a b "David Balliet, 94, Of Myerstown RD 2 Dies". Lebanon Daily News (Lebanon, Pennsylvania). August 6, 1960.
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