Charles Dudley Daly

Charles Dudley Daly (October 31, 1880 – February 12, 1959) was an American football player and coach and United States Army officer. He played college football as a quarterback at Harvard University and the United States Military Academy and served as the head football coach at the latter from 1913 to 1916 and 1919 to 1922, compiling a career record of 58–13–3. Daly was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1951.

Education Daly attended Boston Latin School and Harvard University, where he was a member of ΑΔΦ, the Fly Club, the Hasty Pudding Club and editor of The Harvard Crimson for two years. An all-around athlete, Daly was a member of the Harvard varsity football team from 1898 to 1900. He was a Consensus All-American in 1898, 1899, and 1900. He also competed on Harvard's Track and field, where he won the high jump at the 1898 and 1899 Harvard-Yale meets and the broad jump at an 1899 competition against University of Cambridge and Oxford in London.

On the eve of the 1900 Harvard-Yale football game, Daly received word that he had been appointed to the United States Military Academy.

Daly was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951. Daly opposed special pensions "as a matter of principle" and contended that Carney, who had not yet completed his probationary period, had not died as a result of anything related to his duties with the fire department (Carney contended that his illness was caused by getting soaked while putting out a fire and not being able to change into dry clothes for several hours).

Following his dismissal, Daly worked in the motor truck business.

Personal life On November 29, 1912, he married Beatrice Jordan.

On April 1, 1913, the War Department ordered Daly to report to Fort Myer for temporary assignment. He then jointed the 5th Field Artillery Regiment at Fort Sill. Following his reinstatement, Daly served in a number of stations of the United States Army Field Artillery Corps, including Fort Sam Houston, Schofield Barracks, and West Point, where he served as head football coach.

A few months after the American entry into World War I in April 1917, Daly was attached to 338th Field Artillery, 88th Division, at Camp Dodge. He was promoted to temporary major on August 5, 1917, and attached to the 29th Field Artillery. He was later detailed to School of Fire at Fort Sill as instructor. On June 25, 1918, he was promoted to temporary lieutenant colonel. On October 24 he was promoted again, this time to the temporary rank of colonel and placed in command of the 29th Field Artillery. From 1924 to 1925, he commanded the 76th Field Artillery Regiment at the Presidio of Monterey. In 1925, Daly returned to Harvard as an instructor at the school's department of military sciences and assistant football coach. From 1928 to 1934, Daly was an Assistant Professor of Military Science and Tactics at West Point. He graduated from the Army War College in 1931 and was promoted to lieutenant colonel effective July 1, 1933.

Coaching Daly was the head football coach at West Point from 1913 to 1916 and again from 1919 to 1922. Known as the "Godfather of West Point Football", he was coach to Dwight Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Joseph Stilwell, Matthew Ridgway, James Van Fleet, George S. Patton and other American military luminaries of the 20th century. In 1921 he founded the American Football Coaches Association.

Head coaching record

Death

Following his retirement, Daly moved to Pacific Grove, California. He died on February 12, 1959, at his home. He was survived by his wife and five children. His memorial service was held at the Post Chapel at the Presidio of Monterey and he was interred at the West Point Cemetery.

In 1963, the football practice field at West Point was named in Daly's honor.

Works

Appeared in the film