Dick Rutherford

Richard Burr "Red" Rutherford (April 11, 1891 – February 16, 1976) was an American college football and college basketball coach. He served as the head football coach at Washington University in St. Louis from 1917 to 1919 and at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University, from 1920 to 1923, compiling a career football coaching record of 28–19–6. Rutherford was also the head basketball coach at Washington University from 1917 to 1920 and at Oregon Agricultural from 1920 to 1922, tallying a career basketball coaching mark of 58–41.

Early years Rutherford was born April 11, 1891, in Beatrice, Nebraska. He attended Beatrice High School in that town.

A stellar athlete, Rutherford was the star fullback for the Beatrice football team. He also made his mark on the hardwood, with the forward sinking a record 14 field goals in a January 1912 basketball game against Marysville, Kansas.

Rutherford attended the University of Nebraska, where he earned a total of 8 athletic letters — 3 in football, 3 in basketball, and 2 in wrestling. Rutherford, a halfback, was touted for the Nebraska head coaching position following the 1915 season, as a potential successor to Jumbo Stiehm, but he ultimately was not offered the job.

Rutherford graduated from Nebraska in 1916 and spent the 1917 season at Nebraska as an assistant coach.

Coaching career Washington University (Missouri)

Rutherford began his coaching career in earnest in 1917 with the Washington University Pikers of the Missouri Valley Conference. In addition to serving as director of physical education at the school,

Resignation

After four seasons at the helm of the OAC football team, during which time he managed no more than two wins and a tie for third place in the Northwest Conference, pressure behind the scenes grew for a change of coaches. On Thursday, January 24, 1924, on the heels of a junket to Hawaii with his team to play two exhibition games, a special meeting of the OAC board of regents was held, at which Rutherford submitted his resignation.

At the time of his clearly forced resignation, Rutherford expressed appreciation to the student body for their loyalty. "I want it distinctly understood that I am quitting OAC with nothing but the kindest feeling for the institution and the students that have so wholeheartedly given me their loyal support," he said. After a time, he moved to Fallbrook, California, the self-proclaimed "Avocado Capital of the World," where he became an avocado farmer. His body was interred at Paradise Cemetery.

Head coaching record Football