Harry Rockafeller

Harry Joseph "Rocky" Rockafeller Jr. (August 26, 1894 – April 5, 1978) was an American college football player, coach, and athletics administrator at Rutgers University. He was the head football coach for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team for eight years from 1927 to 1930 and from 1942 to 1945. He was also the athletic director until 1961.

Early years Rockafeller was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey in 1894. His father, Harry J. Rockafeller Sr., was a hotel keeper and, later, a theater manager.

Rockafeller attended Rutgers University where he played at the end position for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team for four years from 1912 to 1915. He was a teammate of Paul Robeson on the football team. He also played at the guard position for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's basketball team and competed for the track team.

Rutgers coach and athletic director Rockafeller was hired as Rutgers' graduate manager of athletics in 1925. He remained as the head football coach from 1927 to 1930. During those seasons, the Rutgers football team compiled a record of 19–16. In December 1930, Rockafeller asked the Council of Athletics to release him from consideration as the head coach for the 1931 team. Rockafeller chose to return to his position as Rutgers' graduate manager of athletics.

In April 1942, Rockafeller resumed responsibility as the head football coach at Rutgers after head coach Harvey Harman was inducted into the United States Navy as a lieutenant commander. In November 1945, Rockafeller announced that he would step down as the head coach at the end of the 1945 season.

Rockafeller became acting athletic director at Rutgers in 1952 and athletic director in 1956. He stepped down as the athletic director in June 1961.

Family and later years Rockafeller was married in June 1935 to Mary Olney. At the time of the 1940 United States Census, Rockafeller was living in Piscataway, New Jersey with his wife, Mary, and their two-year-old son, Thomas O. Rockafeller. His occupation was listed in the census record as the assistant director of athletics at a college. He died in April 1978 at age 83.

Head coaching record