Heartley Anderson
American football player and coach
About Heartley Anderson
Lived 1898 – 1978 (aged 79). Heartley Anderson was an American american football player and american football coach.
Anderson (right) alongside Chicago Bears co-head coach Luke Johnsos (left), in 1942. Heartley William "Hunk" Anderson (September 22, 1898 – April 24, 1978) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Saint Louis University (1928–1929), University of Notre Dame (1931–1933), and North Carolina State University (1934–1936), compiling a career college football record of 34–34–4. From 1942 to 1945, Anderson was the head coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), tallying a mark of 24–12 and winning the 1943 NFL Championship.
From 1918 to 1921, Anderson played as a guard for the Notre Dame football team, under new head coach Knute Rockne. During his time in South Bend he played under an assumed name for the Canton Bulldogs in 1920–1921, but Anderson later argued that he had only played in exhibition games. From 1922 to 1926, he played professionally for the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Bears. Anderson played in 39 career games while starting in 32 of them. In 1939, he was an assistant coach for the Detroit Lions under Gus Henderson.
Born in Calumet, Michigan, on the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula, Anderson attended Calumet High School. He was and weighed . Anderson was named to the National Football League 1920s All-Decade Team, and is one of only two players on the list not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1974.
A head coach at Saint Louis for two years, he returned to Notre Dame as an assistant under Rockne in 1930 and the Irish won all ten games. The following spring, Rockne was killed in a and Anderson was promoted to head coach ten days
Head coaching record College
NFL Team Year Regular season PostseasonWon LostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %ResultCHI19426001st in NFL Western 0 1 Lost to Washington Redskins in NFL Championship Game.CHI19438111st in NFL Western 1 0 1943 NFL ChampionsCHI19446312nd in NFL Western – – – –CHI19453704th in NFL Western – – – – CHI Total 23 11 2 – – – – Total 23 11 2 – – – –
Personal life Anderson was a Freemason.
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Important facts
People in Heartley Anderson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Heartley Anderson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Heartley Anderson?
American football player and coach (1898-1978)
When was Heartley Anderson born?
Heartley Anderson was born on 22 September 1898 in Michigan.
When did Heartley Anderson die?
Heartley Anderson died on 24 April 1978 in West Palm Beach.
What was Heartley Anderson's occupation?
Heartley Anderson was an american football player and american football coach.
What nationality was Heartley Anderson?
Heartley Anderson was American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Heartley Anderson
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Heartley Anderson. https://biography.guide/heartley-anderson/
MLA: "Heartley Anderson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/heartley-anderson/.
Chicago: "Heartley Anderson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/heartley-anderson/.
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