Paul N. Coburn

Paul Naylor Coburn (October 14, 1879 – May 18, 1948) was an American baseball player and coach for the Harvard Crimson baseball team.

Early life Coburn was born in Lowell, Massachusetts on October 14, 1879 to Enoch Frank and Lydia Mary (Naylor) Coburn. He prepared for college at Phillips Academy.

Baseball Coburn entered Harvard College in 1899. He missed the 1900 season due to a thumb injury and did not play in 1901 due to illness. He threw shutouts in his next two starts, beating Amherst College and Penn Quakers. He scored a win in the deciding game of that year's Harvard–Yale series, which was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City. During the 1905 season, he earned victories over Princeton and Penn (twice) but lost to Holy Cross. In his final start for the Crimson, Coburn surrendered seven runs in a loss to Yale at Yale Field. It was the first time since 1898 that Yale had won a series against Harvard.

Following the Harvard–Yale game, it was announced that Coburn would coach the Crimson for the 1906 season. After reviewing the eligibility rules, Coburn believed he would be able to play in 1906. The Harvard Athletic Committee declared him eligible for the 1906 and accepted his resignation as coach. However, the athletic committee later decided that Coburn would be of more use to the team as a coach announced on December 20, 1905, that Coburn would be Harvard's head coach. The Crimson went 12–12 in his only season as head coach.

Later life Coburn graduated from Harvard College in 1902 and Harvard Law School in 1906. In 1943, he became an assistant manager at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York City. He died on May 18, 1948 at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center after a brief illness.