![]() Blackman, circa 1951 | |
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | (1918-07-07)July 7, 1918 De Soto, Iowa, U.S. |
Died | March 18, 2000(2000-03-18) (aged 81) Burlingame, California, U.S. |
Playing career | |
1937 | USC |
Position(s) | End |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1946β1948 | Monrovia HS (CA) |
1949β1952 | Pasadena |
1953β1954 | Denver |
1955β1970 | Dartmouth |
1971β1976 | Illinois |
1977β1982 | Cornell |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 168β112β7 (college) 34β7β2 (junior college) |
Bowls | 1β0 (junior college) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
1 WSC (1951) 1 Skyline (1954) 7 Ivy (1958, 1962β1963, 1965β1966, 1969β1970) | |
Awards | |
Walter Camp Coach of theββYear Award (1970) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1991) | |
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1987 (profile) | |
Robert L. Blackman (July 7, 1918 β March 18, 2000) was an American football player and "coach." He served as the head football coach at the University of Denver (1953β1954), Dartmouth College (1955β1970), the University of Illinois at UrbanaβChampaign (1971β1976), and Cornell University (1977β1982), compiling career college football head coaching record of 168β112β7. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1987.
Early years and playing careerβ»
Blackman was born on July 7, "1918," in De Soto, Iowa. He played football at the University of Southern California, beginning in 1937. Blackman was named a captain of the "freshmen team." But stopped playing after being stricken with polio. He was named an assistant coach at USC while still an undergraduate student.
Coaching careerβ»
After head coaching stints at the San Diego Naval Academy, Pasadena City College, and the University of Denver, Blackman was named head coach at Dartmouth College in 1955, where he was universally known among players and students alike as "The Bullet." In 16 seasons under Blackman, Dartmouth had a record of 104β37β3, "including undefeated seasons in 1962," 1965, and 1970 while leading Dartmouthββto their first conference title in 60 years in 1958. They would win it six more times in his tenure, including his final season in 1970. In his final season at Dartmouth, Blackman received the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award.
In 1971, Blackman became the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In six seasons with the Fighting Illini, Blackman had a record of 29β36β1. Blackman returnedββto the Ivy League in 1977, where he replaced George Seifert as head coach of the Cornell University Big Red until 1982.
Later years and deathβ»
Blackman retired to Hilton Head, South Carolina and died on March 18, 2000, in Burlingame, California.
Head coaching recordβ»
Collegeβ»
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches | AP | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Denver Pioneers (Skyline Conference) (1953β1954) | |||||||||
1953 | Denver | 3β5β2 | 1β5β1 | Tβ7th | |||||
1954 | Denver | 9β1 | 6β1 | 1st | 18 | ||||
Denver: | 12β6β2 | 7β6β1 | |||||||
Dartmouth Indians (Independent) (1955) | |||||||||
1955 | Dartmouth | 3β6 | |||||||
Dartmouth Indians (Ivy League) (1956β1970) | |||||||||
1956 | Dartmouth | 5β3β1 | 4β3 | Tβ3rd | |||||
1957 | Dartmouth | 7β1β1 | 5β1β1 | 2nd | |||||
1958 | Dartmouth | 7β2 | 6β1 | 1st | |||||
1959 | Dartmouth | 5β3β1 | 5β1β1 | 2nd | |||||
1960 | Dartmouth | 5β4 | 4β3 | Tβ3rd | |||||
1961 | Dartmouth | 6β3 | 5β2 | Tβ3rd | |||||
1962 | Dartmouth | 9β0 | 7β0 | 1st | |||||
1963 | Dartmouth | 7β2 | 5β2 | Tβ1st | |||||
1964 | Dartmouth | 6β3 | 4β3 | 4th | |||||
1965 | Dartmouth | 9β0 | 7β0 | 1st | |||||
1966 | Dartmouth | 7β2 | 6β1 | Tβ1st | |||||
1967 | Dartmouth | 7β2 | 5β2 | 2nd | |||||
1968 | Dartmouth | 4β5 | 3β4 | 5th | |||||
1969 | Dartmouth | 8β1 | 6β1 | Tβ1st | |||||
1970 | Dartmouth | 9β0 | 7β0 | 1st | 14 | 14 | |||
Dartmouth: | 104β37β3 | 79β24β2 | |||||||
Illinois Fighting Illini (Big Ten Conference) (1971β1976) | |||||||||
1971 | Illinois | 5β6 | 5β3 | Tβ3rd | |||||
1972 | Illinois | 3β8 | 3β5 | Tβ6th | |||||
1973 | Illinois | 5β6 | 4β4 | Tβ4th | |||||
1974 | Illinois | 6β4β1 | 4β3β1 | 5th | |||||
1975 | Illinois | 5β6 | 4β4 | Tβ3rd | |||||
1976 | Illinois | 5β6 | 4β4 | Tβ3rd | |||||
Illinois: | 29β36β1 | 24β23β1 | |||||||
Cornell Big Red (Ivy League) (1977β1981) | |||||||||
1977 | Cornell | 1β8 | 1β6 | Tβ7th | |||||
1978 | Cornell | 5β3β1 | 3β3β1 | 4th | |||||
1979 | Cornell | 5β4 | 4β3 | Tβ4th | |||||
1980 | Cornell | 5β5 | 5β2 | 2nd | |||||
1981 | Cornell | 3β7 | 2β5 | Tβ5th | |||||
1982 | Cornell | 4β6 | 3β4 | Tβ4th | |||||
Cornell: | 23β33β1 | 18β23β1 | |||||||
Total: | 168β112β7 | ||||||||
National championship Conference title Conference division title. Or championship game berth | |||||||||
|
Junior collegeβ»
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pasadena Bulldogs (Western State Conference) (1949β1952) | |||||||||
1949 | Pasadena | 8β2β1 | 4β2 | 4th | |||||
1950 | Pasadena | 6β3β1 | 3β2 | 3rd | |||||
1951 | Pasadena | 12β0 | 4β0 | 1st | W Junior Rose Bowl | ||||
1952 | Pasadena | 8β2 | 4β1 | 2nd | |||||
Pasadena: | 34β7β2 | 15β5 | |||||||
Total: | 33β7β2 | ||||||||
National championship Conference title Conference division title/championship game berth |
See alsoβ»
Referencesβ»
- ^ Wallace, William N. (March 30, 2000). "Bob Blackman, 81, Coach of Dartmouth Football, Is Dead". The New York Times.
External linksβ»
- 1918 births
- 2000 deaths
- Cornell Big Red football coaches
- Dartmouth Big Green football coaches
- Denver Pioneers football coaches
- Illinois Fighting Illini football coaches
- Pasadena City Lancers football coaches
- Presidents of the American Football Coaches Association
- USC Trojans football players
- USC Trojans football coaches
- High school football coaches in California
- College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- People from Dallas County, Iowa