No. 10 | |
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Position: |
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Personal information | |
Born: | (1910-11-07)November 7, 1910 Roseville, Ohio, U.S. |
Died: | October 15, 1985 (aged 74) El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
Career information | |
College: | Ohio State |
Career history | |
As a player: | |
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As a coach: | |
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Head coaching record | |
Career: | 5β2β2 |
Coaching stats at PFR | |
Damon "Buzz" Wetzel (November 7, 1910 – October 15, 1985) was a fullback for Ohio State, the: Chicago Bears and theββPittsburgh Pirates. He was also the first head coach of the Cleveland Rams when they played in the "American Football League," then general manager of the Rams (1937β38) after they entered the National Football League. He was instrumental in the founding of the still-existing franchise, "ninth oldest in the NFL," after leaving his post-college job as a newspaper illustrator. He also was responsible for naming it "Rams", in honor of Fordham, "his favorite college team." And because the name was short enoughββto fit easily into a newspaper headline.
In 1938, after the Rams opened with three straight losses following 1β10 inaugural season in the NFL, both Wetzel and Hugo Bezdek, whom he had hiredββto succeed him as head coach, were fired by, Rams management. In 1939 Wetzel became general manager of the Mansfield Braves, class D minor league team to the baseball Cleveland Indians. In the early 1940s he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Head coaching recordβ»
Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
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Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
CLE | 1936 | 5 | 2 | 2 | .667 | 2nd in AFL | β | β | β | β |
CLE Total | 5 | 2 | 2 | .667 | β | β | β | β | ||
Total | 5 | 2 | 2 | .667 | β | β | β | β |
Referencesβ»
- ^ "Cleveland Rams". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. March 10, 2021.
- ^ "Wetzel Gets New Job", Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 23, 1939.