Earle Bruce (born March 8, 1931) is a former college football and arena football coach from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Bruce was the successor to legendary Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes, and was an excellent college football coach in his own right. In 2002, Earle Bruce was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame.
After Woody Hayes was fired from Ohio State, Bruce was offered that head coaching position. Bruce coached Ohio State from 1979-1987. In the first year, Ohio State went undefeated in the regular season and played in the Rose Bowl, losing the game and the national championship by a single point. In 1987, he was fired just prior to the last game of the season—against Michigan—but was allowed to finish out the year. Bruce was able to defeat Michigan at Ann Arbor. This is something Ohio State would not do again until 2001 under head coach Jim Tressel. After the game, Bo Schembechler told Bruce, "I always mind losing to Ohio State but I didn't mind so much today."
NOT FROM WIKIPEDIA:
The evening of OSU's winter quarter graduation, 1981, at the Fontanelle Restaurant, a quiet Italian place on North High, my parents and I were celebrating (actually, I think they were probably REALLY celebrating ~ after all, I had changed my major 4 times....what is it about us creative types?) My father glanced at a nearby table and then whispered, "Hey, that's Coach Bruce." Of course, we all looked, trying to be discreet but not succeeding, and then replying, "Yes, it is, but don't say anything...leave him alone." Nope, not what happened....Proud Papa grabs a cocktail napkin and next thing you know is over at the table explaining that his daughter just graduated from "this fine institution, etc. and wouldn't you love to give her an autograph?" Hence, Earl Bruce's autograph on a napkin....in a box....somewhere in my basement! :-)
1 comment:
Opps, I thought Earle was a woman and a country singer.
Thanks for explaining "Who is Earle Bruce?"
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