Charles Lappenbusch

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Charles Lappenbusch
Charles Lappenbusch.png
Lappenbusch in 1953
Biographical details
Born(1908-05-18)May 18, 1908
Lake Tapps, Washington, U.S.
DiedSeptember 30, 1996(1996-09-30) (aged 88)
Enumclaw, Washington, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1928–1929 Puget Sound
1930 Washington
Basketball
1928–1930 Puget Sound
1930–1931 Washington
Baseball
1928–1929 Puget Sound
1930 Washington
Track and field
1928–1929 Puget Sound
1930 Washington
Position(s) Guard, tackle (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1931 Washington (AL/AF)
1932 Albany College (OR)
1933–1955 Western Washington
Basketball
Unknown [lower-alpha 1] Western Washington
Baseball
Unknown [lower-alpha 2] Western Washington
Tennis
Unknown [lower-alpha 3] Western Washington
Golf
Unknown [lower-alpha 4] Western Washington
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1932 Albany College (OR)
1933–1965 Western Washington
Head coaching record
Overall81–70–15 (football)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
2 WINCO/Evergreen (1938, 1951)
Awards
NAIA Hall of Fame (1961)
West. Washington Athletic Hall of Fame (1976)

Charles Frank Lappenbusch Sr. (May 18, 1908 – September 30, 1996) was an American athlete and sports coach. He was best known for his time at Western Washington University, in which he served from 1933 to 1975 and coached football, basketball, baseball, tennis and golf.

Contents

A native of Washington, Lappenbusch attended the University of Puget Sound before transferring to the University of Washington. He played as a lineman for both schools' football teams, and was named All-Pacific Northwest as a senior in 1930. Afterwards, he served for one year as an assistant football coach for Washington. In 1932, Lappenbusch became athletic director and head coach at Albany College (now known as Lewis & Clark College), a position in which he served for one season.

Lappenbusch was hired at Bellingham Normal School (now Western Washington University) in 1933, and went on to serve in various positions through 1975. He coached football for 20 seasons and was their all-time wins leader at the time of his retirement in 1955. He also coached basketball for 13 seasons, baseball for six years, tennis for 22 years, and golf two seasons, and was a member of the physical education department for 42 years. Lappenbusch was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1961 and received national recognition for his development of the "Straight Line Philosophy," in addition to other innovations.

Early life and education

Lappenbusch was born on May 18, 1908, at Lake Tapps in Washington, United States. [2] He attended the University of Puget Sound for two years before transferring to the University of Washington to major in pre-medical. [1] He played right tackle for Puget Sound under coach Cac Hubbard [3] and was awarded a varsity jacket as well as the Mahncke Award for highest scholastic average. [4] Lappenbusch played for Washington as a guard in 1930 [5] and was selected first-team All-Pacific Northwest by Associated Press (AP) despite missing several games due to injury. [6] Some sources also stated that he was named an All-American. [2] During his time at Puget Sound and Washington, he also participated in basketball, baseball, and track and field. [7]

Coaching career

After graduating from the University of Washington, from which he received a bachelor's degree and master's degree, [2] Lappenbusch was hired by the school as assistant football line coach in 1931. [8] He also assisted in coaching the freshman team that year. [7] The following year, Lappenbusch began serving as athletic director, [7] physical education director, [9] and head football coach at Albany College (now known as Lewis & Clark College). [7]

After one season in the position, Lappenbusch left for Bellingham Normal School (now known as Western Washington University). [10] "I had been canned by the depression," he later recalled. [10] "I was teaching and coaching at Albany College in Oregon for $2,400 when they ran out of money. There was an opening [at Bellingham Normal] and I felt fortunate to get the job for the same money I was receiving, especially since the fellow who replaced me at Albany was cut to $500. That $2400 then was a pretty good salary." [10] He began as athletic director and football coach. [11]

Lappenbusch went on to serve with the school for 42 years. [1] He coached the football team for 20 seasons, from 1933 to 1955 (as they did not play from 1943 to 1945 due to World War II), the tennis team for 22 years, the basketball team for 13 seasons, the baseball team for six seasons, and the golf team for two years. [1] He also was a member of the physical education department until retiring in 1975. [10]

A 1961 inductee into the NAIA Hall of Fame, [12] Lappenbusch compiled an 81–62–15 record as Western Washington's football coach. [13] His record was at the time the best in school history and in 1938 his team posted their only-ever undefeated, untied season. [13] Lappenbusch also made several innovations to the game, including: being among the first coaches to provide his players with long underwear and gloves for cold weather; [1] had his players take vitamins, 50 years before it became common; [1] and redesigned protective equipment which, although was rejected, was introduced by others almost exactly the same several years later and accepted. [10] Lappenbusch also designed a type of mass-produced varsity jacket and was the author of the "Straight Line Philosophy" in football and basketball which received national recognition. [10]

Lappenbusch's Straight Line theories were based on an observation from a coach that he served with at Washington in 1931: "Don't give a man a job he can't do." [10] He was twice invited to speak at the NCAA convention about his Straight Line plans and it was immensely popular, influencing many coaches of the day, including Frank Leahy of Notre Dame. [10] [14] He wrote several books on the topic and was called a "genius" by many players that he coached, although "his theories and lectures were so complicated that those in attendance often didn't know whether to take notes or laugh," according to The Bellingham Herald . [1]

Personal life and death

Lappenbusch was described as "frugal, allergic to a host of different foods and often absent-minded." [1] He was inducted into the Western Washington Athletic Hall of Fame in 1976 [13] and died in September 1996 in Enumclaw, Washington. [14]

Works

Head football coaching record

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs
Albany College (Independent)(1932)
1932 Albany College0–8
Albany College:0–8
Western Washington Vikings (Tri-Normal League / Washington Intercollegiate Conference / Evergreen Conference)(1933–1955)
1933 Western Washington1–50–23rd
1934 Western Washington2–2–30–1–1T–2nd
1935 Western Washington4–1–31–12nd
1936 Western Washington4–40–23rd
1937 Western Washington4–2–11–12nd
1938 Western Washington 7–03–01st
1939 Western Washington5–21–2T–3rd
1940 Western Washington3–41–34th
1941 Western Washington5–2–12–23rd
1942 Western Washington1–4–20–3–25th
1943 No team—World War II
1944 No team—World War II
1945 No team—World War II
1946 Western Washington4–42–34th
1947 Western Washington5–33–23rd
1948 Western Washington5–42–46th
1949 Western Washington4–4–13–2–13rd
1950 Western Washington7–2–14–1–12nd
1951 Western Washington8–14–1T–1st
1952 Western Washington5–2–14–1–12nd
1953 Western Washington3–4–22–4T–5th
1954 Western Washington3–53–34th
1955 Western Washington1–70–67th
Western Washington:81–62–1536–44–6
Total:81–70–15
      National championship        Conference title        Conference division title or championship game berth

Source: [15]

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ Lappenbusch coached basketball for 13 seasons, but the dates are unknown. [1]
  2. ↑ Lappenbusch coached baseball for six seasons, but the dates are unknown. [1]
  3. ↑ Lappenbusch coached tennis for 22 seasons, but the dates are unknown. [1]
  4. ↑ Lappenbusch coached golf for two seasons, but the dates are unknown. [1]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Keeker, Korey (May 10, 1999). "Lappenbusch's students walked a Straight Line". The Bellingham Herald . p. 14. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. 1 2 3 "College Football: Western legend 'Lappy' passes". Kitsap Sun . October 2, 1996. p. 12. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. ↑ "Untitled". Statesman Journal . May 25, 1932. p. 8. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  4. ↑ "Logger Gridders Awarded Honors". The Tacoma Daily Ledger . February 12, 1929. p. 9. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  5. ↑ "38 Washington Huskies Leave For Palo Alto To Meet Cards". The San Francisco Examiner . November 6, 1930. p. 21. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  6. ↑ "All-Pacific Northwest Grid Teams Are Announced By The Associated Press". The Bellingham Herald . Associated Press. December 1, 1930. p. 9. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  7. 1 2 3 4 "C. F. Lappenbusch New Albany Athletic Coach". Corvallis Gazette-Times . May 24, 1932. p. 4. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. ↑ "Untitled". The Missoulian . June 30, 1931. p. 5. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  9. ↑ "Lappenbusch to Direct Physical Education". Albany Democrat-Herald . August 27, 1932. p. 3. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Lindsley, Wallie (April 4, 1975). "Lappy's legacy". The Bellingham Herald . p. 11. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  11. ↑ "Former University Player To Coach At Normal". The Bellingham Herald . May 24, 1933. p. 1. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  12. ↑ "Lappenbusch Tapped For Hall of Fame". The Bellingham Herald . December 7, 1961. p. 18. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  13. 1 2 3 "Charles Lappenbusch (1976)". Western Washington Vikings. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Sleeper, John (September 30, 1996). "Ex-Vikings coach Lappenbusch known as innovator". The Bellingham Herald . p. 13, 14. Archived from the original on February 25, 2023. Retrieved February 25, 2023– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  15. ↑ "Western Washington University – Athletic History Football" (PDF). Western Washington University Athletics. pp. 3–7. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
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