Frank Dobson (American football)
 Dobson at Maryland in 1936 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 10, 1885 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | December 1, 1956 (aged 71) Carlisle, Indiana, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Princeton University |
| Playing career | |
| Baseball | |
| 1906 | Jackson Senators |
| 1907 | Terre Haute Hottentots |
| 1907 | Portsmouth Truckers |
| 1907–1908 | Anderson Electricians |
| 1909–1910 | Fayetteville Highlanders |
| 1910–1911 | Richmond Colts |
| 1913 | Richmond Colts |
| Position(s) | Outfielder, shortstop |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1906 | Rose Polytechnic (assistant) |
| 1908 | Georgia Tech (assistant) |
| 1909 | University School for Boys (GA) |
| 1909 | Georgia (co-HC) |
| 1910–1912 | Clemson |
| 1913–1917 | Richmond |
| 1918 | South Carolina |
| 1919–1933 | Richmond |
| 1935 | Maryland (assistant) |
| 1936–1939 | Maryland |
| 1940–1948 | Apprentice |
| Basketball | |
| 1911–1913 | Clemson |
| 1912–1917 | Richmond |
| 1919–1933 | Richmond |
| Baseball | |
| 1911–1913 | Clemson |
| 1915–1933 | Richmond |
| Track and field | |
| 1914–1934 | Richmond |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1910–1912 | Clemson |
| 1913–1918 | Richmond |
| 1918 | South Carolina |
| 1919–1933 | Richmond |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 136–142–24 (college football) 166–113 (college basketball) 197–124–2 (college baseball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 3 EVIAA (1913–1914, 1916) 2 Virginia (1932–1933) 1 SoCon (1937) | |
Frank Mills Dobson (January 10, 1885 – December 1, 1956) was an American college football, college basketball, college baseball, and track and field coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of Georgia (1909, with Joseph Coulter), Clemson University (1910–1912), the University of Richmond (1913–1917, 1919–1933), the University of South Carolina (1918), the University of Maryland (1936–1939), and The Apprentice School (1940–1948), compiling a career college football head coaching record of 136–142–24. Dobson was also the head basketball coach at Clemson (1911–1913) and Richmond (1912–1917, 1919–1933) and the head baseball coach at Clemson (1911–1913) and Richmond (1915–1933).
Early life and education
Born in Philadelphia, Dobson attended the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and Peddie Institute–now known as Peddie School—a Hightstown, New Jersey.[1] At Peddie, he played halfback on the football team, forward on the basketball team, and second base on the baseball team. He also ran the quarter-mile for the track team.[2]
Coaching career
Rose Polytechnic and Georgia Tech
Dobson began his coaching career as a part-time assistant football coach at Rose Polytechnic Institute—now known as Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology—in Terre Haute, Indiana. In 1908, he joined the coaching staff at Georgia Tech under John Heisman.[1] Dobson had charge of Georgia Tech's freshman football team in the fall of 1908.[2]
Georgia
In the spring of 1909, Dobson was appointed athletic instructor and coach at the University School for Boys in Stone Mountain, Georgia.[3] He coached the school's football team that fall. In November 1909, Dobson was brought in by the University of Georgia to assist Joseph Colter in coaching the 1909 Georgia Bulldogs football team.[4] Dobson added new trick plays in an attempt to energize the offense. Still the team finished with a record of 1–4–2. Georgia credits Colter and Dobson as co-coaches for the 1909 season.[5]
Clemson
Dobson moved on to Clemson University in 1910, where he coached not only football, but also basketball and baseball.[6] His overall record with the Clemson football team was 11–12–1.
Richmond and South Carolina
Dobson then moved to the University of Richmond, where he was athletic director and football, baseball, and basketball coach from 1913 to 1933, with one exception: in the abbreviated postwar season of 1918, rather than coaching the Richmond football team, he took over the South Carolina Gamecocks and led them to a record of 2–1–1. Dobson's overall football record at Richmond was 79–78–18, his baseball record was 153–112, and his basketball record was 153–106. Dobson was posthumously elected to the University of Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978.
Maryland
In 1935, Dobson became an assistant at Maryland under head coach Jack Faber.[7] The following season, he was promoted to head coach and served in that position through 1939. Dobson amassed an 18–21 record at Maryland.
Apprentice
Dobson finished his career as the 11th head football coach at The Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia and he held that position for nine seasons, from 1940 until 1948. His coaching record at Apprentice was 25–26–2. A highlight at Apprentice was a 7–6 upset of the Virginia in 1943.[8]
Death
Dobson died on December 1, 1956, in Carlisle, Indiana. He was found dead in his bed after suffering a coronary occlusion.[1]
Head coaching record
College football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Bulldogs (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1909) | |||||||||
| 1909 | Georgia | 1–4–2 | 1–4–1 | ||||||
| Georgia: | 1–4–2 | 1–4–1 | |||||||
| Clemson Tigers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1910–1912) | |||||||||
| 1910 | Clemson | 4–3–1 | 2–3–1 | 10th | |||||
| 1911 | Clemson | 3–5 | 2–4 | 13th | |||||
| 1912 | Clemson | 4–4 | 3–3 | T–8th | |||||
| Clemson: | 11–12–1 | 7–10–1 | |||||||
| Richmond Spiders (Eastern Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Association / South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1913–1917) | |||||||||
| 1913 | Richmond | 5–3–1 | 3–0 / | 1st / | |||||
| 1914 | Richmond | 5–4 | 5–1 / 0–2 | 1st / 9th | |||||
| 1915 | Richmond | 4–4–1 | 3–2–1 / 0–1 | T–2nd / T–6th | |||||
| 1916 | Richmond | 5–4–2 | 4–1–2 / 1–3–1 | T–1st / 9th | |||||
| 1917 | Richmond | 4–2–1 | 4–1–1 / 2–1 | 2nd / T–2nd | |||||
| South Carolina Gamecocks (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1918) | |||||||||
| 1918 | South Carolina | 2–1–1 | |||||||
| South Carolina: | 2–1–1 | ||||||||
| Richmond Spiders (South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1919–1921) | |||||||||
| 1919 | Richmond | 5–2–2 | 2–2–1 | T–7th | |||||
| 1920 | Richmond | 6–2 | 2–2 | T–7th | |||||
| 1921 | Richmond | 4–3–1 | 2–2–1 | T–7th | |||||
| Richmond Spiders (Independent) (1922–1926) | |||||||||
| 1922 | Richmond | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1923 | Richmond | 3–5 | |||||||
| 1924 | Richmond | 2–6–1 | |||||||
| 1925 | Richmond | 3–6 | |||||||
| 1926 | Richmond | 2–7 | |||||||
| Richmond Spiders (Virginia Conference) (1927–1933) | |||||||||
| 1927 | Richmond | 4–4–1 | 3–1–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1928 | Richmond | 3–4–2 | 2–3–1 | 5th | |||||
| 1929 | Richmond | 3–5–1 | 2–3–1 | 5th | |||||
| 1930 | Richmond | 2–4–2 | 2–2–2 | 5th | |||||
| 1931 | Richmond | 4–5 | 3–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1932 | Richmond | 4–2–2 | 3–0–2 | 1st | |||||
| 1933 | Richmond | 5–4 | 2–1 | T–1st | |||||
| Richmond: | 79–78–18 | ||||||||
| Maryland Terrapins (Southern Conference) (1936–1939) | |||||||||
| 1936 | Maryland | 6–5 | 4–2 | 5th | |||||
| 1937 | Maryland | 8–2 | 3–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1938 | Maryland | 2–7 | 1–2 | 12th | |||||
| 1939 | Maryland | 2–7 | 0–1 | 14th | |||||
| Maryland: | 18–21 | 8–5 | |||||||
| Apprentice Builders (Independent) (1940–1948) | |||||||||
| 1940 | Apprentice | 2–5 | |||||||
| 1941 | Apprentice | 7–1 | |||||||
| 1942 | Apprentice | 3–3–2 | |||||||
| 1943 | Apprentice | 5–2 | |||||||
| 1944 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1945 | No team—World War II | ||||||||
| 1946 | Apprentice | 2–5 | |||||||
| 1947 | Apprentice | 1–6 | |||||||
| 1948 | Apprentice | 5–4 | |||||||
| Apprentice: | 25–26–2 | ||||||||
| Total: | 136–142–24 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Frank M. Dobson, Longtime Southern Grid Coach, Dies". The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana. Associated Press. December 2, 1956. p. 4-C. Retrieved November 28, 2018 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ a b "Player Who Has Greatly Aided The Tech Eleven". The Atlanta Journal. Atlanta, Georgia. November 1, 1908. p. 9. Retrieved August 10, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Frank Dobson To Coach Stone Mountain Teams". The Atlanta Journal. Atlanta, Georgia. April 18, 1909. p. 10. Retrieved August 10, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Dobson To Help Coach At Georgia". The Atlanta Journal. Atlanta, Georgia. November 6, 1909. p. 12. Retrieved August 10, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Georgia Football 2025 Media Guide". University of Georgia. pp. 158, 160. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ "Frank Dobson Clemson Coach". The Greenville Daily News. Greenville, South Carolina. March 7, 1910. p. 2. Retrieved August 10, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ The Terrapin, p. 144, University of Maryland, 1936.
- ^ "Precision of Apprentices noses out Cavaliers, 6–7". Daily Press. October 24, 1943. Retrieved May 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "NCAA Statistics; Coach; Frank M. Dobson; Football". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
- ^ "NCAA Statistics; Coach; Frank Dobson". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
External links
- Career statistics from Baseball Reference (Minors)
- Frank Dobson at Find a Grave