Clarence Stasavich

Clarence Stasavich

Stasavich pictured in The Buccaneer 1963, East Carolina yearbook
Sport(s) Football
Biographical details
Born (1913-02-09)February 9, 1913
Illinois
Died October 24, 1975(1975-10-24) (aged 62)
Greenville, North Carolina
Playing career
1931–1934 Lenoir–Rhyne
Position(s) End
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1946–1961 Lenoir–Rhyne
1962–1969 East Carolina
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1963–1975 East Carolina
Head coaching record
Overall 171–64–7
Bowls 5–1
Tournaments 3–1 (NAIA playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 NAIA National (1960)
7 North State / Carolinas Conference (1951–1952, 1955–1956, 1958–1961)
1 SoCon (1966)

Clarence Stasavich (February 9, 1913 – October 24, 1975) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Lenoir–Rhyne University from 1946 to 1961 and at East Carolina College—renamed East Carolina University in 1967—from 1963 to 1969, compiling a career college football of 171–64–7. He led Lenoir–Rhyne to the NAIA Football National Championship in 1960. Stasavich was also the athletic director at East Carolina from 1963 to 1975.

East Carolina

Stasavich was the head football coach at East Carolina from 1962 to 1969 and the athletic director from 1963 to 1975. During those eight years Stasavich posted a 50–27–1 record. In 1963 East Carolina was 9–1 and record the program's first bowl game victory, against North Eastern in the Eastern Bowl. In 1964, Stasavich's team again posted a 9–1 record and beat UMass in the Tangerine Bowl, 14–13. The 1965 football season was a repeat of 1964's record and bowl appearance, expect the Pirates won against Maine, 31–0, in the Tangerine Bowl. Also in 1965, Stasavich helped bring East Carolina into the Southern Conference. In 1969, Stasavich was the third-winningest active coach after Bear Bryant of Alabama and Johnny Vaught of Ole Miss.

Death, awards, and honors

Stasavich died October 24, 1975, a day before East Carolina beat North Carolina for the first time.

Stasavich's love for the Southern Conference was honored when the conference named the football championship trophy the Clarence Stasavich Memorial Trophy. Stasavich was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1970, the ECU Hall of Fame in 1976, the National Association of Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977, and the Florida Citrus Bowl Hall of Fame in 1986. Lenoir-Rhyne and the city of Hickory, North Carolina named one of the campus streets Stasavich Place in honor of his accomplishments. The street runs in front of the gymnasium and is the main entry to Helen and Lenonard Moretz Stadium, the university's football facility.

Head coaching record

Stasavich kneeling beside three senior football players at East Carolina
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Lenoir–Rhyne Bears Engineers (North State Conference / Carolinas Conference) (1946–1961)
1946 Lenoir–Rhyne 5–6
1947 Lenoir–Rhyne 5–4–1
1948 Lenoir–Rhyne 6–3–1
1949 Lenoir–Rhyne 7–3
1950 Lenoir–Rhyne 8–2
1951 Lenoir–Rhyne 10–1 1st W Pythian Bowl
1952 Lenoir–Rhyne 8–1 1st L Cigar
1953 Lenoir–Rhyne 4–5
1954 Lenoir–Rhyne 2–7–1
1955 Lenoir–Rhyne 9–0–1 1st W Palmetto Shrine
1956 Lenoir–Rhyne 10–0 1st
1957 Lenoir–Rhyne 8–2–1
1958 Lenoir–Rhyne 9–1 1st
1959 Lenoir–Rhyne 10–1 1st L NAIA Football National Championship
1960 Lenoir–Rhyne 12–0 1st W NAIA Football National Championship
1961 Lenoir–Rhyne 8–1–1 1st
Lenoir–Rhyne: 121–37–6
East Carolina Pirates (NCAA College Division independent) (1962–1964)
1962 East Carolina 5–4
1963 East Carolina 9–1 W Eastern Bowl
1964 East Carolina 9–1 W Tangerine
East Carolina Pirates (Southern Conference) (1965–1969)
1965 East Carolina 9–1 3–1 3rd W Tangerine
1966 East Carolina 4–5–1 4–1–1 T–1st
1967 East Carolina 8–2 4–1 2nd
1968 East Carolina 4–6 2–2 T–2nd
1969 East Carolina 2–7 1–3 5th
East Carolina: 50–27–1 14–8–1
Total: 171–64–7

References

    External links

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