Charlie Bachman

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Charles W. Bachman (December 1, 1892 – December 14, 1985) was a Hall of Fame college football coach.

Bachman played college football at Notre Dame from 1914 to 1916 alongside Knute Rockne, and was named an All-American at guard in 1916, making Walter Camp's second team. Bachman spent the 1917 season helping to coach the football team at DePauw University. In 1918 – eligibility requirements being a bit looser in those days – Bachman returned to the field, playing center for the legendary team at Great Lakes Naval Station. This team posted a 7-0-2 record; it beat Navy, Illinois, and Purdue, tied Bachman's former Notre Dame team, and then won the Rose Bowl. His Great Lakes teammates included Paddy Driscoll and George Halas.

Coaching career

In 1919, at age twenty six, Bachman began his head coaching career at Northwestern University. Bachman brought to Northwestern a number of former players returning from military service, but his team posted a disappointing 2-5 record. He moved on to Kansas State University following this season, and the losing record proved to be an aberration. From 1920 to 1927, Bachman posted a record of 33-23-9 at Kansas State. In 1924, Bachman's K-State team beat the University of Kansas for the first time in eighteen years. Bachman coached Kansas State's first All-American, and under his leadership the school also permanently returned to its former nickname of Wildcats and began using a live bobcat as a mascot.

Bachman accepted the heading coaching position at the University of Florida in 1928, where he posted an 8-1 record his first season, the best in school history up to that time. He coached the Gators for five seasons, posting an overall record of 27-18-3. While at Florida, he coached College Hall of Fame end Dale Van Sickel.

Bachman left Florida to become the head football coach of Michigan State University, serving from 1933 to 1942 and from 1944 to 1946. Similar to the situation he inherited at Kansas State, Michigan State had not beaten the University of Michigan for eighteen years (1916-33), but under Bachman, Michigan State defeated Michigan four consecutive seasons (1934-1937). Bachman's overal record at Michigan State was 70-34-10. His Spartan teams were also notable because he outfitted them in gold and black uniforms instead of the official school colors of green and white.

Bachman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978.

Head coaching record

External links

• Hall of Fame biography
• Article on 1918 Great Lakes Naval Station team