William Henry "Lone Star" Dietz (August 17, 1884 – July 20, 1964) was the head coach of the Boston Redskins (now Washington Redskins) of the National Football League.
College career
Dietz played at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School of Carlisle, PA, a teammate of Jim Thorpe, under famed coach Pop Warner.
Coaching career
Coach Dietz was the 14th head college football coach for the Washington State University Cougars located in Pullman, Washington and he held that position for three seasons, from 1915 until 1917.[1][2] His coaching record at Washington State was 17 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. As of the conclusion of the 2007 season, this ranks him eighth at Washington State in total wins and third at Washington State in winning percentage (0.875). [3] He also led Washington State to its only Rose Bowl Game win in 1916. Dietz also coached at Purdue University and the University of Wyoming, among other schools.
George Preston Marshall, owner and founder of the Boston Braves, sought to rename the franchise after leaving the stadium they shared with the baseball team of the same name. He chose the name Redskins in honor of Dietz, who is of the Sioux Nation.
Contested heritage
Dietz's Indian heritage was first contested in 1918 by a draft agent for the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I when Dietz registered himself as a "Non-Citizen Indian," as the U.S. Government had not yet acknowledged Native Americans as U.S. citizens at that time.
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