Alex Agase

Alexander Arrasi Agase (March 27, 1922 – May 3, 2007) was an American football player and coach.

Agase was born in Evanston, Illinois to an Assyrian father and an Armenian mother. He graduated from Evanston Township High School in Evanston, Illinois.

Agase played college football at the University of Illinois and Purdue University. Agase starred as a guard for Illinois in 1941 and 1942. In a 1942 game against the University of Minnesota, Agase scored two touchdowns for the Fighting Illini, becoming only the second guard in college football to score two touchdowns in a single game. That year, Agase was named All-American for the first time. In 1943, Agase played at Purdue while a Marine trainee, and was again named All-American. In 1944 and 1945, Agase served on active duty in World War II, including participating in the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa where he received a Purple Heart for being wounded in action. He returned to Illinois in 1946 and was again named All-American, and also received the Chicago Tribune Silver Football as the Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten Conference.

Agase moved to professional football, playing six seasons between 1947 and 1953. Three of Agase's teams with the Cleveland Browns won championships. After his playing career ended, Agase moved into coaching. Agase served as the head coach for Northwestern University from 1964 to 1972. In 1970, Agase was named the national coach of the year by the Football Writers Association. In 1973, Agase became the head coach at Purdue, one of the two schools for which he played, and coached through the 1976 season.

Agase became the athletic director at Eastern Michigan University in 1977, and served in that role until 1981. Agase later remained active in college football by assisting Bo Schembechler as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Michigan.

Agase's outstanding play continued to be honored long after his playing career ended. Agase was named to the Walter Camp Foundation all-century team in 1989 and the University of Illinois all-century team in 1990. Agase was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1963.