Howard Harpster

Howard Harpster (May 14, 1907 – April 9, 1980) was an American football player and coach. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956.

Playing career
Harpster played quarterback for the Carnegie Mellon University (then called "Carnegie Tech") from 1926 until 1928. The College Football Hall of Fame states that he was known as "one of the great Eastern quarterbacks of the late 1920s." In 1926, Carnegie Tech's football team beat Knute Rockne's Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The game was ranked the fourth-greatest upset in college football history by ESPN.

Geneva
Harpster was the 15th head football coach for the Geneva College Golden Tornadoes located in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and he held that position for three seasons, from 1930 until 1932. His coaching record at Geneva was 22 wins, 6 losses, and 2 ties. As of completion of the 2007 season, this ranks him sixth at Geneva in total wins and third at Geneva in winning percentage (.767).

Geneva College fans generally consider him among the best coaches in the history of the school. His teams were considered among the leading small college teams in the country at the time.

Carnegie Tech
In 1933, Harpster returned to Carnegie Tech and coached for four years where his teams produced a record of 12 wins, 20 losses, and 3 ties.