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Harris G. Cope
File:SewaneeCope.jpg
Cope c. 1913
Sport(s)Football, baseball
Biographical details
Born(1880-03-16)March 16, 1880
Savannah, Georgia
DiedSeptember 24, 1924(1924-09-24) (aged 44)
Birmingham, Alabama
Alma materSewanee: The University of the South
Playing career
Position(s)Quarterback (football)
Third baseman (baseball)
Head coaching record
Overall48–28–12
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 SIAA (1909)

Harris Goodwin Cope (March 16, 1880 – September 24, 1924) was an American football and baseball player and football coach. Cope was a member of the National Football Rules Committee in 1914–15.

Playing years[]

Cope first played at Taft School in Watertown, Connecticut.[1]

Sewanee[]

File:Harriscope.png

Cope c. 1901

Football[]

In his first year of varsity football, Cope was a substitute quarterback on the undefeated "Iron Men" of the 1899 Sewanee Tigers football team. He was the captain and the starting quarter for Sewanee's 1901 team.[2]

Baseball[]

He played third baseman on the Sewanee baseball team.

Coaching years[]

Cope coached at Sewanee: University of the South and Howard College.[3] He worked for a short time as a business man in Cartersville before returning to Sewanee to coach in 1909.[4]

Sewanee[]

Cope has the third-most wins of any Sewanee coach (43), behind Shirley Majors' 93 and John Windham's 45; and has the highest winning percentage of any Sewanee coach who coached for more than 3 seasons. His continuity came after a period in which Sewanee had much talent but six coaches in seven years.[5]

1909[]

In Cope's first year at head coach he led the Sewanee Tigers to a Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) championship in 1909, beating previous season's champion LSU and handing Vanderbilt its first loss to a Southern team in six years.

Howard[]

Former Sewanee player Bob Taylor Dobbins assisted Cope at Howard.

Legacy[]

Cope's disciples include:

  • Bob Taylor Dobbins, played for Sewanee (1913–1915), assistant for Howard (1922–1923)
  • Frank Faulkinberry, played for Sewanee (1907–1910), head coach for Middle Tennessee State (1926–1932)
  • Jenks Gillem, played for Sewanee (1910–1912), head coach for Howard (1925–1926), Birmingham–Southern (1928–1939), head coach for Sewanee (1940–1941)
  • Frank Juhan, played for Sewanee (1908–1910), assistant for Sewanee (1913–1915)
  • Henry D. Phillips, assistant for Sewanee (1909–1915)
  • Silas Williams, played for Sewanee (1908–1909), assistant for Sewanee (1914–1915), head coach for Chattanooga (1919–1921)

Head coaching record[]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Sewanee Tigers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1909–1916)
1909 Sewanee 6–1 5–0 1st
1910 Sewanee 8–2 3–1 T–3rd
1911 Sewanee 6–3–1 2–3 9th
1912 Sewanee 5–1–2 2–1–2 5th
1913 Sewanee 4–3 2–2 7th
1914 Sewanee 5–3 4–2 5th
1915 Sewanee 4–3–2 2–2–2 10th
1916 Sewanee 5–2–2 2–2–2 14th
Sewanee: 43–18–7 22–14–6
Howard Bulldogs (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1922–1923)
1922 Howard 2–6–2
1923 Howard 3–4–3
Howard: 5–10–5
Total: 48–28–12
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title
Indicates BCS bowl, Bowl Alliance or Bowl Coalition game.

References[]

External links[]

Template:Sewanee Tigers quarterback navbox Template:Sewanee Tigers athletic director navbox

Template:Samford Bulldogs athletic director navbox

Template:1899 Sewanee Tigers football navbox

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