Charles Thomas (American football)

Charles Thomas
Biographical details
Born	October 21, 1871; Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	September 19, 1920 (aged 48); Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Playing career
1891–1892	Michigan
Position(s)	Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1892–1894	Nebraska (assistant)
1893	Baker
1895	Nebraska
1897	Nebraska Wesleyan
1901–1902	Arkansas
Head coaching record
Overall	26–13–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
	1 WIUFA (1895)

Charles Ladd Thomas (October 21, 1871 – September 19, 1920) was an American college football player and coach and newspaper reporter and editor. A native of Omaha, Nebraska,^[1] Thomas enrolled at the University of Michigan, where he played at the guard position for the Michigan Wolverines football teams of 1891 and 1892.^[2] After graduating from Michigan in 1893, Thomas returned to Nebraska, where he served as an assistant football coach at the University of Nebraska under Frank Crawford in 1893 and 1894. In 1895, he took over as Nebraska's head football coach, posting a 6–3 record. In 1897, Thomas was the head football coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University.^[3] From 1901 to 1902, he served as the head football coach at Arkansas, where he compiled a 9–8 record.

Nebraska[edit]

After Frank Crawford left Nebraska to go to the University of Texas in 1894, Thomas became the head coach for the 1895 season. He remained the coach for one year and had a 6–3 record while winning a share of the Western Interstate University Football Association title. Thomas took the Nebraska football team on its first long road trip with a game in Butte, Montana to play Butte's local athletic club.

Late life and death[edit]

Thomas later worked as a reporter and editor for the Omaha Daily Bee in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska. He died at his home in Omaha, on September 19, 1920, after suffering a paralytic stroke.^[4]

Head coaching record[edit]


Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing
Baker Methodists (Independent) (1893)
1893	Baker	5–0–1
Baker:		5–0–1
Nebraska Bugeaters (Western Interstate University Football Association) (1895)
1895	Nebraska	6–3	2–1	T–1st
Nebraska:		6–3	2–1
Nebraska Wesleyan (Independent) (1897)
1897	Nebraska Wesleyan	5–2
Nebraska Wesleyan:		5–2
Arkansas Cardinals (Independent) (1901–1902)
1901	Arkansas	3–5
1902	Arkansas	6–3
Arkansas:		9–8
Total:		25–13–1
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth

References[edit]

^ "Football Rosters Results Page". Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
^ "1892 Football Team -- University of Michigan Athletics".
^ "Game Was Easy—Wesleyan Defeats Tabor Inducing Much Perspiration". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. November 2, 1897. p. 1. Retrieved April 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Charles Thomas, Bee Editor, Dead—Well Known Newspaper Man Former Cornhusker Coach Succumbs to Stroke". The Lincoln Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. September 20, 1920. p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com .

External links[edit]

Charles Thomas at Find a Grave

This biographical article relating to a college football coach first appointed in the 1900s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] "Football Rosters Results Page". Archived from the original on September 1, 2010. Retrieved December 19, 2009.

[2] "1892 Football Team -- University of Michigan Athletics".

[3] "Game Was Easy—Wesleyan Defeats Tabor Inducing Much Perspiration". Lincoln Journal Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. November 2, 1897. p. 1. Retrieved April 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com .

[4] "Charles Thomas, Bee Editor, Dead—Well Known Newspaper Man Former Cornhusker Coach Succumbs to Stroke". The Lincoln Star. Lincoln, Nebraska. September 20, 1920. p. 7. Retrieved April 25, 2019 – via Newspapers.com .

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