Babe Hollingbery

Orin Ercel "Babe" Hollingbery (July 15, 1893 – January 12, 1974) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at the State College of Washington—now known as Washington State University—for 17 seasons, from 1926 to 1942, and compiled a record of 93–53–14 (.625).[1][2][3] Hollingbery's 93 wins are the most by any head coach in the history of the Washington State Cougars football program.[4] He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1979.[5][6]

Babe Hollingbery
c. 1935
Biographical details
Born(1893-07-15)July 15, 1893
Hollister, California
DiedJanuary 12, 1974(1974-01-12) (aged 80)
Yakima, Washington
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1926–1942Washington State
Head coaching record
Overall93–53–14
Bowls0–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 PCC (1930)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1979 (profile)

Early years

Born in Hollister, California, Hollingbery was raised in San Francisco and never attended college. He coached local high school football, one fall he led three teams, and later coached at the Olympic Club.[1][4][7] One of his players at Olympic was Buck Bailey, who became his line coach at Washington State in 1926 and headed the Cougar baseball program until 1961.[8]

Washington State

Hollingbery coached at Washington State during what is generally agreed as its greatest football era. The Cougars did not lose a home game from 1926 to 1935, and the 1930 team advanced to the Rose Bowl against Alabama.[9] He coached some of the greatest names in Washington State history, including Turk Edwards, Mel Hein, Mel Dressel, Dale Gentry, Ed Goddard, Harold Ahlskog, Elmer Schwartz, Bob Kennedy, Nick Suseoff, Bill Sewell, John Bley, and Herbert "Butch" Meeker.

Before the 1943 season, the football program went on hiatus due to World War II;[10][11] Hollingbery trained U.S. Army troops on campus and coached eighth-grade football.[12][13] He took a one-year leave of absence, beginning in mid-1944,[14][15] moved to Yakima,[16][17] and started a lucrative hop-growing business.[18] When the Cougar football program was restarted, Hollingberry was asked to take a pay cut and did not return to Pullman.[19][20][21][22]

Hollingbery Fieldhouse at Washington State University, a facility serving many different sports, was built in 1929 and renamed for the coach in 1963;[23] the dedication ceremony was at halftime of the Battle of the Palouse football game with Idaho on November 2.[24] Hired after three consecutive Cougar losses to Idaho, Hollingberry never lost to the Vandals, with 16 wins and a tie (.971).

East-West Shrine Game

Hollingbery also was the creator of the East–West Shrine Game and the head coach of the West team in the first Shrine Game in 1925.[14][25][26] He coached in a total of 18 Shrine Games,[1] leading players such as Harold Muller, Rags Matthews, and George Sauer.

Northwest League

Involved in minor league baseball in Yakima,[27][28] Hollingbery was the president of the new Northwest League for the 1955 season.[29] Hired in June after the resignation of Arthur Pohlman,[30][31] Hollingbery stepped down that November.[32]

Death

In late December 1973, Hollingbery suffered a stroke, fell into a coma,[33] and died several weeks later at age 80.[2] His wife, Hazel, died eleven years later, days before her 91st birthday;[34] they are buried at Terrace Heights Memorial Park in Yakima.[1]

Head coaching record
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs AP#
Washington State Cougars (Pacific Coast Conference) (1926–1942)
1926 Washington State 6–14–1T–3rd
1927 Washington State 3–3–21–3–17th
1928 Washington State 7–34–34th
1929 Washington State 10–24–25th
1930 Washington State 9–16–11stL Rose
1931 Washington State 6–44–34th
1932 Washington State 7–1–15–1–12nd
1933 Washington State 5–3–13–3–1T–5th
1934 Washington State 4–3–14–0–12nd
1935 Washington State 5–3–13–2T–4th
1936 Washington State 6–3–16–2–12nd
1937 Washington State 3–3–33–3–2T–4th
1938 Washington State 2–81–79th
1939 Washington State 4–53–56th
1940 Washington State 4–4–23–4–24th
1941 Washington State 6–45–3T–2nd19
1942 Washington State 6–2–25–1–12nd17
Washington State: 93–53–1464–42–10
Total:93–53–14
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth
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References
  1. Eskenazi, David (November 27, 2012). "Wayback Machine: Hollingbery, Hein, Edwards". Sportspress Northwest. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  2. "Ex-WSU coach Hollingberry dies at 80". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. January 12, 1974. p. 1.
  3. "Coaching legend Hollingberry dies". Spokesman-Review. January 13, 1974. p. 1, sports.
  4. Shelton, Don (December 30, 1997). "O.E. 'Babe' Hollingbery - legendary coach led by following rules". Seattle Times. p. September 28, 2014.
  5. "'Babe' Hollingbery makes another Hall". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. January 25, 1979. p. 19.
  6. "Hollingbery honored". Spokane Daily Chronicle. August 6, 1980. p. 18.
  7. "Hollingbery to return home". Berkeley Daily Gazette. October 10, 1940. p. 12.
  8. Broom, Bob (October 28, 1964). "Bailey regarded legendary figure". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 21.
  9. "Crowd of 70,000 sees Cougar play". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. January 1, 1931. p. 1.
  10. Ashlock, Herb (June 4, 1943). "Word from the bench". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 11.
  11. "Don't lose Hollingbery, is Round Table plea to college". Spokane Daily Chronicle. June 10, 1943. p. 16.
  12. "Babe Hollingbery loses first game as a prep coach". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. October 1943. p. 2, part 2.
  13. "Babe Hollingbery so good his kids can't get a game". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. October 28, 1943. p. 10, part 2.
  14. "Hollingbery on W.S.C. leave". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. March 25, 1944. p. 6.
  15. "Babe Hollingberry to leave Cougars". The Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. United Press. March 25, 1944. p. 2.
  16. "Babe Hollingbery to enter business field in Yakima". Spokane Daily Chronicle. April 13, 1944. p. 13.
  17. Newland, Russ (April 25, 1944). "Hollingbery will enter fruit business in Yakima". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. p. 12.
  18. Newland, Russ (May 16, 1947). "Young hurler real prospect". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. p. 2, part 2.
  19. Johnson, Bob (May 28, 1945). "State College alumni bitter about "sacking" of Hollingbery". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 9.
  20. Johnson, Bob (April 11, 1946). "My Nickel's Worth". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 26.
  21. Missildine, Harry (January 13, 1974). "The Hollingberry legend will live". Spokesman-Review. p. 1, sports.
  22. Brewer, Fred (January 1, 1955). "Babe's "community" is the Pacific Northwest". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press, (Yakima Morning Herald). p. 1.
  23. ""Hollingbery" Fieldhouse". Spokesman-Review. August 6, 1963. p. 14.
  24. "Hollingbery Fieldhouse naming, 1963". Washington State University Libraries. Digital Collections. November 2, 1963. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  25. "Pick coach Hollingbery". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. October 14, 1926. p. 15.
  26. "Hollingbery coach of West team for fifth time". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 22, 1932. p. 10.
  27. "Yakima fans fete Babe Hollingbery". Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 16, 1953. p. 19.
  28. "Babe is named Yakima prexy". Spokane Daily Chronicle. United Press. January 12, 1954. p. 14.
  29. "Yakima's Babe Hollingbery drafted to guide Northwest Baseball League". Spokesman-Review. June 11, 1955. p. 12.
  30. "League seeking new president". Spokane Daily Chronicle. June 10, 1955. p. 14.
  31. "Split season looms, Hollingberry reports". Spokane Daily Chronicle. June 11, 1955. p. 8.
  32. "Portland broker is named Northwest loop president". Spokane Daily Chronicle. November 17, 1955. p. 43.
  33. ""The Coach" to miss only 2nd shrine tilt". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 27, 1973. p. 15.
  34. "Hazel Hollingbery". Spokane Chronicle. obituary. October 8, 1985. p. B7.
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