Harry Rabenhorst

Harry Aldrich Rabenhorst (April 30, 1898 – March 24, 1972) was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator.[1]

Harry Rabenhorst

Biographical details
Born	(1898-04-30)April 30, 1898 Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Died	March 24, 1972(1972-03-24) (aged 73) Louisiana
Playing career
Football
1917–1920	Wake Forest
Position(s)	Fullback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1918–1919	Wake Forest
1925–1942	LSU (assistant)
Basketball
1925–1942	LSU
1945–1957	LSU
Baseball
1927–1942	LSU
1946–1956	LSU
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1967–1968	LSU
Head coaching record
Overall	3–8 (football) 340–264 (basketball) 220–226-3 (baseball)
Tournaments	Basketball 1–1 (NCAA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Basketball NCAA Final Four (1953) 2 SEC (1953, 1954) Baseball 2 SEC (1939, 1946)
Awards
Baseball 2x SEC Coach of the Year (1939, 1946)

A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he served as the head basketball coach at Louisiana State University (LSU) from 1925 to 1942 and again from 1945 to 1957.[2] Rabenhorst was also the head baseball coach at LSU from 1927 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1946[3] as well as the school's athletic director from 1967 to 1968. His 1935 LSU basketball team won a national championship and his 1953 squad reached the Final Four.

Rabenhorst played college football at Wake Forest as a fullback from 1917 to 1920, captaining the team for three seasons. Rabenhorst holds the record for longest punt in football history. On Thanksgiving Day 1919, against North Carolina State, Rabenhorst got off a world record 115-yard punt that sailed 85 yards in the air.[4] Rabenhorst is credited as Wake Forest's head coach of record for the 1918 and 1919 seasons.[5]

In 1925, Rabenhorst began a very long and successful career at LSU as the head coach of the men's basketball team. Two years later, in 1927, he also became the head baseball coach. Along with his successes in basketball, he also won two SEC baseball titles (1939 and 1946).[6] As a reward for his team's success on the baseball diamond, Rabenhorst was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1939 and 1946,[7] as well. Rabenhorst stepped down as baseball and basketball coach in 1942 when he left to serve in World War II. Upon his return, he again coached the baseball team from 1946 until 1956 and the basketball team from 1946 to 1957. He finished his baseball coaching career with a record of 220–226–3.

Accolades

Rabenhorst is a member of the LSU Athletics Hall of Fame and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.[1][4]

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Wake Forest Baptists (Independent) (1918–1919)
1918	Wake Forest	1–2
1919	Wake Forest	2–6
Wake Forest:		3–8
Total:		3–8

Basketball

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
LSU Tigers (Southern Conference) (1925–1932)
1925–26	LSU	9–9	4–5	12th
1926–27	LSU	7–9	3–5	15th
1927–28	LSU	14–4	7–3	6th
1928–29	LSU	8–13	5–9	16th
1929–30	LSU	10–11	6–7	13th
1930–31	LSU	7–8	4–4	12th
1931–32	LSU	11–9	8–8	12th
LSU Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1932–1942)
1932–33	LSU	15–8	13–7	4th
1933–34	LSU	13–4	13–3	3rd
1934–35	LSU	14–1	12–0	1st
1935–36	LSU	10–10	9–6	T–6th
1936–37	LSU	13–7	7–6	7th
1937–38	LSU	10–10	7–6	6th
1938–39	LSU	13–7	10–5	4th
1939–40	LSU	10–8	8–4	4th
1940–41	LSU	9–9	7–5	5th
1941–42	LSU	8–7	8–3	4th
LSU Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1945–1957)
1945–46	LSU	18–3	8–0	T–1st
1946–47	LSU	17–4	9–2	2nd
1947–48	LSU	8–18	4–10	11th
1948–49	LSU	15–10	7–6	5th
1949–50	LSU	13–12	5–8	9th
1950–51	LSU	10–14	6–8	T–5th
1951–52	LSU	17–7	9–5	T–2nd
1952–53	LSU	22–3	13–0	1st	NCAA Final Four
1953–54	LSU	20–5	14–0	T–1st	NCAA Sweet 16
1954–55	LSU	6–18	3–11	11th
1955–56	LSU	7–17	5–9	9th
1956–57	LSU	6–19	1–13	12th
LSU:		340–264 (.563)	215–158 (.576)
Total:		340–264 (.563)
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Baseball

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
LSU Tigers (Southern Conference) (1927–1932)
1927	LSU	8–6
1928	LSU	7–11
1929	LSU	3–6
1930	LSU	6–8
1931	LSU	3–6–1
1932	LSU	4–7–1
LSU Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1933–1942)
1933	LSU	2–8	0–4	7th
1934	LSU	6–8–1	3–6	7th
1935	LSU	8–7	4–6	6th
1936	LSU	15–4	7–4	2nd
1937	LSU	12–14	5–10	7th
1938	LSU	7–8–1	3–6–1	8th
1939	LSU	22–6	10–2	1st
1940	LSU	16–5	10–4	3rd
1941	LSU	10–13	5–9	9th
1942	LSU	9–9	7–5	4th
LSU Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (1946–1956)
1946	LSU	12–5	11–3	1st
1947	LSU	10–9–1	4–7	10th
1948	LSU	7–14–1	4–10	9th
1949	LSU	6–11	5–9	9th
1950	LSU	5–9–1	2–7–1	11th
1951	LSU	10–6	6–6	5th
1952	LSU	9–11	7–9	7th
1953	LSU	8–10	7–8	7th
1954	LSU	8–11	5–10	10th
1955	LSU	6–17	4–11	10th
1956	LSU	9–11	7–9	7th
LSU:		228–240–7 (.487)	116–145–2 (.445)
Total:		228–240–7 (.487)
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

See also

• List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach

References

1. "LSU Athletics Hall of Fame Inductee Harry Rabenhorst". lsusports.net. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
2. "LSU Fighting Tigers Coaches". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
3. "Louisiana State University". baseball-reference.com. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
4. "Harry Rabenhorst". lasportshall.com. Retrieved 2018-07-29.
5. The Howler. 1921. p. 64. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
6. SEC Baseball Championships Archived 2008-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
7. SEC Coach of the Year Archived 2008-05-28 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Harry Rabenhorst at Find a Grave