Russ_Cohen
Russ Cohen
American football player, coach, and administrator
Henry Russell Cohen (February 13, 1893 – April 7, 1981) was an American college football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Louisiana State University (LSU) from 1928 to 1931 and at the University of Cincinnati from 1935 to 1937, compiling a career college football coaching record of 31–25–4.
Cohen pictured in The Cincinnatian 1937, Cincinnati yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1893-02-13)February 13, 1893 Augusta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | April 7, 1981(1981-04-07) (aged 88) Waynesboro, Georgia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1913–1916 | Vanderbilt |
| Position(s) | End |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1922 | Mercer (assistant) |
| 1923–1926 | Alabama (assistant) |
| 1928–1931 | LSU |
| 1932 | Vanderbilt (assistant) |
| 1935–1937 | Cincinnati |
| 1938–1946 | VMI (assistant) |
| 1947–1954 | Clemson (backfield/defense) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1928–1931 | LSU |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 31–25–4 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| All-Southern (1915) | |
Cohen played as a prominent end for Dan McGugin's Vanderbilt Commodores football teams, serving as captain of its "point-a-minute" Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA) champion 1915 team, with the likes of Josh Cody and Irby Curry. Cohen was selected All-Southern the same year.[1]
Cohen was first hired by Josh Cody at Mercer. He then scouted teams for Wallace Wade at the University of Alabama.[2]
LSU
As was tradition for football coaches at the time, he also served as the athletics director at LSU during his tenure as head football coach.[3] His record with the LSU Tigers was 23–13–1.[4] McGugin recommended Cohen for the LSU job.[5] Huey P. Long was an ardent supporter of the team.[6]
Cohen's best year at LSU was probably his first, in 1928. Led by All-Southern captain Jess Tinsley, the Tigers posted a 6–2–1 record, suffering losses to Arkansas and Wade's Alabama. Star halfback Percy Brown broke his shoulder against Alabama.[7] The tie was to Bill Banker and rival Tulane, which was as good as its ever been from 1929 to 1931. In 1931 LSU played its first night game in Tiger Stadium, a 31–0 victory over Spring Hill.
Cincinnati
With the Cincinnati Bearcats, he compiled an 8–12–3 mark.[8]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LSU Tigers (Southern Conference) (1928–1931) | |||||||||
| 1928 | LSU | 6–2–1 | 3–1–1 | 6th | |||||
| 1929 | LSU | 6–3 | 3–2 | 10th | |||||
| 1930 | LSU | 6–4 | 2–4 | 16th | |||||
| 1931 | LSU | 5–4 | 3–2 | 7th | |||||
| LSU: | 23–13–1 | 11–9–1 | |||||||
| Cincinnati Bearcats (Buckeye Athletic Association) (1935–1937) | |||||||||
| 1935 | Cincinnati | 7–2 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1936 | Cincinnati | 1–5–3 | 1–2–2 | 5th | |||||
| 1937 | Cincinnati | 0–5* | 0–1 | ||||||
| Cincinnati: | 8–12–3 | 4–5–2 | *Last 5 games of season were coached by Wade Woodworth. | ||||||
| Total: | 31–25–4 | ||||||||
- Dick Jemison (November 30, 1915). "Composite All-Southern Of Ten Of The Dopesters". Atlanta Constitution.
- "Who's Who Among Grid Leaders". The Waco News-Tribune. October 11, 1928. p. 8. Retrieved May 23, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- "LSU Year-by-Year Records" (PDF). lsusports.net. p. 107. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 19, 2018. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- "LSU Football media guide". lsusports.net. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
- Edwin Pope (1955). Football's Greatest Coaches. p. 341. Retrieved March 8, 2015 – via archive.org.
- "Huey P. Long Startling As A Football Fan". Cumberland Evening Times. December 4, 1930. p. 12. Retrieved June 2, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.
- "1928 Season" (PDF). grfx.cstv.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- "Russell T. "Russ" Cohen Records by Year". cfbdatawarehouse.com/. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
