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Who was Ohio State’s first coach? (Factoid 557)

Date: 7/24/15
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Alexander Spinning Lilley - Ohio State’s first football coach


Alexander Spinning Lilley was Ohio State’s first football coach. He coached them from 1890 to 1891. Unlike some other teams of that era, Ohio State had a coach and always has.

Coach Lilley was born on December 7, 1867 in Columbus, Ohio. He passed away at the age of 58 on December 8, 1925 in San Francisco, California. At the time he was a manager for a shipping company. Coa

h Lilley went 3-5 during his two years as coach. He was a volunteer coach. His opponents were primarily Ohio schools and OSU was an independent. In 1892 Frederick Bushnell "Jack" Ryder was hired as a paid coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes at a salary of $15 a week; Ryder’s season total salary being $150. Adjusted for inflation, this is $3892.43 for the season, probably not even a decent high school coach’s salary nowadays.

I wonder how Lilley would feel knowing he was the first of a team that would become a great and perennial power with over 100,000 people in attendance per game and millions of Buckeye fans throughout the state and country. He did live to see the success of Chic Harley and the building of the 70.000 plus capacity Ohio Stadium. We are sure he would be proud and happy at what he started, although I am sure Urban Meyer’s salary of $4.5 million a year would leave him scratching his head.


When was Georgia Tech's first victory? (Factoid 556)
Who was the first Ohio State coach to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame? (Factoid 558)

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