Harold Hunt (coach) facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1907 Milford, Kansas |
| Died | November 1, 1992 (aged 84) Oakland, California |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1949–1951 | Southwestern (KS) |
| Basketball | |
| 1940–1943 | Quincy HS (IL) |
| 1949–1952 | Southwestern (KS) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 6–18–3 (college football) 31–37 (college basketball) 49–25 (high school basketball) |
Harold Seymore Hunt (born December 12, 1907 – died November 1, 1992) was a well-known American football and basketball coach. He became famous for an amazing act of sportsmanship. He once turned down a touchdown that would have won a game for his team. This showed everyone how fair and honest he was.
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Football Coaching
Harold Hunt coached football for three seasons. He led the Southwestern College team in Kansas from 1949 to 1951. During his time there, his team's record was 6 wins, 18 losses, and 3 ties.
The Rejected Touchdown
One of the most famous moments in Coach Hunt's career happened in 1951. It was the first game of the season against Central Missouri State. The opposing coach, Tate Page, later called it "the finest act of sportsmanship" he had ever seen.
In the third quarter, a Southwestern player named Arthur Johnson made a long run. He ran down the side of the field closest to Southwestern's bench. The referee signaled a touchdown, and the crowd of 2,000 people cheered loudly.
But Coach Hunt ran onto the field. He surprised everyone by saying, "Southwestern rejects the touchdown!" He explained that Johnson had stepped out of bounds during his run. None of the referees had seen this happen. However, they trusted Coach Hunt and agreed to cancel the touchdown. They moved the ball back to where Coach Hunt said Johnson had stepped out. Later, a photo of the play confirmed that Coach Hunt was right. This act showed his incredible honesty and commitment to fair play.
Basketball Coaching
Harold Hunt also had a successful career coaching basketball.
High School Basketball
From 1940 to 1943, Coach Hunt led the basketball team at Quincy Senior High School in Quincy, Illinois. His teams had good records:
- 12 wins and 13 losses in the 1940–41 season.
- 23 wins and 4 losses in the 1941–42 season.
- 14 wins and 8 losses in the 1942–43 season.
In both 1942 and 1943, his teams won district and regional championships. They even made it to the state finals. In 1943, he left Quincy to serve his country. He became an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He worked in the V5 Pre-Flight Aviation Program.
College Basketball
After his time in the Navy, Coach Hunt also became the head basketball coach at Southwestern College. He coached there for three seasons, from 1949 to 1952. His record with the college basketball team was 31 wins and 37 losses.
