John w heisman biography

A legendary coach who helped create college football’s national following, John Heisman was the head coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta from 1904 to 1919. He led Georgia Tech to the first of its four national championships in 1917 and posted a career record of 102-29-7 in sixteen seasons.

Heisman’s career winning percentage of .779 remains the best in school history by a wide margin. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

The son of a German immigrant and a native of Cleveland, Ohio, John William Heisman was born on October 23, 1869. Heisman attended Brown University in Rhode Island (1887-89) and the University of Pennsylvania (1890-91), playing football at both schools.

After establishing himself as a coach at Oberlin College in Ohio in 1892 and 1894, Buchtel College (later the University of Akron) in Ohio in 1893, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (later Auburn University) in 1895-99, and John W. Heisman - Heisman WYG