E. J. Mather
Encyclopedia
Edwin J. Mather was an American football
and basketball player and coach. He was selected as an All-Western football player while playing for Lake Forest University in 1909 and went on to a coaching career at Lake Forest (1910–1911), Kalamazoo College
(1911–1916), the University of Arkansas
(1919), and the University of Michigan
(1919–1928).
and played three sports at Ottumwa High School
. He enrolled at Lake Forest University, where he played at the end position on the school's football team. In 1909, he was captain of the Lake Forest football team and was selected as an all-Western end by the Chicago Daily News. In selecting him for its All-Illinois football team that same year, the Chicago Record-Herald wrote: "Mather, by virtue of his glittering achievements in 1908, had little trouble in clinching a place on the all-state combine. With another season in which to perfect the forward pass and the open style of play Mather developed into a terror on offense. As a defensive player he is rated among the headliners throughout Illinois. His forte is left end. The game with DePauw Thanksgiving day marked the windup of Mather's college career." He was also captain of the Lake Forest basketball team in his senior year.
, where he remained until 1916.
coach for the Kalamazoo
Hornets located in Kalamazoo, Michigan
. He held that position for 5 seasons, from 1911 until 1915. His coaching record at Kalamazoo was 12 wins, 11 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, this ranks him #9 at Kalamazoo in total wins and #7 at the school in winning percentage .
titles in four of Mather's five years as the coach. Mather's Kalamazoo College basketball teams had a combined record of 28–13.
, Mather entered the U.S. Army. In March 1919, after being discharged from the Army, Mather took over as director and coach of athletics at the University of Arkansas
. In April 1919, Mather was reported to be organizing teams in basketball, tennis, volley ball, and track at the Fayetteville, Arkansas
campus.
. He was the head basketball coach at Michigan from 1919 to 1928 and coached the team to three Big Nine titles and an overall record of 108–53 in his nine seasons as coach. He led the team to an 18–4 overall (8–4, Big Ten) record during the 1920–21 season. The 1921 team won its first eight and last eight games to tie the Wisconsin Badgers
and Purdue Boilermakers
for the Big Nine title. The team won back-to-back championships in 1925–26 and 1926–27. The 1926 squad, which was captained
by Richard Doyle who became the team's first All-American, tied with Purdue, the Iowa Hawkeyes
and Indiana Hoosiers
for the conference championship. The 1927 team had a new All-American, Bennie Oosterbaan
, and won the school's first back-to-back championships and first outright championship with a 14–3 overall (10–2, Big Ten) record.
Mather was also an assistant football coach at Michigan for nine seasons from 1919
to 1927
.
Mather died of cancer after a long illness in August 1928. He was age 41 at the time of his death and was survived by his wife and two small sons.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and basketball player and coach. He was selected as an All-Western football player while playing for Lake Forest University in 1909 and went on to a coaching career at Lake Forest (1910–1911), Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College, also known as K College or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1833, the college is among the 100 oldest in the country. Today, it produces more Peace Corps volunteers per capita than any other U.S...
(1911–1916), the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
(1919), and the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(1919–1928).
Playing history
Mather was born in Ottumwa, IowaOttumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
and played three sports at Ottumwa High School
Ottumwa High School
Ottumwa High School is a public high school located in Ottumwa, Iowa. It is part of the Ottumwa Community School District, and it is the district's only high school. It was established in 1923. The school sports mascot is a Bulldog.- History :...
. He enrolled at Lake Forest University, where he played at the end position on the school's football team. In 1909, he was captain of the Lake Forest football team and was selected as an all-Western end by the Chicago Daily News. In selecting him for its All-Illinois football team that same year, the Chicago Record-Herald wrote: "Mather, by virtue of his glittering achievements in 1908, had little trouble in clinching a place on the all-state combine. With another season in which to perfect the forward pass and the open style of play Mather developed into a terror on offense. As a defensive player he is rated among the headliners throughout Illinois. His forte is left end. The game with DePauw Thanksgiving day marked the windup of Mather's college career." He was also captain of the Lake Forest basketball team in his senior year.
Kalamazoo
In 1911, Mather was hired as the coach of all sports at Kalamazoo CollegeKalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College, also known as K College or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1833, the college is among the 100 oldest in the country. Today, it produces more Peace Corps volunteers per capita than any other U.S...
, where he remained until 1916.
Football
Mather was the head college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach for the Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo College, also known as K College or simply K, is a private liberal arts college in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1833, the college is among the 100 oldest in the country. Today, it produces more Peace Corps volunteers per capita than any other U.S...
Hornets located in Kalamazoo, Michigan
Kalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
. He held that position for 5 seasons, from 1911 until 1915. His coaching record at Kalamazoo was 12 wins, 11 losses and 2 ties. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, this ranks him #9 at Kalamazoo in total wins and #7 at the school in winning percentage .
Basketball
Mather's basketball teams at Kalamazoo won all of their home games four times and went undefeated in the 1914–1915 season. The teams also won the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationMichigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association is an athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The nine teams in the conference are all located in the states of Michigan and Indiana. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association was established on March 24, 1888, making...
titles in four of Mather's five years as the coach. Mather's Kalamazoo College basketball teams had a combined record of 28–13.
Arkansas
With the entry of the United States into World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Mather entered the U.S. Army. In March 1919, after being discharged from the Army, Mather took over as director and coach of athletics at the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. In April 1919, Mather was reported to be organizing teams in basketball, tennis, volley ball, and track at the Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
campus.
University of Michigan
In the fall of 1919, Mather was hired by the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. He was the head basketball coach at Michigan from 1919 to 1928 and coached the team to three Big Nine titles and an overall record of 108–53 in his nine seasons as coach. He led the team to an 18–4 overall (8–4, Big Ten) record during the 1920–21 season. The 1921 team won its first eight and last eight games to tie the Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball
The Wisconsin Badgers men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Big Ten Conference. Home games are played at the Kohl Center, located on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus in Madison, Wisconsin....
and Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball holds the record for most Big Ten Championships with 22, along with being the only program in the conference to boast winning records...
for the Big Nine title. The team won back-to-back championships in 1925–26 and 1926–27. The 1926 squad, which was captained
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
by Richard Doyle who became the team's first All-American, tied with Purdue, the Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball
The Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represents the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, as a member of the Big Ten Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. They currently play in 15,500-seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena, along with the school's women's basketball, wrestling, and...
and Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball
The Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Indiana University . The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the NCAA. The Hoosiers play on Branch McCracken Court at the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana on the IU...
for the conference championship. The 1927 team had a new All-American, Bennie Oosterbaan
Bennie Oosterbaan
Benjamin Gaylord "Bennie" Oosterbaan was a three-time first team All-American football end for the Michigan Wolverines football team, two-time All-American basketball player for the basketball team and an All-Big Ten Conference baseball player for the baseball team...
, and won the school's first back-to-back championships and first outright championship with a 14–3 overall (10–2, Big Ten) record.
Mather was also an assistant football coach at Michigan for nine seasons from 1919
1919 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1919 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1919 college football season. The team's head coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field.-Schedule:-Letter winners:...
to 1927
1927 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1927 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1927 college football season. The team's head coach was Elton Wieman...
.
Personal life
A few weeks after the Wolverines won the Big Ten championship for the 1926–1927 season, Mather underwent surgery for cancer. Mather never fully recovered from the operation. In the fall of 1927, he was put in charge of Michigan's freshman football team, and he returned as basketball coach at the beginning of the 1927–1928 season. However, Mather was forced to step down from his coaching duties on advice from his doctor. While he visited the team for practices, the 1927–1928 basketball team was coached by Michigan's athletic director, Fielding H. Yost. A telephone line was installed at Mather's bedside, and football coach Harry Kipke relayed the plays to him and gave him a summary at the end of each game.Mather died of cancer after a long illness in August 1928. He was age 41 at the time of his death and was survived by his wife and two small sons.