Len Casanova
Encyclopedia
Leonard Joseph "Len" Casanova (June 12, 1905 – September 30, 2002) was an American football
, basketball
, and baseball
player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Santa Clara University
(1946–1949), the University of Pittsburgh
(1950), and the University of Oregon
(1951–1966), compiling a career college football
record of 104–94–11. Casanova was also the head baseball coach at Santa Clara from 1939 to 1942. After retiring from coaching, he served as the athletic director
at Oregon. Casanova was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1977.
. He got his start in football in the early 1920s when he played halfback
for Ferndale High School, and in 1922 he captained the Ferndale team to a co-championship with Eureka High School. The Ferndale team ended the season with seven wins in eight games. One of Casanova’s early athletic feats came in the first game that year against Arcata High School
when, as a left-footed kicker, he drop-kicked a 45-yard field goal as Ferndale defeated the Tigers, 10–0.
Clark Bugbee, a high school teammate, later recalled that "Cas wanted to be a good punter. The coach gave him a football to take home and practice with. He practiced winter and summer and turned out to be quite a punter in college."
While in high school, Casanova delivered newspapers and worked at a meat market in town. In his senior year, he also played basketball and baseball and was president of the student body. In the 1923 Ferndale High School yearbook, under the column "Expected to Be" in the "Senior Horoscope" section, Casanova listed his future career as "football coach."
Casanova entered Santa Clara University
in the fall of 1923 and played football and baseball from 1923 through 1927. As a freshman in a game against Stanford
, he picked up a fumble and returned it 86 yards for a touchdown.
In 1924, Casanova was playing halfback and punting
for Santa Clara. He first made headlines as a player for Santa Clara in 1924 after his heroics in a game against Saint Mary's
. A popular rivalry since its origination in 1895, the "Little Big Game" between Santa Clara and Saint Mary's was played annually in front of packed crowds at Kezar Stadium
in San Francisco. With the ball resting on the Santa Clara two-yard line, Casanova was called on to punt from his own end zone. He punted a ball that went out of bounds on the Saint Mary's one-yard line. The punt traveled a total of 97 yards and would (as of 2006) rank as the second longest of college football history if pre-1937 statistics were included in the NCAA
record book.
Casanova was Santa Clara's team captain in his senior year under coach Adam Walsh, who had played at Notre Dame
under Knute Rockne
. Casanova graduated in 1927 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a minor in history. He attended summer sessions at Santa Clara and obtained his teaching credential
in 1932. Following college graduation, Casanova played one season with the San Francisco Olympic Club team.
. In 1928, he began teaching physical education and coaching football and baseball at Sequoia High School
in Redwood City, California
. As head football coach at Sequoia High, Casanova's team won the Peninsula Athletic League championship in 1935.
. During his first year coaching at Santa Clara, the Broncos defeated LSU
in the 1937 Sugar Bowl
. The following season, Santa Clara went undefeated, sharing the #9 ranking in the AP Poll
with Notre Dame
. The Broncos were invited back to the Sugar Bowl where they again stunned LSU, 6–0. Casanova remained Shaw's assistant until Santa Clara suspended football after the 1942 season on account of World War II
. Casanova joined the United States Navy
commissioned as a full Lieutenant and was discharged at the end of the war as a full naval Commander. Casanova was also head baseball coach at Santa Clara from 1939 to 1942.
Casanova returned to Santa Clara in 1946 as head football coach. His 1948 team defeated Stanford
, tied Michigan State
, and posted an upset win over Oklahoma at Kezar Stadium, 20–17. In 1949, the Santa Clara Broncos opened with a disappointing defeat at the hands of the California Golden Bears
. Santa Clara then went unbeaten over its next eight games, marred only by a 7–7 tie with Stanford. After nearly upsetting Oklahoma in Norman
, the Broncos were invited to play in the Orange Bowl
in Miami. Their opponent was the #11-ranked Kentucky Wildcats
, coached by Bear Bryant
. Bryant, who later became the all-time winningest football coach in collegiate history after moving on to Texas A&M
and Alabama
, had earlier served under Casanova in theNavy. Kentucky was an overwhelming favorite going into the game. Santa Clara’s 19-car train to Miami was known as the "Orange Bowl Special" and it stopped at Yuma, Arizona
and Del Rio, Texas
to allow the team to hold short practice sessions. In Miami, Santa Clara scored a monumental upset of Kentucky, 21–13. Santa Clara led 14–13 and scored its final touchdown with thirty seconds remaining in the game. Bryant remarked after the game: "I had better men at my disposal than Casanova had. He got more out of his men than I did." After the Orange Bowl win, Santa Clara announced that as a cost cutting measure it was dropping major college football.
. He expected to have an experienced team to play a tough schedule that included games against Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio State
. But in June 1950, the Korean War
began and most of his players were called into military duty. His depleted ranks were able to gain but one victory in the 1950 season.
and took over an program that had finished 1–9 the previous season. He left as the winningest coach in the school's football history, a distinction he retained until surpassed by Rich Brooks
in 1994.
The Oregon Ducks
played in one of the earliest nationally-televised games in 1953 against Nebraska
, winning 20–12. Casanova's 1957 team is remembered for beating Stanford in a game in which they had no fumbles, no interceptions, and only one penalty. That team finished its season with a 10–7 loss to top-ranked Ohio State
in the 1958 Rose Bowl
. Tabbed for a three touchdown licking, Casanova’s Oregon Ducks matched the more numerous and more powerful athletes from the Big Ten Conference
out-gaining Ohio State in total yards and first downs. A missed 24-yard field goal and fumble in the fourth quarter cost Oregon the upset victory. Casanova's 1958 team ranked second in the country in scoring defense, allowing an average of just five points a game, and surrendered more than seven points just once during the season.
At Oregon, Casanova coached two future Hall of Famers, Mel Renfro
and Dave Wilcox
, and helped assistants George Seifert
, John McKay, and John Robinson start their own illustrious coaching careers.
"He was a mentor to all us, a man who set an example," Robinson said. "And he loved us. He genuinely cared about us as players. He would get on our butt if we didn't go to church, and if you didn't go to school he would darn near punch you out."
In 1964, Casanova served as president of the American Football Coaches Association
.
from 1967 to 1970 during which time Autzen Stadium
was completed. He remained closely associated with the University of Oregon for many years and was active in numerous fundraising efforts and special projects that improved the school's athletic facilities.
From 1969 to 1973, Casanova served on the NCAA football rules committee. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1977 and received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
in 1990. The award given to the freshman or newcomer of the year on the Oregon football team is named the "Len Casanova Award" in in his honor.
In 1991, the University of Oregon in decided that Casanova's distinguished record merited an exception to State Board of Higher Education policy regarding the naming of buildings after living persons. In honor of Casanova's 40 years of contribution to the Ducks’ athletic fortunes, Oregon's new athletic department facility was named the Len Casanova Athletic Center.
While still active at age 96 and attending reunions with his former players and coaches, Casanova sat for an interview in 2002 and named some of the highlights of his coaching career:
Casanova died following an extended illness on September 30, 2002, at Sheldon Park Assisted Living in Eugene, Oregon
. At the time of his passing, many Oregonians credited Casanova with building the foundation for Oregon's national status.
"Everything that Oregon athletics is today, it owes to Len Casanova," said Bill Moos, Oregon's athletic director. "He has been the pillar, the strength and the inspiration for our program for over 50 years."
Said Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti
after Casanova's death, "We lost a great man. He definitely left his mark not just on the University of Oregon but on football in general."
on June 12, 1931. Dixie attended San Jose State College and taught kindergarten. Three years after the passing of Dixie at age 51 on October 17, 1960, Casanova married Margaret Pence Hathaway and the couple moved to Eugene, Oregon
.
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...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
(1946–1949), the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
(1950), and the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
(1951–1966), compiling a career college football
College 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...
record of 104–94–11. Casanova was also the head baseball coach at Santa Clara from 1939 to 1942. After retiring from coaching, he served as the athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Oregon. Casanova was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a coach in 1977.
Early life and playing career
Casanova was born to Swiss-American immigrants, John and Marie Ursula Casanov on June 12, 1905 on a ranch in the Grizzly Bluff area near Ferndale, CaliforniaFerndale, California
Ferndale is a city in Humboldt County, California, United States. Known for its well-preserved Victorian buildings, the city's population was 1,371 at the 2010 census, down from 1,382 at the 2000 census...
. He got his start in football in the early 1920s when he played halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for Ferndale High School, and in 1922 he captained the Ferndale team to a co-championship with Eureka High School. The Ferndale team ended the season with seven wins in eight games. One of Casanova’s early athletic feats came in the first game that year against Arcata High School
Arcata High School
Arcata High School is located at 1720 M Street in downtown Arcata, California. It is the primary public high school in Arcata and includes students in grades 9 through 12.-Population:The total student population as of 2005 was 978...
when, as a left-footed kicker, he drop-kicked a 45-yard field goal as Ferndale defeated the Tigers, 10–0.
Clark Bugbee, a high school teammate, later recalled that "Cas wanted to be a good punter. The coach gave him a football to take home and practice with. He practiced winter and summer and turned out to be quite a punter in college."
While in high school, Casanova delivered newspapers and worked at a meat market in town. In his senior year, he also played basketball and baseball and was president of the student body. In the 1923 Ferndale High School yearbook, under the column "Expected to Be" in the "Senior Horoscope" section, Casanova listed his future career as "football coach."
Casanova entered Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
in the fall of 1923 and played football and baseball from 1923 through 1927. As a freshman in a game against Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
, he picked up a fumble and returned it 86 yards for a touchdown.
In 1924, Casanova was playing halfback and punting
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
for Santa Clara. He first made headlines as a player for Santa Clara in 1924 after his heroics in a game against Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's College Gaels
The Saint Mary's Gaels are the athletic teams that compete at Saint Mary's College of California in Moraga, California. The nickname applies to the college's intercollegiate NCAA Division-I teams and club sports. The nickname was given to the school's football team in 1926 by a writer for the now...
. A popular rivalry since its origination in 1895, the "Little Big Game" between Santa Clara and Saint Mary's was played annually in front of packed crowds at Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium
Kezar Stadium is a stadium located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. It is the former home of the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, and of the San Francisco Dragons of MLL. It also served as the home of the...
in San Francisco. With the ball resting on the Santa Clara two-yard line, Casanova was called on to punt from his own end zone. He punted a ball that went out of bounds on the Saint Mary's one-yard line. The punt traveled a total of 97 yards and would (as of 2006) rank as the second longest of college football history if pre-1937 statistics were included in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
record book.
Casanova was Santa Clara's team captain in his senior year under coach Adam Walsh, who had played at Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
under Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
. Casanova graduated in 1927 with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a minor in history. He attended summer sessions at Santa Clara and obtained his teaching credential
Teaching credential
A United States teaching credential is a basic multiple or single subject credential obtained upon completion of a bachelor's degree and prescribed professional education requirements. Teaching credentials are required in the United States in order to qualify to teach public school, as well as many...
in 1932. Following college graduation, Casanova played one season with the San Francisco Olympic Club team.
High school
Casanova began his teaching and coaching career in 1927 at St. Joseph Military Academy in Belmont, CaliforniaBelmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
. In 1928, he began teaching physical education and coaching football and baseball at Sequoia High School
Sequoia High School (Redwood City, California)
Sequoia High School is a high school in downtown Redwood City, California, United States. Established in 1895, it is the oldest high school in the San Francisco Bay Area between San Francisco and San Jose. It was founded as a preparatory school for Stanford University...
in Redwood City, California
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
. As head football coach at Sequoia High, Casanova's team won the Peninsula Athletic League championship in 1935.
Santa Clara
In 1936, Casanova became an assistant coach at his alma mater, Santa Clara University, under the legendary "Silver Fox", Buck ShawBuck Shaw
Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach for Santa Clara University, the University of California, Berkeley, the San Francisco 49ers, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Philadelphia Eagles...
. During his first year coaching at Santa Clara, the Broncos defeated LSU
LSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
in the 1937 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
. The following season, Santa Clara went undefeated, sharing the #9 ranking in the AP Poll
AP Poll
The Associated Press College Poll refers to weekly rankings of the top 25 NCAA teams in one of three Division I college sports: football, men's basketball and women's basketball. The rankings are compiled by polling sportswriters across the nation...
with Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
. The Broncos were invited back to the Sugar Bowl where they again stunned LSU, 6–0. Casanova remained Shaw's assistant until Santa Clara suspended football after the 1942 season on account of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Casanova joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
commissioned as a full Lieutenant and was discharged at the end of the war as a full naval Commander. Casanova was also head baseball coach at Santa Clara from 1939 to 1942.
Casanova returned to Santa Clara in 1946 as head football coach. His 1948 team defeated Stanford
Stanford Cardinal football
The Stanford Cardinal football program represents Stanford University in college football at the NCAA Division I FBS level and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference's North Division. Stanford, the top-ranked academic institution with an FBS program, has a highly successful football tradition. The...
, tied Michigan State
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
, and posted an upset win over Oklahoma at Kezar Stadium, 20–17. In 1949, the Santa Clara Broncos opened with a disappointing defeat at the hands of the California Golden Bears
California Golden Bears football
The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to...
. Santa Clara then went unbeaten over its next eight games, marred only by a 7–7 tie with Stanford. After nearly upsetting Oklahoma in Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, the Broncos were invited to play in the Orange Bowl
1950 Orange Bowl
1950 Orange Bowl was the sixteenth installment of the Orange Bowl. The game featured the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference and the Santa Clara Broncos, an independent program. Santa Clara was ranked #15 in the AP poll prior to the game...
in Miami. Their opponent was the #11-ranked Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
, coached by Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
. Bryant, who later became the all-time winningest football coach in collegiate history after moving on to Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
and Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
, had earlier served under Casanova in theNavy. Kentucky was an overwhelming favorite going into the game. Santa Clara’s 19-car train to Miami was known as the "Orange Bowl Special" and it stopped at Yuma, Arizona
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. It is located in the southwestern corner of the state, and the population of the city was 77,515 at the 2000 census, with a 2008 Census Bureau estimated population of 90,041....
and Del Rio, Texas
Del Rio, Texas
Del Rio is a border city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas, United States.. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing and Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge...
to allow the team to hold short practice sessions. In Miami, Santa Clara scored a monumental upset of Kentucky, 21–13. Santa Clara led 14–13 and scored its final touchdown with thirty seconds remaining in the game. Bryant remarked after the game: "I had better men at my disposal than Casanova had. He got more out of his men than I did." After the Orange Bowl win, Santa Clara announced that as a cost cutting measure it was dropping major college football.
Pittsburgh
In 1950, Casanova was offered the head coaching position at the University of PittsburghUniversity of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
. He expected to have an experienced team to play a tough schedule that included games against Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Ohio State
1950 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1950 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the college football season of 1950-1951. The Buckeyes compiled a 6–3 record. The end of season matchup against Michigan was the infamous game later known as the Snow Bowl as the total of punts for both teams...
. But in June 1950, the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
began and most of his players were called into military duty. His depleted ranks were able to gain but one victory in the 1950 season.
Oregon
In 1951, Casanova moved on to the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
and took over an program that had finished 1–9 the previous season. He left as the winningest coach in the school's football history, a distinction he retained until surpassed by Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks
Rich Brooks is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Oregon from 1977 to 1994 and at the University of Kentucky from 2003 to 2009, compiling a career college football record of 128–154–4. Brooks was also the head coach of the...
in 1994.
The Oregon Ducks
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
played in one of the earliest nationally-televised games in 1953 against Nebraska
1953 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1953 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team was the representative of the University of Nebraska and member of the Big 7 Conference in the 1953 college football season...
, winning 20–12. Casanova's 1957 team is remembered for beating Stanford in a game in which they had no fumbles, no interceptions, and only one penalty. That team finished its season with a 10–7 loss to top-ranked Ohio State
1957 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1957 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was led by captains Galen Cisco and Leo Brown. They were the third national title team in Ohio State football history. They were coached by Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes...
in the 1958 Rose Bowl
1958 Rose Bowl
The 1958 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1958. In the game, the 44th Rose Bowl, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks by a score of 10–7...
. Tabbed for a three touchdown licking, Casanova’s Oregon Ducks matched the more numerous and more powerful athletes from the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
out-gaining Ohio State in total yards and first downs. A missed 24-yard field goal and fumble in the fourth quarter cost Oregon the upset victory. Casanova's 1958 team ranked second in the country in scoring defense, allowing an average of just five points a game, and surrendered more than seven points just once during the season.
At Oregon, Casanova coached two future Hall of Famers, Mel Renfro
Mel Renfro
Melvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who spent his entire fourteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.-High school:...
and Dave Wilcox
Dave Wilcox
David Wilcox is a former American football linebacker for the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers between 1964 and 1974. Wilcox was selected to play for seven Pro Bowls and was named All-NFL five times during his career...
, and helped assistants George Seifert
George Seifert
George Seifert is a former NFL head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. Seifert joined the 49ers' coaching staff under Bill Walsh in 1980 as defensive backs coach and served as the team's defensive coordinator from 1983–1988.As a 49er assistant, his defenses finished...
, John McKay, and John Robinson start their own illustrious coaching careers.
"He was a mentor to all us, a man who set an example," Robinson said. "And he loved us. He genuinely cared about us as players. He would get on our butt if we didn't go to church, and if you didn't go to school he would darn near punch you out."
In 1964, Casanova served as president of the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
.
Later life, honors, and death
After retiring from coaching in 1966, Casanova served as the Oregon's athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
from 1967 to 1970 during which time Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Pacific-12 Conference. Opened in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions...
was completed. He remained closely associated with the University of Oregon for many years and was active in numerous fundraising efforts and special projects that improved the school's athletic facilities.
From 1969 to 1973, Casanova served on the NCAA football rules committee. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1977 and received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
Amos Alonzo Stagg Award
The Amos Alonzo Stagg Award is presented annually by the American Football Coaches Association to the “individual, group or institution whose services have been outstanding in the advancement of the best interests of football’’. Recipients receive a plaque which is a replica of the one given to...
in 1990. The award given to the freshman or newcomer of the year on the Oregon football team is named the "Len Casanova Award" in in his honor.
In 1991, the University of Oregon in decided that Casanova's distinguished record merited an exception to State Board of Higher Education policy regarding the naming of buildings after living persons. In honor of Casanova's 40 years of contribution to the Ducks’ athletic fortunes, Oregon's new athletic department facility was named the Len Casanova Athletic Center.
While still active at age 96 and attending reunions with his former players and coaches, Casanova sat for an interview in 2002 and named some of the highlights of his coaching career:
- Most memorable game: Santa Clara's 1950 Orange Bowl1950 Orange Bowl1950 Orange Bowl was the sixteenth installment of the Orange Bowl. The game featured the Kentucky Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference and the Santa Clara Broncos, an independent program. Santa Clara was ranked #15 in the AP poll prior to the game...
win over KentuckyKentucky Wildcats footballThe Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era... - Most exciting game: Oregon's 1958 Rose Bowl1958 Rose BowlThe 1958 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 1958. In the game, the 44th Rose Bowl, the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Oregon Ducks by a score of 10–7...
against Ohio State1957 Ohio State Buckeyes football teamThe 1957 Ohio State Buckeyes football team was led by captains Galen Cisco and Leo Brown. They were the third national title team in Ohio State football history. They were coached by Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes... - Most memorable players coached: Mel RenfroMel RenfroMelvin Lacy "Mel" Renfro is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League who spent his entire fourteen-year career with the Dallas Cowboys.-High school:...
, Dick JamesDick James (American football)Richard "Dick" Alwin James was an American football halfback and defensive back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New York Giants, and the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at the University of Oregon and was drafted in the eighth round of the 1956 NFL Draft...
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, Ahmad RashadAhmad RashadAhmad Rashād is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
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of WashingtonWashington Huskies footballCollege football has a long history at the University of Washington. The Washington Huskies have won 15 Pacific-10 Conference championships, seven Rose Bowl titles, and three national championships. Washington's all-time record of 653-398-50 ranks 20th by all-time winning percentage and 21st by...
Casanova died following an extended illness on September 30, 2002, at Sheldon Park Assisted Living in Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
. At the time of his passing, many Oregonians credited Casanova with building the foundation for Oregon's national status.
"Everything that Oregon athletics is today, it owes to Len Casanova," said Bill Moos, Oregon's athletic director. "He has been the pillar, the strength and the inspiration for our program for over 50 years."
Said Oregon football coach Mike Bellotti
Mike Bellotti
Robert Michael "Mike" Bellotti is a college football analyst for ESPN and ABC. A native of California, he was hired as football offensive coordinator by the University of Oregon in 1989. From 1995 to 2009, he was the head coach of the Oregon Ducks football team...
after Casanova's death, "We lost a great man. He definitely left his mark not just on the University of Oregon but on football in general."
Personal life
Casanova married Dixie Simmers of Santa Cruz, CaliforniaSanta Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
on June 12, 1931. Dixie attended San Jose State College and taught kindergarten. Three years after the passing of Dixie at age 51 on October 17, 1960, Casanova married Margaret Pence Hathaway and the couple moved to Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
Football
Sources
- Jeremiah R. Scott Jr.'s "Len Casanova, A West Coast Football Legend" in the College Football Historical Society Newsletter Volume XV, Number III (May 2002)