Clarence Stasavich (February 9, 1913 – October 24, 1975) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Lenoir–Rhyne College—now known as Lenoir–Rhyne University—in Hickory, North Carolina from 1946 to 1961 and at East Carolina College—renamed East Carolina University in 1967—from 1963 to 1969, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 171–64–7. He led Lenoir–Rhyne to the NAIA Football National Championship in 1960. Stasavich was also the athletic director at Lenoir–Rhyne from 1946 to 1961 and East Carolina from 1963 to 1975.

Clarence Stasavich
Stasavich pictured in The Buccaneer 1963, East Carolina yearbook
Biographical details
Born(1913-02-09)February 9, 1913
Illinois, U.S.
DiedOctober 24, 1975(1975-10-24) (aged 62)
Greenville, North Carolina, U.S.
Playing career
1931–1934Lenoir–Rhyne
1941Charlotte Clippers
Position(s)End
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1938–1941Lenoir–Rhyne (assistant)
1946–1961Lenoir–Rhyne
1962–1969East Carolina
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1946–1961Lenoir–Rhyne
1963–1975East Carolina
Head coaching record
Overall171–64–7
Bowls5–1
Tournaments3–1 (NAIA playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 NAIA (1960)
9 North State / Carolinas Conference (1951–1952, 1955–1961)
1 SoCon (1966)
Awards
NAIA Coach of the Year (1959)

Playing career

edit

Stasavich attended Lenoir–Rhyne College–now known as—Lenoir–Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina, where he played football for four years as an end. He also played basketball at Lenoir–Rhyne for four years, tennis for two, and baseball for one. In 1941, Stasavich played professional football for the Charlotte Clippers of the Dixie League.[1]

Coaching career

edit

East Carolina

edit

Stasavich was the head football coach at East Carolina from 1962 to 1969 and the athletic director from 1963 to 1975. During those eight years, Stasavich posted a 50–27–1 record. In 1963 East Carolina was 9–1 and recorded the program's first bowl game victory, against North Eastern in the Eastern Bowl. In 1964, Stasavich's team again posted a 9–1 record and beat UMass in the Tangerine Bowl, 14–13. The 1965 football season was a repeat of 1964's record and bowl appearance, except the Pirates won against Maine, 31–0, in the Tangerine Bowl. Also in 1965, Stasavich helped bring East Carolina into the Southern Conference. In 1969, Stasavich was the third-winningest active coach after Bear Bryant of Alabama and Johnny Vaught of Ole Miss.

Death, awards, and honors

edit

Stasavich died of a heart attack, on October 24, 1975, at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville, North Carolina.[2]

Stasavich's love for the Southern Conference was honored when the conference named the football championship trophy the Clarence Stasavich Memorial Trophy. Stasavich was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1970, the ECU Hall of Fame in 1976, the National Association of Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977, and the Florida Citrus Bowl Hall of Fame in 1986. Lenoir-Rhyne and the city of Hickory, North Carolina named one of the campus streets Stasavich Place in honor of his accomplishments. The street runs in front of the gymnasium and is the main entry to Helen and Leonard Moretz Stadium, the university's football facility.

Head coaching record

edit
 
Stasavich kneeling beside three senior football players at East Carolina
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Lenoir–Rhyne Bears (North State Conference / Carolinas Conference) (1946–1961)
1946 Lenoir–Rhyne 5–6 3–5 T–5th
1947 Lenoir–Rhyne 5–4–1 4–3–1 3rd
1948 Lenoir–Rhyne 6–3–1 5–2–1 4th
1949 Lenoir–Rhyne 7–3 5–3 5th
1950 Lenoir–Rhyne 8–2 6–2 3rd
1951 Lenoir–Rhyne 10–1 6–0 1st W Pythian Bowl
1952 Lenoir–Rhyne 8–1 6–0 1st L Cigar Bowl
1953 Lenoir–Rhyne 4–5 3–3 T–3rd
1954 Lenoir–Rhyne 2–7–1 0–6 7th
1955 Lenoir–Rhyne 9–0–1 6–0 1st W Palmetto Shrine
1956 Lenoir–Rhyne 10–0 6–0 1st
1957 Lenoir–Rhyne 8–2–1 5–1 1st
1958 Lenoir–Rhyne 9–1 6–0 1st
1959 Lenoir–Rhyne 10–1 6–0 1st L NAIA Football National Championship
1960 Lenoir–Rhyne 12–0 6–0 1st W NAIA Football National Championship
1961 Lenoir–Rhyne 8–1–1 6–1 1st
Lenoir–Rhyne: 121–37–6 79–26–2
East Carolina Pirates (NCAA College Division independent) (1962–1964)
1962 East Carolina 5–4
1963 East Carolina 9–1 W Eastern Bowl
1964 East Carolina 9–1 W Tangerine Bowl
East Carolina Pirates (Southern Conference) (1965–1969)
1965 East Carolina 9–1 3–1 3rd W Tangerine Bowl
1966 East Carolina 4–5–1 4–1–1 T–1st
1967 East Carolina 8–2 4–1 2nd
1968 East Carolina 4–6 2–2 T–2nd
1969 East Carolina 2–7 1–3 5th
East Carolina: 50–27–1 14–8–1
Total: 171–64–7
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

edit
  1. ^ "Name Stasavich Lenoir-Rhyne's Football Coach". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina. January 24, 1946. p. 15. Retrieved December 13, 2020 – via Newspapers.com  .
  2. ^ "Clarence Stasavich Dies". The Morning News. Florence, South Carolina. Associated Press. October 24, 1975. p. 15. Retrieved December 13, 2020 – via Newspapers.com  .
edit