Springfield College Undefeated 1965 Football Team

1965

A group photograph depicting the Springfield College 1965 Football team, which went undefeated and remains the only Springfield College Football team to have an undefeated, untied season. The 1965 Springfield College Football team ended with a 9-0-0 record. This photograph shows the 1965 Springfield College men’s varsity football team. Left to right, the football players pictured are (first row, kneeling) John Grocki, Toby Gowin, Paul Bender, Jim McCormick, Tom Wells, Bob Sussi, Scott Taylor (co-captain), Gary Wilcox (co-captain), Hal Vasvari, Joe Robitaille, Dick Whiting, Doug Coupe, Bill Caddoo, Brian Bock, Tom Wick, manager Hank Knight, (second row) coach Dave Auxter, Dave Bessette, Chet Hawrylciw, George Wolfort, Dick Carle, Paul Muello, John Biddiscombe, Jim Pollard, Jack Sussi, Dave Bennett, Jim Nichols, Vin Cutrona, Phil Francis, Dan Crowley, Bob Adams, Bruce McKenzie, coaches Dale Vandersall, Dan Lawroy, (third row) head coach Ted Dunn, coach John Neumann, Jack La Forte, Bob Swadel, Dick Friedman, Bob Flaherty, Mike Mello, Charles Sawyer, Joe Ingram, Bob Wing, Dave Marder, George Armstrong, Dave Hughes, Ed Purdy, John Mikszewski, Howard Redak, Dave Anderson, Pete Waas, Jay Hansen, Bob Tousignant, Steve Glass, coaches Bob Cobb, Dick Fordyce, Bill Savage, (fourth row) Tony Pizzutti, Bob Aijala, Ted Alflen, Steve Kalogris, Steve Parker, Steve Stein, Don Gregory, Jim Gillis, Art Hall, Dick Owen, Mike Rohlfes, Joe Pangia, Dick Bednarz, Dick Wiedl, and Paul Tierney. Similar photographs can be here: http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15370coll2/id/14653/rec/12 and http://cdm16122.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15370coll2/id/14662/rec/14. Ted Dunn, G47', became was named head coach of Springfield College football team in 1957. Coach Dunn graduated from Colgate where he played under Andy Kerr who was known for teaching move than football; winning is a byproduct of learning to play together as a team and to respect one another and the opposition. Ted, as head coach, embraced and taught these virtues, continuing the old fashioned sportsmanship started with Amos Alonzo Stagg. Nine years after Ted assumed the head coaching position, he coached the 1965 unbeaten, untied team, the first in modern history. Ted retired from coaching in 1975. Springfield College’s opponents in ’65-'66 were the US. Coast Guard (30-14), Amherst College (13-0), Williams College (28-8), Colby College (42-13), Northeastern University (16-14), American International College (43-6), Rhode Island University (7-6), University of New Hampshire (43-13), and Wagner College (30-13). The game against Amherst College was televised on Channel 22 and was the first Western Mass football game every televised in the region. The team received many honors, including Ted Dunn being named UPI New England College Division Coach of the Year and several players received honors including being selected for the All Decade Team. The team came in second to the University of Maine for selection for a bid to play in the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, FL, December 11, 1965. A caption on the back states: "C4028 Pos I Page 58 Varsity Football";