Aldo Donelli

Aldo Teo "Buff" Donelli (July 22, 1907 – August 9, 1994) was an American football player and coach, soccer player, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Duquesne University from 1939 to 1942, Boston University from 1947 to 1956, and Columbia University from 1957 to 1967, compiling a career college football coaching record of 105–107–8. Donelli was also a head coach in the National Football League (NFL), with the Pittsburgh Steelers for part of the 1941 season and with the Cleveland Rams in 1944, tallying a career mark of 4–11 in the NFL. From 1951 to 1955 he was the athletic director at Boston University. Donelli played college football at Duquesne and was an assistant football coach at his alma mater from 1930 to 1938, before being promoted to head coach. He played soccer with a number of clubs in the 1920s and 1930s and was a member of the United States men's national soccer team during the 1934 FIFA World Cup. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Aldo Donelli
Donelli in a United States's jersey
Born:(1907-07-22)July 22, 1907
Morgan, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died:August 9, 1994(1994-08-09) (aged 87)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Career information
Position(s)Halfback/Punter
Height5 ft 8[1] in (173 cm)
CollegeDuquesne
Career history
As coach
1930–1935Duquesne (freshmen)
1936–1938Duquesne (assistant)
1939–1942Duquesne
1941Pittsburgh Steelers
1944Cleveland Rams
1947–1956Boston University
1957–1967Columbia
Career highlights and awards
  • College coaching record: 105–107–8
  • NFL coaching record: 4–11
Career stats
Military career
AllegianceUnited States United States
Service/branchUnited States Navy seal U.S. Navy
Years of service1945
Battles/warsWorld War II
Association football career
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1925 Morgan F.C.
1929–1930 Cleveland Slavia
1934 Curry Silver Tops
1936 Heidelberg SC
1938 Castle Shannon SC
International career
1934 United States 2 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Soccer

Club

In 1925, Donelli played for Morgan F.C., a western Pennsylvania soccer team. At some point, he moved to Cleveland Slavia, playing for them at least the winter of 1929–30. In January and February 1934, he is listed with Curry Silver Tops and then Heidelberg SC from February to April 1936. He also played for Castle Shannon in March 1938.[2]

National team

Donelli was selected to the United States 1934 FIFA World Cup team. In a 4–2 qualifying victory over Mexico in Rome, Italy on May 24, he tallied all four times, becoming the first American to score his first three international goals with the senior team in the same match (Sacha Kljestan would become the second to achieve this feat on January 24, 2009).[3] Three days later in the same stadium, Donelli scored the lone U.S. goal in its 7–1 first-round elimination loss to Italy. It would be the last one any American scored on Italian turf for another 56 years, and also the only Italian American to score against Italy. He was inducted into U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1954.

Football

College

Donelli, who played college football at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was a halfback and punter. He went on to coach Duquesne University, Columbia University, Boston University, and the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Rams of the National Football League.

Duquesne, NFL

Donelli took over as Duquesne head coach in 1939, compiling a 29–4–2 record as the Dukes finished in the top ten twice in four seasons. His tenure at his alma mater also gave him a place in the history books as the only man to serve as head coach of both a college and NFL team simultaneously. Donelli served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1941 fall campaign on the bluff of Duquesne University. The Dukes were on their way to an undefeated season in 1941 and after the Steelers lost their first two games, coach (and later NFL Commissioner) Bert Bell resigned, having Donelli replace him. Aldo would coach the Steelers in the morning during classes at Duquesne University and then the Dukes in the afternoon. Although his college team finished undefeated, the Steelers lost all five games under Donelli. He also coached the Cleveland Rams for a single season (1944), attaining a 4–6 record.

Boston University and Columbia

Donelli continued on to coach at Boston University from 1947 to 1956 with a 46–34–4 record and again placing a season in the top 25 poll. In 1957, he was named the head coach at Columbia University where he would serve until 1967 compiling a 30–76–4 record. In 1961, he coached Columbia to its only Ivy League championship.

Other accomplishments

Donelli was a founding member of Alpha Phi Delta, Psi chapter, the national Italian heritage fraternity, at Duquesne University on March 19, 1929. Donelli received his business degree from Duquesne University in 1930 and his graduate business degree in 1931.

Donelli was drafted into the United States Navy for a short time during the last year of World War II. In the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s after semi-retiring from coaching, he worked in public relations for PGA events around Boston while keeping homes in suburban Pittsburgh and then eventually Florida.

Honors

Columbia University's weight room is named in Donelli's honor.[4]

Head coaching record

College

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs AP#
Duquesne Dukes (Independent) (1939–1942)
1939 Duquesne 8–0–110
1940 Duquesne 7–1
1941 Duquesne 8–08
1942 Duquesne 6–3–1
Duquesne: 29–4–2
Boston University Terriers (NCAA University Division independent) (1947–1956)
1947 Boston University 5–3
1948 Boston University 6–2
1949 Boston University 6–2
1950 Boston University 3–5
1951 Boston University 6–416
1952 Boston University 5–4–1
1953 Boston University 5–3–1
1954 Boston University 7–2
1955 Boston University 2–6
1956 Boston University 1–5–2
Boston University: 46–36–4
Columbia Lions (Ivy League) (1957–1967)
1957 Columbia 1–81–68th
1958 Columbia 1–81–67th
1959 Columbia 2–71–68th
1960 Columbia 3–63–45th
1961 Columbia 6–36–1T–1st
1962 Columbia 5–44–3T–3rd
1963 Columbia 4–4–12–4–16th
1964 Columbia 2–6–11–5–17th
1965 Columbia 2–71–6T–7th
1966 Columbia 2–71–67th
1967 Columbia 2–70–78th
Columbia: 30–67–221–54–2
Total:105–107–8
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Professional

TeamYearRegular SeasonPost Season
WonLostTiesWin %FinishWonLostWin %Result
PIT1941 050.0005th in NFL Eastern
PIT Total050.000
CLE1944 460.4004th in NFL Western
CLE Total460.400
NFL Total[5]4110.267
Total4110.267

References

  1. Aldo Donelli at National-Football-Teams.com
  2. "Aldo Donelli".
  3. "Sacha Kljestan Hat Trick Provides U.S. Men With 3–2 Victory Against Sweden to Open 2009". United States Soccer Federation. January 24, 2009. Archived from the original on December 1, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2009.
  4. "Obituaries... Aldo T. "Buff" Donelli, 87". 20. Columbia University Record. September 9, 1994. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  5. "Aldo Donelli Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks – Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
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