Sam Willaman

In 1922 he took the head coaching position at Iowa State University. Willaman was the 13th head football coach for the Iowa State University Cyclones, and held that position for four seasons, from 1922 until 1925. At the time Willaman came to Iowa State, the school had not had much success in football; they had employed three head coaches in the prior three years. In his first season, Willaman's team finished with a 2–6 record, but posted a winning record in each of the three years that followed. His career coaching record at Iowa state was 14–15–3. This ranks him 16th in total wins and 13th in winning percentage in Iowa State football history.[2]

When Willaman first arrived at Iowa state, he brought with him six of his East Tech players, including an African-American named Jack Trice. Trice was the first African-American player at Iowa State, and one of the first to play college football in that region of the country. Trice suffered a severe injury during a game at the University of Minnesota in 1923, and died from complications. In 1999, Iowa State University's Cyclone Stadium was renamed Jack Trice Stadium in his honor.

In 1926, Willaman's former coach at Ohio State, John Wilce, invited him to return to his alma mater as an assistant coach. Wilce designated Willaman as his successor. Following the 1928 season, Wilce resigned. Immediately following, Notre Dame's coach Knute Rockne informed Ohio State that he was interested in the position. Rockne was trying to get a better deal at Notre Dame and was using the open Ohio State job as leverage. Willaman waited while Ohio State and Rockne negotiated. Ultimately, Rockne stayed at Notre Dame, and Ohio State hired Willaman.

Willaman posted a 26–10–4 record at Ohio State. The Dunkel College Football Index named Willaman's 1933 Ohio State team as the best that season in the country. Despite his success, Willaman's teams were accused of underperforming. Despite fielding many All-American players, including the legendary Wes Fesler, Ohio State never won a Big Ten Conference title under Willaman. Worse, he held a losing record (2–3) against the Buckeyes' arch rival, Michigan. Yielding to pressure, Willaman resigned after the 1933 season to take the head coaching position at Western Reserve University.

Sam Willaman cartoon winning the Big Four Conference in 1934

Willaman coached Western Reserve, present-day Case Western Reserve University, to a 7–1–1 record in 1934, including winning the school's first Cleveland Big Four Conference title with a perfect 3–0 league record.[3] He set up what would be the last matchup between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Western Reserve Red Cats, which was held at League Park. Western Reserve was also the last Ohio opponent played by Ohio State for nearly six decades, until again in 1992 against Bowling Green.[4] Willaman's coaching career at Western Reserve was tragically cut short, when he died following an emergency operation on August 18, 1935.[5]