Ronald D. Roberts (February 5, 1931 – December 2, 2012) was an American football, wrestling, and tennis coach and college athletics administrator. He was the head football coach at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, from 1965 to 1983 and in 1992, compiling a record of 121–54–1. His 121 wins are the most of any head coach in the history of the Lawrence Vikings football program. Roberts also had three stints as Lawrence's wrestling coach, from 1963 to 1969, 1972 to 1974, and 1985 to 1993, and coached the school's men's tennis team from 1964 to 1969.[1]
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 5, 1931 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | December 2, 2012 (aged 81) Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1950 | Wisconsin |
| 1952–1953 | Wisconsin |
| Wrestling | |
| c. 1953 | Wisconsin |
| Position(s) | Center, Guard (football) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1957–1959 | Crane HS (IL) |
| 1960–1962 | East Leyden HS (IL) |
| 1963–1964 | Lawrence (line) |
| 1965–1983 | Lawrence |
| 1989 | Lawrence (OC) |
| 1992 | Lawrence |
| Wrestling | |
| 1960–1962 | East Leyden HS (IL) (assistant) |
| 1963–1969 | Lawrence |
| 1972–1974 | Lawrence |
| 1985–1993 | Lawrence |
| Men's tennis | |
| 1964–1969 | Lawrence |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1970–1984 | Lawrence |
| 1992 | Lawrence |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 121–54–1 (college football) |
| Tournaments | Football 1–1 (NCAA D-III playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 6 MWC (1966–1967, 1975, 1979–1981) 1 MWC Red Division (1979) Men's tennis 1 MWC (1968) | |
Born in Chicago, Roberts attended the University of Wisconsin, where he lettered in football, wrestling, and boxing. He played center and guard on the Wisconsin Badgers football team and was a member of the 1952 Badgers team that appeared in the 1953 Rose Bowl. After serving in the United States Army, Roberts began his coaching career at Crane High School in Chicago and then East Leyden High School in Franklin Park, Illinois. He was hired by Lawrence in 1963 as head wrestling coach, head tennis coach, and line coach for the football team under Bernie Heselton.[2]
Roberts succeeded Heselton as Lawrence's head football coach in 1965 and then as the school's athletic director in 1970.[3]
Roberts died on December 2, 2012, at Bethel Home in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.[4]
Head coaching record
editCollege football
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Vikings (Midwest Conference) (1965–1983) | |||||||||
| 1965 | Lawrence | 5–3 | 5–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1966 | Lawrence | 7–1 | 7–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1967 | Lawrence | 8–0 | 8–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1968 | Lawrence | 2–6 | 2–6 | 9th | |||||
| 1969 | Lawrence | 6–3 | 6–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1970 | Lawrence | 3–6 | 2–6 | T–7th | |||||
| 1971 | Lawrence | 6–3 | 5–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1972 | Lawrence | 1–6–1 | 1–6–1 | 8th | |||||
| 1973 | Lawrence | 4–4 | 4–4 | 6th | |||||
| 1974 | Lawrence | 7–2 | 5–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1975 | Lawrence | 8–1 | 7–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1976 | Lawrence | 7–2 | 3–1 | 2nd (East) | |||||
| 1977 | Lawrence | 8–1 | 3–1 | 2nd (East) | |||||
| 1978 | Lawrence | 7–2 | 3–2 | 3rd (Red) | |||||
| 1979 | Lawrence | 9–1 | 5–0 | 1st (Red) | |||||
| 1980 | Lawrence | 8–1 | 7–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1981 | Lawrence | 10–1 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | ||||
| 1982 | Lawrence | 6–2 | 3–1 | 2nd (North) | |||||
| 1983 | Lawrence | 7–2 | 3–1 | 2nd (North) | |||||
| Lawrence Vikings (Midwest Conference) (1992) | |||||||||
| 1992 | Lawrence | 2–7 | 1–4 | T–5th (North) | |||||
| Lawrence: | 121–54–1 | 92–68–4 | |||||||
| Total: | 121–54–1 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Lawrence University Mourns the Loss of Football Coach, Athletic Director Ron Roberts". Lawrence University. December 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ "Lawrence Names Clyde Rusk Head Basketball Coach; Ron Roberts Will be New Wrestling, Tennis Mentor". The Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. May 2, 1963. p. D1. Retrieved March 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Roberts Succeeeds Heselton". Sunday Post-Crescent. Appleton, Wisconsin. September 20, 1970. p. D7. Retrieved March 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Ronald D. "Ron" Roberts, Sr". The Oshkosh Northwestern. Oshkosh, Wisconsin. December 5, 2012. p. 4. Retrieved March 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "NCAA Statistics: Ronald E. Roberts". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
