Willis O. Hunter
![]() Hunter, circa 1951 | |
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | (1892-06-08)June 8, 1892 Mount Pleasant, Utah, U.S. |
Died | November 8, 1968(1968-11-08) (aged 76) Altadena, California, U.S. |
Playing career | |
c. 1914 | Oberlin |
Position(s) | Fullback |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
c. 1917 | San Francisco Polytechnic HS (CA) |
1919 | USC (backfield) |
Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
1925–1957 | USC |
Willis Omenn Hunter (June 8, 1892 – November 8, 1968) was an American college athletics administrator.
Hunter was born in 1892 in Mount Pleasant, Utah. He attended Oberlin College in Ohio, where he played college football as a fullback.[1]
After college, he became a coach at San Francisco Polytechnic High School. He was hired by the University of Southern California in 1919 as an assistant football coach. In 1925, he became USC's athletic director, a position he held for 32 years until 1957.[1][2] During his tenure, the USC Trojans became a major power in intercollegiate sports, winning national championships in football, baseball, track, tennis, and other sports.[1]
Hunter served on the NCAA's football rules committee from 1928 to 1950. He was also a member of the United States Olympic Committee in 1936, 1948, and 1952.[1]
Hunter died in 1968.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d "Ex-USC Athletic Chief Willis O. Hunter Dies". Los Angeles Times. November 9, 1968. p. III-3 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Paul Zimmerman (January 20, 1956). "Hill Succeeds Hunter in '57: Athletic Boss to Retire; SC Coach Will Take Over". Los Angeles Times. p. IV-1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Willis Hunter, Led Athletics at U.S.C." The New York Times. November 9, 1968. p. 33.
- v
- t
- e
- Willis O. Hunter (1925–1957)
- Jess Hill (1957–1972)
- John McKay (1972–1975)
- Dick Perry (1975–1984)
- Mike McGee (1984–1993)
- Mike Garrett (1993–2010)
- Pat Haden (2010–2016)
- Lynn Swann (2016–2019)
- Dave Roberts # (2019)
- Mike Bohn (2019–2023)
- Jennifer Cohen (2023– )
# denotes interim athletic director