by press release–
DALLAS, May 22, 2012 – The National Football Foundation (NFF) announced today the members of the College Football Hall of Fame 2012 Divisional Class. The Divisional College Football Hall of Fame considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III, and the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) for induction. This year’s class will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame during the Enshrinement Festival, July 20-21, in South Bend, Ind. The class includes:
WILLIAM “LONE STAR” DIETZ – Sioux/Lakota
Washington State University, Purdue University, Louisiana Tech University, University of Wyoming, Haskell Indian Institue (Kan.), Albright College (Pa.)
Head Coach, 96-62-7 (60.3%)
With a lengthy career spanning many schools and decades, William “Lone Star” Dietz provided a foundation for football success at many universities across the nation. He served as the head coach for 19 seasons at seven institutions and enjoyed a distinguished career as an assistant coach, helping College Football Hall of Fame coach Pop Warner prepare Stanford for two Rose Bowl appearances.
Dietz launched his head coaching résumé in 1915 by leading Washington State to a 7-0 mark and a Rose Bowl victory over Brown. He led the Cougars to a 17-2-1 record for three seasons until the school discontinued football for World War I. After a one-year stay at Purdue in 1921, Dietz pushed Louisiana Tech to an 11-3 record from 1922-23. Dietz then coached three seasons at Wyoming from 1924-26, where he also spent time leading the baseball team, and coached Haskell Indian Institute for four seasons, enjoying a 26-15-2 record, until the school de-emphasized sports following the 1932 season. Dietz landed at his final stop at Albright College in 1937, earning a 31-23-2 record over six campaigns before the school discontinued football for World War II.
Dietz played tackle at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Carlisle, Pa., before graduating after the 1914 season. He contributed to the World War I effort by coaching the Mare Island Marines from 1918-19, claiming a 20-3 mark as the head coach of the Marines and guiding the squad to an appearance in the 1919 Rose Bowl.
Dietz was also an accomplished artist, contributing sketches for the Walt Disney picture Bambi. A Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame member, Dietz’s Native American garb inspired Boston Braves owner George Preston Marshall, whom Dietz was serving as head coach, to rename the club the Redskins. Dietz was a member of the Sioux/Lakota tribe.
