Basil Lavon Stanley (February 8, 1896 – July 17, 1975), nicknamed "Butch" and "Chick", was an American football player, coach of football and basketball, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at three different schools—Wabash College, the University of Notre Dame, and Saint Mary's College of California—and professionally for one season, in 1924, with the Rock Island Independents of the National Football League (NFL).[1] Stanley served as the head football coach at the First District Agricultural School (now known as Arkansas State University) in 1924 and River Falls State Teachers College (now known as the University of Wisconsin–River Falls) in 1927. He was also the head basketball coach at the University of Arizona for one season, in 1923–24.
Early life and playing career
Stanley attended South Bend High School in South Bend, Indiana. In 1915, he entered Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana. A year later, he transferred to the University of Notre Dame, where he lettered in football.[2] Stanley broken his leg in game played on November 17, 1917, at Cartier Field, against Michigan Agricultural.[3] He also suffered a head injury that season. In February 1918, he was held in the St. Joseph County, Indiana jail pending an assessment of his psychological state.[4] He judged to be insane, and committed to the Logancliff Hospital in Logansport, Indiana.[5]
Stanley played football at Saint Mary's College of California as a tackle in 1921 and 1922.[6]
Coaching career
In 1923, Stanley was hired as an assistant football coach at the University of Arizona under head coach Pop McKale.[7] In 1924, he was appointed head football coach at the First District Agricultural School—now known as Arkansas State University—in Jonesboro, Arkansas, succeeding Tom Dandelet.[8] He resigned from his post at Jonesboro in December 2024, and was replaced by Herbert Schwartz.[9] Stanley returned to his alma mater, Notre Dame, in 1926 to coach the freshmen football team under head varsity coach Knute Rockne.[10] In the winter of 1926–27, he coached basketball at Berrien Springs High School in Berrien Springs, Michigan. He earned a master's degree from Notre Dame in 1927.[11] In June of that year, Stanley was named athletic director and head coach of football, basketball, and track and field at River Falls State Teachers College—now known as the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.[2] He stepped down from his post at River Falls State in January 1928 due to poor health, and was succeeded by Marshall Diebold.[12]
In 1934, Stanley was named head football coach at Yreka High School in Yreka, California.[6]
Death
Stanley died on July 17, 1975, in San Francisco.[13]
Head coaching record
College football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro Aggies (Independent) (1924) | |||||||||
| 1924[n 1] | Jonesboro Aggies | 4–4 | |||||||
| Jonesboro Aggies: | 4–4 | ||||||||
| River Falls State Falcons (Wisconsin State Teachers College Conference) (1927) | |||||||||
| 1927 | River Falls State | 5–1–1 | 3–1–1 | 3rd | |||||
| River Falls State: | 5–1–1 | 3–1–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 9–5–1 | ||||||||
Notes
- ^ National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Arkansas State records list "Bill Stanley", an apparent mispelling, as Arkansas State's head coach in 1924. Basil Stanley was often referred to as "B. L. Stanley", and contemporary newspaper converge confirms that he was the program's head coach in 1924.[14][15]
References
- ^ "Basil Stanley". Pro-Football-Reference. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
- ^ a b "Basil Stanley Will Coach In Wisconsin". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. June 26, 1927. p. 14. Retrieved March 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Benefit To Be Given For Basil Stanley". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. December 7, 1917. p. 18. Retrieved March 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Hurt In Football Sanity Doubted". The Capital Times. Madison, Wisconsin. February 16, 1918. p. 6. Retrieved March 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Stanley Found Insane". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. February 15, 1928. p. 18. Retrieved March 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ a b "Fischer Given Grid Post". The Oakland Post-Enquirer. Oakland, California. July 23, 1934. p. 8. Retrieved March 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Former Notre Dame Star Comes to Arizona "U" as Assistant Coach for Wildcats". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. September 5, 1923. p. 4. Retrieved March 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "B. L. Stanley, Former Notre Dame Football Star, Accepts Coach Position For Aggies". Jonesboro Weekly Sun. Jonesboro, Arkansas. May 14, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved March 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "B. L. Stanley Resigns As Aggie Coach, Schwartz Will Coach Basketball". Jonesboro Weekly Sun. Jonesboro, Arkansas. May 14, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved March 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ ""Two Aces" Up his Sleeve And More Help Cheer Rockne". Grand Forks Herald. Grand Forks, North Dakota. October 12, 1926. p. 8. Retrieved March 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Coach Is Successful". South Bend Tribune. South Bend, Indiana. February 1, 1927. p. 12. Retrieved March 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Name Diebold As New Athletic Head". Baraboo News Republic. Baraboo, Wisconsin. United Press. January 13, 1928. p. 6. Retrieved March 4, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Funerals; Stanley, Basil L." San Francisco Examiner. San Francisco, California. July 20, 1975. p. B5. Retrieved March 3, 2025 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "NCAA Statistics; Coach; Bill Stanley". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
- ^ "2024 Arkansas State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Arkansas State University Athletics. pp. 163, 184, 238. Retrieved March 4, 2025.
External links
- Career statistics from Pro Football Reference
- Basil Stanley at Find a Grave
