Knute K. Rockne

Knute Rockne is considered by many to be, “without question, American football’s most-renowned coach”, with an amazing record of 105 wins – 12 losses – 5 ties and three consensus national championships (1924, 1928 and 1930) at Notre Dame. Although the forward pass was legal in football beginning in 1906, Rockne is credited with popularizing it and as a result, helping to bring the football program to national prominence. In addition, Rockne was a charismatic leader who charmed the media and tirelessly promoted Notre Dame football and local South Bend businesses such as Studebaker.

Born on March 4, 1888 in Voss, Norway, Rockne’s family immigrated to Chicago in 1893. He learned to play football in the Logan Square neighborhood and later played football and ran track at North West Division High School. After high school, Rockne worked as a mail dispatcher in the post office in Chicago for 4 years to help finance his further education. At the age of 22, he entered the University of Notre Dame where he studied chemistry, ran track and excelled in football as an end, winning All-American honors in 1913. He graduated in 1914 with a degree in pharmacy and later taught chemistry while serving as an assistant football coach under Jess Harper. He became the head football coach as well as athletic director at Notre Dame in 1918. He made his coaching debut against Case Tech in Cleveland, Ohio on September 28, 1918, winning the game 26-6.

During his legendary 13-year coaching career, he posted the all-time highest winning percentage for a major college coach (.881) which included five undefeated and untied seasons. He is credited with developing the ‘Notre Dame Box’ offense and the 7-2-2 defensive formation. During his tenure, he had many great players including George Gipp, Curly Lambeau, and the famous ‘Four Hoursemen’ of Harry Stuhldreher, Don Miller, Jim Crowley and Elmer Layden. However, the most famous of them by far was George Gipp, whose immortal words, “…win just one for the Gipper”, motivated the 1928 team to a 12-6 win over Army and was later the inspiration for the 1940 film ‘Knute Rockne, All American starring future president Ronald Reagan.

However, tragedy would prematurely end the coaching career of Knute Rockne when, while traveling to California to participate in the production of the film ‘The Spirit of Notre Dame’, his plane crashed in a wheat field outside of Bazaar, Kansas, on March 31, 1931, killing him and seven others. His body was returned to South Bend and he was interred at Highland Cemetery until April 28, 2024, when it was moved, along with his wife, Bonnie G. Skiles (1891-1956) and several other family members to Cedar Grove Cemetery on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.