Oosterbaan, Bennie

▪ American athlete

byname of  Benjamin Gaylord Oosterbaan  

born Feb. 24, 1906, Muskegon, Mich., U.S.

died Oct. 25, 1990, Ann Arbor, Mich.

      American collegiate football player and coach for the University of Michigan (Michigan, University of) (Ann Arbor), who was the first of the great collegiate pass receivers. His coaching record was 63 games won, 33 lost, and 4 tied. In his first year as coach his team won nine games and lost none and won the national championship.

      Oosterbaan played both basketball and football at Muskegon (Mich.) High School. At the University of Michigan (1924–27) he was an All-American end (1925 and 1927) and became, when teamed with quarterback Benny Friedman, a great scoring threat. In one season he was the Big Ten (Western Conference) leading scorer in football, basketball, and baseball.

      After graduation he was an assistant football coach (1927–37), basketball coach (1938–46), and backfield football coach (1946–47) before becoming head football coach in 1948. During his tenure Michigan won three Big Ten championships (1947–48, 1950), tying for the honour in 1949, and won the 1951 Rose Bowl game and a national championship (1948). He retired from coaching in 1958.

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