When speaking of the University of Oklahoma the first thing that comes to mind is the football program.
In this section of the Hideout, you will be able to read about the history of OU football. It is a history that spans 114 years. And it is a tradition unseen in college football history.
The history of Sooner Football will be broken down into several parts. Ranging from the pre-Owen era to the Stoops era.
So please, grab a beer, and lets reminisce about the ups and downs of Oklahoma Sooner Football and the tradition that has been built.
Pre-Owen Era (1895-1904)
The Oklahoma football program got its start in September, 1895 under John A Harts. This also happened to be 12 years before state hood and just one year after the first organized football game in the Oklahoma Territory.
The very first team that represented the University of Oklahoma were mainly non-students, such as local firemen and farmers. And they played their first game in a prairie just northwest of what is now Holmberg Hall.
The second season of Sooner football had no coach. In fact it was not until 1897 when the Sooners would get their first real coach, Vernon Parrington. Coach Parrington got his exposure from the sport when he played at Harvard.
He would go on to coach four seasons at Oklahoma. Then he stepped down to concentrate on his first love, teaching. He would eventually win a Pulitzer Price for History in 1928.
In 1905, a new coach would be hired and a new foundation would be set.
Bennie Owen Era (1905-1946)
That coach would be Bennie Owen. Coach Owen would stick around as the coach of Oklahoma for 22 seasons amassing 122 wins, 54 losses, and 16 ties.
But it was more than just his record that earned him the name, The Godfather of OU Athletics. He would be involved in building a foundation that is still seen today. He would also go on to win over 100 games as the coach of the OU basketball team.
In the time of Bennie Owen, the lack of funds to travel made it hard on the team. There were times where their road trips would result in 3 games in 5 days.
In 1907. Bennie Owen would be fired by the Oklahoma Legislature, only to be rehired by the president of OU. Bennie would go on to coach three undefeated teams, 1911, 1915, and 1918.
In 1951, Bennie Owen would become the first Oklahoman to be elected into the College Football Hall of Fame as a charter member. He accompanied his former coach and boss, Fielding Yost, Knute Rockne, and Walter Camp into the Hall of Fame.
Oklahoma would see the next two coaches have lackluster performances. Combined, Adrian Lindsey and Lewie Hardage, would go 30-31-10 overall. Lindsey would coach OU from 1927-1931 and Hardage would go on to coach from 1932-1934.
After Hardage left, OU would go on to hire a hard-nosed man that graduated from West Point in 1917. Lawrence Jones, nicknamed Biff, would only coach OU for two seasons with a record of 9-6-3, but it was what he did for OU more than his coaching creditials. He is credited for setting up the athletic departments administration, finances, and methods departments. Though Jones did not stick around very long at Oklahoma, he realized what it would take for the Sooners to be able to compete in a new age of football.
In 1937, Tom Stidham would coach Oklahoma until 1941. He would go on to win 75% of his games as the coach, winning 27 games, losing 8, and tying 3 times. After Stidham stepped down, his assistant, Dewey Luster would take over the duties as the head coach.
After Luster's first season, many of his players would go on to sign up for the US military, thanks to the Japanese and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1945, Luster would resign as coach due to ill health.
After the resignation of Dewey Luster, the OU Board of Regents interviewed several coaches to fill in for Luster. After interviewing the likes of Paul “Bear” Bryant and others, they decided to hire a guy by the name of Jim Tatum.
Jim Tatum brought with him Bud Wilkinson as an assistant. In his only season with OU, Tatum led the Sooners to an 8-3 mark, including a 73-12 win over Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University). Tatum would bolt from OU to go coach at Maryland, and in doing so, he would change the face of Oklahoma football forever.