Zora G . Clevenger Zora G . Clevenger ( December 12 , 1881 – November 24 , 1970 ) was an American football , basketball , and baseball player , coach , and pioneering athletic director . He served as the head football coach at Nebraska Wesleyan University ( 1908 – 1910 ) , the University of Tennessee ( 1911 – 1915 ) , and Kansas State University ( 1916 – 1919 ) , compiling a record of 47 – 32 – 7 . Clevenger was also the head basketball coach at Indiana University ( 1904 – 1906 ) , Nebraska Wesleyan ( 1907 – 1911 ) , Tennessee ( 1911 – 1916 ) , and Kansas State ( 1916 – 1919 ) , and was baseball coach at Indiana ( 1905 – 1906 ) , Nebraska Wesleyan ( 1908 – 1911 ) , Tennessee ( 1911 – 1916 ) , and Kansas State ( 1919 – 1921 ) . Clevenger served as the athletic director at Kansas State ( 1916 – 1920 ) , the University of Missouri ( 1921 – 1923 ) , and Indiana ( 1923 – 1946 ) . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1968 . Playing career . Clevenger was a star 5 ' 7 " , 145 - pound left halfback on the Indiana Hoosiers football team at Indiana University from 1900 to 1903 . Although little more than jockey - sized , he was the school ' s first great Hall of Fame athlete . Clevenger also played baseball ( as a shortstop ) and basketball at Indiana as well , and was captain of all three squads . In 1902 the Indiana baseball team closed their season at home against Minnesota . Clevenger came to bat down 10 - 8 , two on , two out , last of the ninth . He hit a home run to win the game . Later he said , " It wasn ' t a big school then , but the students got together , took up a collection , and went uptown and bought me a gold watch . It ' s one of my most prized possessions . " As a senior and captain on the football team in 1903 , Clevenger kicked a field goal , ran a punt back for a touchdown , and led his team to a shocking 17 - 0 win over Illinois . The crowd of 1 , 500 carried Clevenger and other Hoosiers off the field , then marched behind the band downtown for a celebration that lasted into the night . Coaching and sports administration career . Following his graduation , Clevenger served as head coach for the basketball and baseball teams at Indiana for two years . He then coached football , basketball , and baseball at Nebraska Wesleyan University from 1908 to 1911 . In 1911 , Clevenger moved to the University of Tennessee , where he served as head football , basketball , and baseball coach until 1916 . While at UT , he posted a 26 – 15 – 2 record in football , including a conference championship and the school ' s first undefeated season in 1914 . At the same time , his 1915 – 1916 basketball team went undefeated , and was acknowledged as the best team in the South . Clevenger also served as athletic director at Tennessee . Prior to the 1916 football season , Clevenger moved to Kansas State University , where he served as head football coach , head basketball coach , head baseball coach , and as the first athletic director for the school . Curiously , John R . Bender moved from Kansas State to Tennessee at the same time , so the two schools in effect swapped football coaches . Clevenger ' s football teams at Kansas State had an overall record of 19 – 9 – 2 . He found even more success in basketball , posting a 54 – 17 record , still the best winning percentage in school history , and winning two Missouri Valley Conference championships . In 1921 , Clevenger left the coaching profession and moved to the University of Missouri , where he served as athletic director until 1923 . In 1923 , Clevenger returned to Indiana and became its most venerated athletic director , holding that position for 23 years before retiring in 1946 . He was replaced in the position by Bo McMillin . While at IU , Clevenger helped found the annual East – West Shrine Game . Honors . Clevenger was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1968 . The I - Men ' s Association at Indiana University annually awards a Z . G . Clevenger Award in his honor . It is the highest award given by the organization .