Stu Holcomb Stuart K . Holcomb ( September 11 , 1910 – January 11 , 1977 ) was an American football and basketball coach best known for serving as head football coach for Miami University ( 1942 – 1943 ) and Purdue University ( 1947 – 1955 ) . Before coaching , Holcomb was a starting halfback at Ohio State University and the captain of the 1931 Buckeyes football team . Prior to arriving at Miami , Holcomb was the head football coach at three smaller schools : the University of Findlay ( 1932 – 1935 ) , Muskingum College ( 1936 – 1940 ) , and Washington & Jefferson College ( 1941 ) . He also served as the head basketball coach at the United States Military Academy from 1945 to 1947 . After retiring from coaching , Holcomb was the athletic director at Northwestern University ( 1956 – 1966 ) and later the general manager of Major League Baseball ' s Chicago White Sox ( 1971 – 1973 ) . Coaching career . Miami University . Holcomb was named Miami University ' s head football coach for the 1942 season succeeding Frank Wilton . His first team went 3 – 6 which equaled the number of wins of the three previous years for the Redskins . The next year Holcomb and the Redskins posted a winning record of 7 – 2 – 1 . This team was dominated by defense , only allowing their opponents to score in double digits twice ; A 34 – 12 win over Bradley University and a 35 – 0 blow out loss to Arkansas A & M . In his two years as Miami ’ s head coach he compiled an overall record of 10 – 9 – 1 . He left Miami to become an assistant coach for Earl Blaik at the United States Military Academy . He was replaced as Redskins coach by future Pro and College Football Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman who was one of Holcomb ' s top assistant coaches . United States Military Academy . While an assistant football coach for the United States Military Academy , Holcomb was head coach of the men ’ s basketball team for two seasons from 1945 through 1947 . He led the cadets to two straight winning seasons of 9 – 6 and 9 – 7 . Purdue . During Holcomb ’ s tenure as Boilermakers head coach he compiled a record of 35 – 42 – 4 . His best year was 1952 when he led the Boilermakers to a Big Ten Conference co - championship and a # 18 ranking in the final poll . Despite having only a 4 – 3 – 1 overall record , Holcomb ' s team played well in conference with a 4 – 1 – 1 record . Holcomb ’ s Purdue teams are , perhaps , best remembered for ending Notre Dame ' s 39 - game unbeaten streak when his Boilermakers defeated the Irish , 28 – 14 , in the second game of the 1950 season . Holcomb was known for developing solid quarterbacks including Bob DeMoss , Dale Samuels and Len Dawson . These players helped grow a strong tradition at Purdue of great quarterback play . On December 12 , 1955 , After his nine seasons at Purdue , Holcomb left Purdue to accept the athletic director position at the Northwestern University Professional sports administrator . Holcomb was appointed as the general manager of the Chicago Mustangs , a United Soccer Association franchise owned by Arthur and John Allyn . After the Mustangs folded following the 1968 season , Holcomb was reassigned to the Chicago White Sox , another of the Allyn brothers ' business entities , as its public relations director . He was promoted to replace Ed Short as general manager in September 1970 , the last month of a season in which the White Sox finished with its worst record in team history at 56 – 106 . He began overhauling the ballclub by firing manager Don Gutteridge and replacing him with Chuck Tanner ( third - base coach Bill Adair served as the interim for ten games during the transition ) . Family . Holcomb ' s three sons played college football : Chip at Northwestern University , Doug at Purdue University , and Bryan at Arizona State University and Florida State University .