Jock Sutherland John Bain " Jock " Sutherland ( March 21 , 1889 – April 11 , 1948 ) was an American football coach . He coached college football at Lafayette College ( 1919 – 1923 ) and the University of Pittsburgh ( 1924 – 1938 ) and professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers ( 1940 – 1941 ) and Pittsburgh Steelers ( 1946 – 1947 ) . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 . Biography . A native of Coupar Angus in Scotland , Sutherland got his start in football by playing end at the University of Pittsburgh , commonly known as Pitt , under legendary coach Glen S . " Pop " Warner . Sutherland was named an All - America n and played on Pitt ' s national championship teams in 1915 and 1916 . Sutherland also played on Pitt ' s undefeated 1917 team . The 1917 team was known as " The Fighting Dentists " because on occasion every position was filled by dental students . The dental students on the 1917 team included Sutherland , Katy Easterday , Skip Gougler , " Tank " McLaren and " Jake " Stahl . Sutherland also lettered in wrestling and captained the track & field team at Pitt for which he specialized in the hammer throw , discus , and shot put . He was also a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity , Psi Omega national dental fraternity , Omicron Delta Kappa , and the Druids Society , a secret society at the university . Sutherland graduated from the University of Pittsburgh ' s School of Dentistry , where he also held a professorship in the instruction of bridge and crown . Coaching . In 1919 , Sutherland played in a few games with the Massillon Tigers of the Ohio League , which was the direct predecessor to the modern National Football League . However he soon left the team and began his head coaching career at Lafayette College from 1919 to 1923 , leading the Leopards to the 1921 Eastern Collegiate Championship . University of Pittsburgh . In 1924 , Sutherland replaced " Pop " Warner , his former coach and mentor , as head coach at Pitt . Sutherland , who was described as " a national hero " in a " Saturday Evening Post " article , became a highly admired and influential coach at the University while compiling a record of 111 – 20 – 12 . On offense , he ran a double - wing formation known as the " Sutherland Scythe " . He was known for his calm and direct demeanor , never shouting or ranting to motivate his team . During his tenure , Sutherland ' s teams were named Eastern football champions seven times including 1925 , 1927 , 1929 , 1931 , 1934 , 1936 , and 1937 . During this time , Pitt appeared in four Rose Bowl games ( 1928 , 1930 , 1933 , and 1937 ) and turned down a bid for the 1938 Rose Bowl . Sutherland ' s teams were named " National Champions " by various selectors for nine different seasons including 1925 , 1927 , 1929 , 1931 , 1933 , 1934 , 1936 , 1937 , and 1938 . Of these , the University of Pittsburgh officially recognizes five of those years as national championship seasons ( 1929 , 1931 , 1934 , 1936 , and 1937 ) , while one of them , 1937 , includes the Associated Press national championship designation which , at the time , was only the third instance in which the AP poll had been published . Sutherland coached the famed " Dream Backfield " of John Chickerneo , Dick Cassiano , Harold Stebbins , and Marshall Goldberg , which at the time was considered to be the best backfield in history by some , including Don Miller , a member of The Four Horsemen of Notre Dame . After years of struggling with the University for sustained financial support , Sutherland resigned in 1938 because the school ' s Chancellor , John Gabbert Bowman , instituted a policy of de - emphasis for the football program , eliminating athletic scholarships , student athlete stipends , and the recruiting funds . Bowman ' s moves , which resulted in Sutherland ' s departure , were controversial among students and supporters of the football program . As of 2009 , his career coaching record of 144 – 28 – 14 in 20 seasons at the collegiate level , an . 812 winning percentage , is the 25th best winning percentage in all divisions of college football and 11th best among coaches from the top division , currently known as the Division I FBS . His . 812 winning percentage is also the 5th best such mark during the first 20 years of any coaches ' career . He is also tied for the 23rd fewest games to reach 100 victories , accomplished in his 132nd game as coach . Professional football and military service . Sutherland later coached in the National Football League with the Brooklyn Dodgers for two seasons , 1940 – 41 , before leaving the team to serve the United States during World War II . During the war , Sutherland served in the United States Navy and achieved the rank of Lieutenant commander . Upon returning to the United States , Sutherland landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers , where he was head coach and team vice president . He led the Steelers to their first playoff appearance in 1947 . Sudden illness and death . While on a scouting trip for the Steelers in April 1948 , Sutherland was found in his car in Bandana , Kentucky , where he was experiencing confusion and was then taken to a hospital in Cairo , Illinois , where he was initially diagnosed with " nervous exhaustion " . He was flown back to Pittsburgh for further treatment . An exploratory surgery was required to determine whether he was suffering from a hemorrhage or a tumor . Sutherland died in Pittsburgh on April 11 , 1948 , following surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor . He is interred in Pittsburgh ' s Homewood Cemetery . Honors . Sutherland was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 as a coach . He is memorialized on the Pitt campus with a street , Sutherland Drive , and the student residence Sutherland Hall .