Bunny Oakes Bernard F . " Bunny " Oakes ( September 15 , 1898 – October 22 , 1970 ) was an American football player and coach . He served as the head football coach at the University of Montana ( 1931 – 1934 ) , the University of Colorado at Boulder ( 1935 – 1939 ) , the University of Wyoming ( 1941 – 1946 ) , and Grinnell College ( 1947 – 1948 ) , compiling a career college football record of 43 – 69 – 4 . Early life , military service , and playing career . Oakes was born September 15 , 1898 in Fort Wayne , Indiana . Oakes grew up in the area and played high school football at Proviso High School in Maywood , Illinois . Oakes enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1917 , and joined the American Expeditionary Forces in France in June 1918 . He saw combat action with the 5th Marines in a number of major engagements and was wounded on October 4 , 1918 . Staying with his unit following the armistice , Oakes played football with the championship 2nd Battalion , 5th Marines team in Germany in 1919 . Following the war , Oakes enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign and played football under coach Bob Zuppke . As a senior at Illinois in 1923 , he played on the national championship - winning Fighting Illini football team and participated in the first game at the Memorial Stadium in Champaign , Illinois . Coaching career . Following graduation from Illinois , Oakes was named the football line coach at the University of Tennessee under head coach M . B . Banks . In 1926 , Oakes was named the line coach at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln under Ernest Bearg and later worked under Dana X . Bible . Oakes ' s first head coaching assignment came in 1931 when he was named as the head football coach at the University of Montana . During his tenure at Montana , Oakes wrote and had published his book , " Football Line Play " . The book quickly became an important text for coaches and players throughout the country . It was also during this period in his coaching career that he received several patents for football blocking equipment . His dummies were the earliest mobile blocking equipment available to schools and enabled various formations to be simulated . In 1934 , Oakes was named the head football coach at the University of Colorado at Boulder . His teams at Colorado won Rocky Mountain Conference titles during the 1935 and 1937 seasons . The 1937 team , which featured All - American halfback and future justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Byron White , went undefeated in the regular season and played in the 1938 Cotton Bowl Classic , the first bowl game appearance for Colorado . The 1939 Colorado team placed first in the Mountain States Conference . Oakes ' s record for the five years at Colorado was 25 – 15 – 1 with a conference mark of 24 – 6 – 1 . Oakes returned to the University of Illinois in 1940 , where he earned a Master of Science degree . In April 1941 , Oakes took over as the head football coach at the University of Wyoming . With the onset of World War II , intercollegiate athletics were suspended in 1943 and Oakes concentrated on physical training of Army and Navy cadets at the University of Wyoming . Following the war , Oakes resumed his position as head coach for the 1946 season . Oakes completed his collegiate football coaching career at Grinnell College in Grinnell , Iowa . Assuming duties as head football coach and athletic director at Grinnell in 1947 , Oakes completed his coaching career following the 1948 season . Death and memorial . Oakes died on October 22 , 1970 near Lancaster , Pennsylvania of an apparent heart attack while vacationing with his wife . At the 65th Annual Convention of the National Collegiate Athletic Association on January 11 , 1971 , a memorial resolution commemorating Oakes ' s distinguished service to athletics was adopted . The Memorial Resolution reads : " For his faithful service to his institution and higher education ; his valuable contributions to intercollegiate athletics , and his wholesome influence upon the lives of young men . Be it known that the membership of the National Collegiate Athletic Association , assembled in annual Convention , resolved that this memorial be inscribed in honor and fond remembrance of Bernard F . Oakes . "