The history of Oregon State athletics includes many stories of Beaver graduates who have gone on to coaching success at other schools. Fans of the last 20 years like to cite OSU graduate but longtime Duck Head Coach Rich Brooks as a prime example. OSU wrestling has sent forth into the world its fair share of outstanding coaches; so, too, has women's gymnastics and basketball.

Ward

Few Oregon Staters, however, have been able to top the achievements of a Beaver who graduated from Oregon State Agricultural College in 1927. Dallas Ward was his name and in Colorado, this former Stater is an out-and-out football legend. It was Ward, as head coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes from 1948 to 1959, who first brought that program from relative obscurity into national prominence with a bone-crunching brand of single-wing football that quickly earned him a reputation as one of the top football coaches in the country.

In his first two seasons in Boulder (1949-50), which also marked Colorado's entrance into the Big Seven Conference, his teams finished 3-6 and 3-7. They were to be his only two losing seasons with the Buffaloes, as his 1951 squad finished 7-3. Its only loss in conference play came at the hands of eventual national champion Oklahoma.

The following year, Ward was named "UPI Coach of the Week" for his 21-21 tie over the Sooners, the only blemish on Oklahoma's record by any school in the league while Ward was coach.

In all, the former Beaver posted an overall 63-41-6 record with his Rocky Mountain hosts. During the 1950s, Colorado became one of the dominant powers in the Big Seven, a position that landed the Buffaloes a spot in the 1957 Orange Bowl, their first bowl game appearance ever. The moment was not muffed. Colorado beat Clemson 27-21 to claim the school's first bowl victory.

Ward still ranks high on the all-time list of OSU's top scholar-athletes. He was one of the smallest ends on the Coast but started every game for the Orange and Black for three years (1925-27). In his senior year, he made All-Coast. He also played basketball as a rook but gave up the sport after one season because of a heavy load of classwork and part-time jobs.

A vocational education major, Ward held memberships in five honorary organizations, including the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi. He was president of his fraternity (Phi Delta Theta) and held a colonel's rank in ROTC. He won an award as OSAC's No. 1 junior. He was vice president of the student body in his senior year. His hometown was Lexington, Oregon, population 240. There he returned most summers while in school to work as a ranch hand to earn money for college living expenses.

After his Orange Bowl victory to end the 1957 season, Dallas Ward became a hot commodity in the coaching ranks and USC approached him about taking over for coach Jess Hill, who was stepping upstairs to the AD's office. Minnesota also called.

But Ward stayed in Boulder. His coaching staff was solid. He had a great nucleus of players coming back. The next two years looked bright.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. The Buffs were good in 1958-59 but not special. Colorado fans began to mumble and grumble.

Then on Jan. 23, 1959, one of the biggest bombshells ever to hit Boulder exploded. The university's Board of Regents asked Ward to resign. He was stunned, saying again and again at the announcement he was never even given a hint he was in trouble. He refused to quit.

Letters of protest hit CU's Board of Regents in a pile the size of Pikes Peak. More meetings were held as several Regents wanted to reconsider their action against Ward. In the end, the Board's first decision...to fire Dallas Ward...stood firm.

The reason was never clearly stated but popular opinion at the time had it that Ward was let go simply because fans were tired of waiting for him to "beat Oklahoma." And so the popular football coach was out on his ear.

Because he had been awarded tenure as a CU faculty member two years earlier, Ward decided to retire from football and teach. He and his wife Jan and their five children remained in Boulder where Ward died of cancer in February 1983.

When he retired in 1975, his former players bought him a new Cadillac and gave him $2,000 for gas.

The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame was opened shortly after, and Ward became the No. 3 person appointed to the Hall in their first class of inductees.

The gigantic athletic administration building opened on the University of Colorado campus in the 1990s is named for Dallas Ward.

-- Edited by George Edmonston Jr. and Chuck Boice