Top Oregon State coaches, games, teams and athletes of the
last 100 years

By Kip Carlson

Here it is, nine months after the fact:

One last Y2K hurrah. Or, to be more accurate, one final "best of the 1900s" list.

The 20th century roughly bracketed the beginning of varsity athletics at Oregon State, so itemizing the top athletes and accomplishments of the last 100 years roughly encompasses all of the Beavers' most glorious moments on the playing field.

And here's mine.

First off, let's get something straight - the following compilation is, literally, one man's humble opinion. It's not meant to be a definitive ranking; there is no such animal in questions like these.

The criteria have nothing to do with the fact that today's athletes run a faster 40-yard dash or have a greater vertical leap. Rather, consideration was given to how competitors fared against their contemporaries; events were judged on their relative importance to the course of a given season or the drama contained within the contest.

As such, an effort was made to be inclusive of a variety of sports and time periods. It is freely admitted, though, that athletes and events seen in person tend to be more vivid in the memory and may nudge them higher on a list than those heard about or read about.

Even using the same criteria, each and every Oregon Stater would likely come up with their own largely - or entirely - different list. In fact, go ahead and send in yours - it would be a pleasure and, most likely, an education to read them.

Which doesn't mean they'd change my mind. But, come next issue of the Stater, perhaps samples of some of those viewpoints would be of interest to one and all.

As legendary starter and physical education professor Chuck Dailey might intone at this point: "To your marks set "

TOP 10 COACHES:

10. Paul Schissler, football, 1924-32: His 48-30-2 record is among the best in Beaver football history, and his teams had seven-win seasons three times in an era when a nine- or 10-game schedule was the rule. He also introduced intersectional scheduling, and his teams recorded widely publicized wins at Marquette, New York University and Detroit.

9. Lon Stiner, football, 1933-48: An all-time record of 74-49-17, the Iron Men of 1933, the transplanted Rose Bowl team of 1942, that funky pyramid-style kick-blocking play ... Stiner's squads produced some highly memorable moments and outstanding records.

8. Jim Turpin, gymnastics, 1986-97: His all-time dual meet record of 151-46 is good for a winning percentage of .766; that's a mark that would be a pretty good season for most teams, and his squads kept it up for more than a decade. The Beavers placed in the nation's top 10 nine straight times while Turpin was coaching, including fourth-place finishes in 1991 and 1996, and they won four Pacific-10 titles. Turpin's athletes also won four individual national titles and 43 All-America honors.

7. Jack Riley, baseball, 1973-94: With a record of 613-411-5, Riley ranks second all-time in school history for victories in a single sport. His team dented Washington State's long domination of the Northern Division by tying for one pennant in 1975 and then winning three in the 1980s, plus two division tournaments. His teams also produced three first-round picks in the Major League draft.

6. Berny Wagner, men's track and field, 1966-75: Wagner's teams ranked in the top 10 in the national dual meet rankings from 1972 to 1974, and he had a dual meet record of 48-26. His 1969 team went 8-0 in duals and placed third in the NCAA Championships; that was one of four top-10 finishes in the national meet for the Beavers during Wagner's tenure. He also coached Olympic gold medalist Dick Fosbury, who was one of nine NCAA champions, 20 Pacific-8 champions, 21 All-Americans under Wagner. His athletes at OSU were also Olympians seven times, set American records twice and a world record once with John Radetich in the high jump.

5. Ralph Coleman, baseball, 1923-28, 1930-31, 1938-66: Not only the second-longest serving coach in OSU history with 35 seasons to his credit, but one of the most successful as well. Coleman's teams went 561-316-1 and won 10 pennants; they also produced the Beavers' only trip to the College World Series when they won the Pacific Coast Conference and Far West Regional titles in 1952.

4. Ralph Miller, men's basketball, 1971-89: The man who guided Oregon State through one of its golden ages in men's basketball with a 359-186 record and four Pacific-10 titles. The Beavers were the conference's winningest team of the 1980s, Gill was filled during basketball season for years in a row early in the decade, and players such as Lonnie Shelton, Charlie Sitton, Lester Conner, A.C. Green and Gary Payton wowed the crowds.

3. Tommy Prothro, football, 1955-64: Two Rose Bowls, a Heisman Trophy winner with Terry Baker in 1962 and a Liberty Bowl win that year as well, and another team that would have been Pasadena-bound if not for the conference's no-repeat rule in the 1950s. Prothro's teams went 63-37-2 and "The Black Bandits of Benton County" finished in the nation's top 20 three times during Prothro's tenure.

2. Dale Thomas, wrestling, 1957-90: With a 616-168-13 record, Thomas had more dual coaching wins than any college wrestling coach, anywhere, ever. His teams' successes weren't limited to the regular season, as the Beavers won or tied for 22 conference titles, finished in the nation's top 10 on 14 occasions and in the top five seven times. OSU wrestlers earned All-America honors 60 times during his tenure and won 10 individual national championships.

Basketball coach Slats Gill recorded more coaching wins than anyone in Oregon State history.

1. Slats Gill, men's basketball, 1929-64: In 36 years, his teams had just seven losing seasons while establishing a 599-392 record, winning five Pacific Coast crowns, four additional Northern Division titles and reaching the Final Four in 1949 and 1963. The Beavers' success raised interest in basketball to the point that the Oregon State Coliseum - later renamed in Gill's honor - was built, opening for the 1949-50 season. Toss in the 56-70 record of his baseball teams in the 1930s, and Gill recorded more coaching wins than anyone in OSU history.

TOP 10 GAMES/MEETS:

10. 1981 football - at Oregon State 31, Fresno State 28: OSU trailed 28-0 in the third quarter before rallying for the win. At the time, it was the biggest deficit an NCAA Division I team had ever overcome to win a game.

9. 1985 football - Oregon State 21, at Washington 20: Andre Todd blocks the kick, Lavance Northington recovers for the touchdown, and it's the shocker in Seattle. OSU, mocked all week by the Washington media, pulls off college football's biggest upset up to that time if you go by the 38-point spread.

8. 1966 men's basketball - Oregon State 63, Houston 60 at Los Angeles: Having already surprised the West Coast by beating out UCLA for the Pacific-8 title, the unsung Beavers knock off a team led by Elvin Hayes in NCAA Tournament play.

1933 football - Oregon State ends Southern California's 25-game winning streak with 11 Beavers going the distance, and the legend of the Iron Men is born.

7. 1933 football - Oregon State 0, Southern California 0 at Portland: Oregon State ends Southern California's 25-game winning streak with 11 Beavers going the distance, and the legend of the Iron Men is born.

6. 1974 men's basketball - at Oregon State 61, UCLA 57: OSU freshman George Tucker knocks down four free throws in the final seconds to help the Beavers end a 50-game Pacific-8 win streak by UCLA's Walton Gang.

5. 1952 baseball - at Oregon State 5, Southern California 4: Oregon State pushes the winning run across in the bottom of the ninth inning to sweep the Pacific Coast Conference championship series and get past the biggest obstacle on the way to the College World Series.

4. 1998 football - at Oregon State 44, Oregon 41 (overtime): Just a great, great football game, with Ken Simonton last seen running unencumbered into the front of the Ducks' rooting section.

3. 1980 men's basketball - at Oregon State 82, Arizona State 75: Oregon State trails by eight with 1:40 left and ASU's Fat Lever driving for the layup that will put it away ... but he misses. With no 3-point line, no shot clock and Gill shaking a little more with each missed Sun Devil free throw, OSU ties the game when Steve Johnson's hook shot is goaltended in the closing seconds. The Beavers pull away in overtime, and the outcome is the margin by which OSU wins its first conference basketball title in 14 years.

2. 1967 football - at Oregon State 3, Southern California 0: A win at Purdue and a tie at UCLA - both ranked second at the time of those games - and OSU coach Dee Andros says, "We're tired of No. 2. Bring on No. 1!" That they do, with the Trojans bringing both O.J. Simpson and California governor Ronald Reagan to Corvallis. Mike Haggard kicks a field goal, Jess Lewis chases O.J. down from behind to prevent a touchdown, and the Giant Killers' reputation remains intact.

1. 1990 men's basketball - at Oregon State 98, Southern California 94 (overtime): Oregon State needs a win to have a realistic shot at a share of the Pacific-10 title but trails by 24 points in the first half. The Beavers erase most of that deficit by halftime, then fall behind by double-digits again. OSU finally struggles into the lead late in the game. USC ties it with a late 3-pointer, then Oregon State puts it away in overtime. Oh, by the way, Gary Payton scores 58 points to break OSU's single-game scoring record, and he also breaks the school career scoring record in the process.

TOP 10 TEAMS:

10. 1981 men's basketball: A 26-game winning streak and two months as the nation's No. 1-ranked team, but all the disappointment of losses in the final game of the regular season and the first round of the NCAA Tournament.


9. 1991 women's gymnastics: Crowd-pleasers Chari Knight and Joy Selig on the same squad, and both finish in the top seven in the all-around at the NCAA Championships. The Beavers place fourth in the national meet after winning both the Pacific-10 and Far West Regional championships.

8. 1933 men's basketball: Oregon State's first Pacific Coast Conference title in the sport, a 21-6 record, an All-American in center Ed Lewis, and the creation of the NCAA Tournament was still six years away.

7. 1939 football: The Beavers went 9-1-1 but a loss to Southern California and a tie with UCLA prevented a trip to the Rose Bowl.

6. 1964 football: OSU wins the AAWU championship in its first season after rejoining its former Pacific Coast Conference cohorts, goes to the Rose Bowl and finishes the season ranked eighth nationally in both major polls.

5. 1952 baseball: Oregon State wins the Northern Division, the Pacific Coast Conference championship series and the Far West Regional to reach the College World Series.

4. 1982 men's basketball: After losing an amazing senior class, the Beavers don't miss a beat and go 25-5, win the Pacific-10 title for the third straight year and advance to within one game of the Final Four.

3. 1941 football: Oregon State goes 7-2 in the regular season, then the start of World War II forces the Beavers to play the Rose Bowl on the home field of a heavily favored Duke team. Oregon State emerges a 20-16 winner in "the transplanted Rose Bowl."

2. 1970 wrestling: A 19-0 dual meet season, a Pacific-8 team championship, third place in the NCAA meet, six All-Americans and a national champion in heavyweight Jess Lewis.

1. 1961 men's cross country: Oregon State's only NCAA championship team, led by individual champion Dale Story. A nTational title is a national title.

TOP 10 HIGHLIGHTS:

10. 1982-86 baseball: A combined record of 151-87, three regular season Northern Division titles, a pair of division tournament titles and four postseason appearances capped by third place in the 1986 Midwest Regional.

9. 1947-49 men's basketball: A combined record of 73-30, three straight Northern Division titles, Pacific Coast Conference playoff champions in 1947 and 1949, the 1949 Final Four and guard Lew Beck on the United States' gold medal team in the 1948 Olympics.

8. 1938-41 football: A combined record of 27-9-3 and trips to the Pineapple Bowl and the transplanted Rose Bowl.

7. 1969-80 wrestling: In the top 10 at the NCAA Championships 11 of 12 years, including five finishes in the top four; a combined dual meet record of 146-45-5; nine Pacific-8 or Pacific-10 team titles; 47 individual conference titles; 42 All-Americans; eight national champions.

6. 1960s football: A combined record of 65-35-2, the Heisman Trophy for Terry Baker and his 99-yard run to a Liberty Bowl victory, a trip to the Rose Bowl, the Giant Killers, and the expansion of Reser (then Parker) Stadium.

5. 1949-53 construction: The opening of Gill Coliseum and Reser (then Parker) Stadium give Oregon State its major athletic facilities for more than a half-century to come, as the Beavers move out of tiny Langton Hall (then Men's Gymnasium) and dilapidated Bell Field.

4. The 1962-63 academic year: Oregon State can claim Terry Baker's Heisman Trophy and a Liberty Bowl victory in football, a Final Four appearance in men's basketball, and a top-10 ranking in the season's final baseball poll before losing to eventual national champion Southern California in the regional finals.

3. 1980-82 men's basketball: A combined record of 77-11 (49-5 in the Pacific-10), three straight outright conference championships, a No. 1 national ranking for much of 1981 and a trip to the regional finals in 1982.

2. 1962 Terry Baker: The senior from Portland wins the Heisman Trophy and is named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year; he goes on to help Oregon State to the men's basketball Final Four during the winter.

1. 1968 Dick Fosbury: While still a student at Oregon State, the junior from Medford wins the gold medal in the men's high jump at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Not only does Fosbury win, but he attracts attention for his unorthodox "Fosbury Flop" style of jumping, which revolutionized the event in the next decade.

TOP 10 ATHLETES:

10. Forrest Smithson, men's track and field, 1903-06: A nod to the first decade of the century. Smithson was a Pacific Northwest champion in both the sprints and hurdles in the days prior to NCAA national meets. By 1908, Smithson held both the American and world records in both the 110-meter and 120-yard high hurdles (both 15.0 seconds), and he won the gold medal in the 110-meter high hurdles at the 1908 Summer Olympics.

9. Carol Menken-Schaudt, women's basketball, 1979-81: An All-American her senior season, she led the nation in field goal shooting that year with a .750 percentage and was named all-conference for the third straight season. Menken-Schaudt still holds OSU's career records for scoring (2,243), rebounding (901) and field goal percentage (.692) and had the two highest-scoring seasons in Beaver women's basketball history. In 1984, she was part of the United States team that won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics.

8. Les Gutches, wrestling, 1993-96: He won back-to-back NCAA national wrestling titles at 177 pounds, putting together a 69-match win streak over his final two seasons to finish with a career record of 134-10-0. His junior season at OSU, Gutches did not allow a takedown by an opponent. After completing his collegiate career, he won the 1997 World Freestyle Championship at 187.25 pounds.

7. Howard Maple, football/baseball, 1926-29: All-Coast and All-America at quarterback in 1928, he led the Beavers to an upset of heavily favored New York University at Yankee Stadium to cap the football season. In his three years as the varsity catcher, he had a career batting average of .429, and he eventually reached the Major Leagues with the Washington Senators.

6. Joy Selig, gymnastics, 1988-91: Earning All-America honors all four years she competed for Oregon State, Selig won a trio of national titles in individual events with her victories on the balance beam in 1989 and on the beam and in the floor exercise in 1990, when the NCAA Championships were held in Gill Coliseum. Selig won the American Award as the nation's top senior gymnast in 1991.

5. Gary Payton, men's basketball, 1987-90: He was named the national Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated his senior season, when he led the Beavers to a share of the Pacific-10 title. He remains OSU's career scoring leader (2,172) and the Pac-10's all-time leader in assists (938) and steals (321). Payton was a three-time all-conference pick. In 1996, he was on the United States team that earned a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.

4. Robin Reed, wrestling, 1923-24: No mere "Player of the Year" honors for Reed. Last year, Amateur Wrestling News named Reed the top wrestler at any weight in the first half of the 20th century. Reed never lost a collegiate match and shortly after finishing his career as a Beaver, he won the gold medal at 135 pounds in the 1924 Summer Olympics. On the United States team's trip to Paris, Reed wrestled each of his teammates and defeated them all, pinning all but the heavyweight.

3. Jess Lewis, football/wrestling, 1967-70: He began his varsity career as a first-team All-America defensive tackle in 1967, and he showed his rare blend of power and speed by running down Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson from behind to help preserve OSU's 3-0 win over No. 1-ranked Southern California. He found even more success in wrestling, winning back-to-back NCAA heavyweight titles in 1969 and 1970 and earning a spot on the 1968 United States Olympic team. After finishing his career at Oregon State, he was drafted by pro football's Houston Oilers.

2. Dick Fosbury, men's track and field, 1968-70: Few people find a way to truly revolutionize an event, but Fosbury did with his back-first style of high jumping. "The Fosbury Flop" helped him win an Olympic gold medal while still in college, and he won two NCAA Championships in the event for Oregon State.

1. Terry Baker, football/men's basketball, 1960-63: The only person ever to win a Heisman Trophy and play in basketball's Final Four. He was the first West Coast player to win the Heisman. He was known as a lefty quarterback but was actually ambidextrous, and he played rook baseball at Oregon State before concentrating on football and basketball.