Ewing Y. Freeland
American football player and coach, basketball coach, baseball player and coach

Ewing Y. Freeland

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American football player and coach, basketball coach, baseball player and coach
Gender:
Male
Work field:
Birth:
1 January 1887
Death:
15 August 1953
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Biography

Introduction

Ewing Young "Big 'un" Freeland (January 1, 1887 – August 15, 1953) was an American football and baseball player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Texas Christian University (1915), Millsaps College (1921), Southern Methodist University (1922–1923, with Ray Morrison), and Texas Tech University (1925–1928), compiling a career college football record of 41–23–8. Freeland was also the head basketball coach at TCU for one season in 1915–16 and at Millsaps for one season in 1921–22. In addition, he was the head baseball coach at TCU (1916), SMU (1923–1924), and Texas Tech (1926–1927), amassing a career college baseball record of 50–47–3.

Biography

Freeland was born on January 1, 1887 in Turnersville, Texas and died on August 15, 1953 in Brownwood, Texas. He played football and baseball at Vanderbilt University, from which he graduated in 1912. He weighed some 200 pounds. He was nominated though not selected for an Associated Press All-Time Southeast 1869-1919 era team. In 1915, Freeland coached football at TCU, compiling a 4–5 record. In 1922 and 1923, Freeland co-coached the SMU Mustangs football team with his former teammate at Vanderbilt, Ray Morrison. The two effectively shared the heading coaching duties, with Morrison focusing on the backfield and ends, and Freeland mentoring the linemen. In 1925, Freeland became the first coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team, then known then as the Matadors. He coached football at Texas Tech from 1925 to 1928, where he had a 21–10–6 record. Freeland was also the first head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders baseball team and Texas Tech's first athletic director. He is credited with designing Texas Tech's Double T logo and had it put on the sweaters of football players.

The older version of Texas Tech's Double-T logo

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
TCU Horned Frogs (Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1915)
1915 TCU 4–5
TCU: 4–5
Millsaps Majors (Independent) (1921)
1921 Millsaps 1–5–1
Millsaps: 1–5–1
SMU Mustangs (Southwest Conference) (1922–1923)
1922 SMU 6–3–1 2–2 T–3rd
1923 SMU 9–0 5–0 1st
SMU: 15–3–1 7–2
Texas Tech Matadors (Independent) (1925–1928)
1925 Texas Tech 6–1–2
1926 Texas Tech 6–1–3
1927 Texas Tech 5–4
1928 Texas Tech 4–4–1
Texas Tech: 21–10–6 18–15–1
Total: 41–23–8
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title

Baseball

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
TCU Horned Frogs (1916)
1916 TCU 9–7
TCU: 9–7
SMU Mustangs (Southwest Conference) (1923–1924)
1923 SMU 16–10 14–6 2nd
1924 SMU 10–19 5–16 6th
SMU: 26–25 19–22
Texas Tech Matadors (1926–1927)
1926 Texas Tech 11–2–1
1927 Texas Tech 4–9–1
Texas Tech: 15–11–2
Total: 50–43–2