Dave Puddington

David George Puddington (July 9, 1928 – October 18, 2023) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Washington University in St. Louis from 1962 to 1967 and at Kent State University from 1968 to 1970, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 45–37–3. Puddington was a native of Canton, Ohio. He played football and basketball at Ohio Wesleyan University. After serving in the United States Navy, Puddington began his coaching career as an assistant to Jack Fouts at Fairmont High School in Kettering, Ohio. He was appointed head football coach there in 1958 and led his team to a 9–0 record and a seventh-place ranking among high schools in the state that season. In 1959, Puddington moved to Kent State, where he served as backfield coach under Trevor J. Rees for three seasons.^[1]

Dave Puddington

Biographical details
Born	(1928-07-09)July 9, 1928 Canton, Ohio, U.S.
Died	October 18, 2023(2023-10-18) (aged 95) Gainesville, Georgia, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1947–1949	Ohio Wesleyan
Basketball
1946–1950	Ohio Wesleyan
Position(s)	Center, linebacker (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
c. 1957	Fairmont HS (OH) (assistant)
1958	Fairmont HS (OH)
1959–1961	Kent State (backfield)
1962–1967	Washington University
1968–1970	Kent State
1977	Lake Braddock SS (VA)
Head coaching record
Overall	45–37–3 (college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 CAC (1964, 1966)

Puddington resigned as head coach at Kent State following the 1970 season, noting "the prevailing contagious negativism on campus and in the community". Four students had been killed that May in the Kent State shootings.^[2] Puddington returned to coaching for one season in 1977 at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, Virginia.^[3]

Following his coaching career, Puddington worked in fundraising and public relations for Ohio University, West Virginia Wesleyan College, Thomas Edison State University, and Morrisville State College. He and his wife, Jean, moved to Lowville, New York in 2009.^[4] Puddington died on October 18, 2023, at the home of his son, Jim, in Gainesville, Georgia. He was 95.^[5]

Head coaching record

College

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Washington University Bears (College Athletic Conference) (1962–1967)
1962	Washington University	5–3	0–0	NA
1963	Washington University	6–2–1	1–1	3rd
1964	Washington University	6–3–1	3–1	T–1st
1965	Washington University	7–2	3–1	2nd
1966	Washington University	7–2	4–0	1st
1967	Washington University	5–4–1	2–2	T–2nd
Washington University:		36–16–3	13–5
Kent State Golden Flashes (Mid-American Conference) (1968–1970)
1968	Kent State	1–9	1–5	6th
1969	Kent State	5–5	1–5	7th
1970	Kent State	3–7	1–4	T–5th
Kent State:		9–21	3–14
Total:		45–37–3