John Pont

About John Pont

John Pont was an American college football coach who served as head coach at Miami University, Yale University, Northwestern University and Indiana University. He was the only Indiana University coach to take a team to the Rose Bowl. Later in his career, Pont was recruited to start a football program at Cincinnati's College of Mount St. Joseph. Pont later served as coach and consultant in creating a semi-professional football league in Japan. He was honored as NCAA Division I-A coach of the year in 1967, the year his Hoosiers appeared in the Rose Bowl. He was a member of the Cradle of Coaches and the Miami and Indiana Athletic Halls of Fame as well as the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.

As an undergraduate, he was an outstanding halfback at Miami University, playing for coach Woody Hayes. He was a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity. After a serving a tour as a Navy submariner, he played professional football in Canada. He and several of his "Cradle of Coaches" compatriots are the subject of the book Fields of Honor, written by Pont's niece, Sally Pont. John Pont was a native of Canton, Ohio where he graduated from Timken High School. He died on July 1, 2008.

1967: J. Pont  | 1968: W. Hayes | 1969: B. Schembechler  | 1970: B. Blackman  | 1971: B. Devaney  | 1972: J. Paterno  | 1973: J. Majors  | 1974: B. Switzer  | 1975: F. Kush  | 1976: F. Burns  | 1977: Lou Holtz  | 1978: W. Powers  | 1979: J. Mackovic  | 1980: V. Cooley  | 1981: J. Sherrill  | 1982: J. Stovall  | 1983: M. White  | 1984: J. Morrison  | 1985: F. DeBerry  | 1986: J. Johnson  | 1987: D. MacPherson  | 1988: D. Nehlen  | 1989: B. McCartney  | 1990: B. Ross  | 1991: B. Bowden  | 1992: Stallings  | 1993: T. Bowden  | 1994: J. Paterno  | 1995: G. Barnett  | 1996: Br. Snyder | 1997: L. Carr  | 1998: Bi. Snyder  | 1999: F. Beamer  | 2000: B. Stoops  | 2001: R. Friedgen  | 2002: K. Ferentz  | 2003: B. Stoops  | 2004: T. Tuberville  | 2005: J. Paterno  | 2006: G. Schiano  | 2007: M. Mangino