The Crisler papers document Fritz Crisler's career in athletics, 1923-1978, as a student athlete at the University of Chicago, football coach at Minnesota, Princeton and Michigan, as Athletic Director at Michigan and as a member of the NCAA football rules committee, 1942-1977. The collection is composed of several series: General and Topical Correspondence; Speeches and Articles; Football Material; NCAA Football Rules Committee; Intercollegiate Conference [Big Ten]; Clippings and Scrapbooks; Amos Alonzo Stagg; Photographs and films.
Herbert Orin (Fritz) Crisler was born in Earlville, Illinois on January 12, 1899. After graduating from high school, Crisler enrolled in the University of Chicago, where he participated in three sports: baseball, basketball, and football, and where he became an All-American on the Chicago football team coached by Amos Alonzo Stagg. Crisler's studies were interrupted in 1918 for a brief period of military service, largely spent at the Officers Training School at Waco, Texas. Crisler received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1922. Following graduation, Crisler was offered a position with Chicago's athletic department. At various times over the next eight years he coached Chicago's baseball, basketball, and football teams. In April, 1923 Crisler married Dorothy Adams.
Crisler left the University of Chicago in 1930 to become athletic director and head football coach at the University of Minnesota. His stay at Minnesota was a short one. In 1932 he was appointed head football coach at Princeton University. Crisler remained at Princeton until 1938 when he began his long association with The University of Michigan.
From 1938 to 1948 Crisler served as Michigan's head football coach, replacing Harry Kipke. In his ten years as head coach at Michigan, Crisler compiled a 73-16-3 record, winning two Big Ten championships and culminating his career with an undefeated season in 1947 and being voted National Champion following a 47-0 victory over Southern California in the 1948 Rose Bowl. In 1941, Crisler took on additional duties, succeeding Fielding H. Yost as athletic director. Crisler remained at the helm of Michigan's athletic program until 1968. Following Crisler's retirement, Don Canham became Michigan's Athletic Director.
In addition to his coaching activities Crisler was active on the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Rules Committee. This committee is responsible for establishing the rules under which collegiate football is played. The committee meets annually to revise the official NCAA rule book. Crisler chaired the committee from 1950 to 1958, and became the second individual to be appointed a lifetime member of the committee (Amos Alonzo Stagg was the first).
Crisler is the author of two books: Practical Football, published in 1933, and Modern Football, published in 1949.
Crisler died in 1982.
An overview of Crisler's career can be found in A legacy of champions : the story of the men who built University of Michigan football [Farmington Hills, MI. : CTC Productions & Sports; 1996].
