| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 23, 1927 Drumright, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | September 2, 2012 (aged 85) Overland Park, Kansas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1948–1951 | Pittsburg State |
| Position(s) | End |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1952–1954 | Caldwell HS (KS) |
| 1955–1960 | Atchison HS (KS) |
| 1961–1966 | Pittsburg State (freshman) |
| 1967–1975 | Pittsburg State |
| Basketball | |
| 1952–1954 | Caldwell HS (KS) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 48–38–5 (college football) 51–21–3 (high school football) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football RMAC (1970) | |
| Awards | |
| Football All-CIC (1951) | |
Thomas Arthur Lester (January 23, 1927 – September 2, 2012) was an American college football coach.[1][2] He was the eighth head football coach at Kansas State College of Pittsburg—now known as Pittsburg State University—in Pittsburg, Kansas, serving for nine seasons, from 1967 to 1975,[3][4] and compiling a record of 48–38–5.[5] Prior to becoming head coach, he served as the freshman coach six seasons.[6][7]
Lester was the head football coach for Caldwell High School and Atchison High School and compiled a record of 51–21–3.[6][8] He also coached basketball for Caldwell.[3]
Lester was an All-Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) end for Pittsburg State from 1948 to 1951.[3]
Head coaching record
[edit]College football
[edit]| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg State Gorillas (Central Intercollegiate Conference) (1967–1968) | |||||||||
| 1967 | Pittsburg State | 6–2–1 | 3–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1968 | Pittsburg State | 4–5–1 | 2–1–1 | T–2nd | |||||
| Pittsburg State Gorillas (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) (1969–1971) | |||||||||
| 1969 | Pittsburg State | 5–5 | 2–3 | 6th (Plains) | |||||
| 1970 | Pittsburg State | 9–2 | 4–1 | 1st (Plains) | |||||
| 1971 | Pittsburg State | 8–1–1 | 3–1–1 | 2nd (Plains) | |||||
| Pittsburg State Gorillas (Great Plains Athletic Conference) (1972–1975) | |||||||||
| 1972 | Pittsburg State | 5–5 | 3–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1973 | Pittsburg State | 3–7 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1974 | Pittsburg State | 4–7 | 4–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1975 | Pittsburg State | 4–4–2 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| Pittsburg State: | 48–38–5 | 26–16–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 48–38–5 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
[edit]- ^ "Thomas Arthur Lester - Pittsburg, KS - Morning Sun". Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
- ^ "Former Pittsburg State football coach dies". www.kshb.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Tom Lester Hired At Pittsburg State". The Wichita Eagle. January 19, 1967. p. 35. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Pittsburg grid coach Lester axed". Springfield Leader and Press. April 22, 1976. p. 35. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ College Football Data Warehouse Archived September 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Pittsburg State University Gorillas all-time coaching records
- ^ a b "Sports News Items". The Optimist. April 6, 1961. p. 4. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ Boggs, Dean (August 8, 1961). "Out Of Bounds". The Atchison Daily Globe. p. 9. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Tom Lester Named Football Coach At Kansas High School". The Drumright Derrick. May 6, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved August 19, 2024.