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Jimmy Kitts

Jimmy Kitts
Kitts, c. 1940
Biographical details
Born(1900-06-14)June 14, 1900
Dallas County, Texas, U.S.
DiedDecember 13, 1952(1952-12-13) (aged 52)
El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1918–1921SMU
Basketball
1919–1922SMU
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1924–1925Dallas
1926–1929Athens HS (TX)
1931–1933Rice (freshmen)
1934–1939Rice
1941VPI
1943–1944Ottumwa NAS
1946–1947VPI
Basketball
1923–1926Dallas
1926–1929Athens HS (TX)
1932–1938Rice
Baseball
Head coaching record
Overall65–52–9 (college football)
75–73 (college basketball)
26–15 (college baseball)
Bowls1–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
2 SWC (1934, 1937)
Basketball
SWC (1935)

James Roland Kitts (June 14, 1900 – December 13, 1952) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He served as head football coach at the University of Dallas from 1924 to 1925, Rice Institute—now known as Rice University–from 1934 to 1939, and at Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI)—now known as Virginia Tech—in 1941 and from 1946 to 1947. Kitts was also the head basketball coach at Rice from 1932 to 1938, tallying a mark of 58–56, and the head baseball coach at Dallas from 1924 to 1926 amassing a record of 26–15.[1] Kitts was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 1956.[2]

Coaching career

Kitts was hired as the head football coach at the University of Dallas in December 1923.[3]

From 1934 to 1939, Kitts coached at Rice, and compiled a 33–29–4 record. His 1934 team went 9–1–1, however his 1939 team went 1–9–1.

Death

Kitts died on December 13, 1952, in El Paso, Texas.[4]

Head coaching record

College football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs AP#
Dallas Hilltoppers (Independent) (1924–1925)
1924 Dallas 4–3–1
1925 Dallas 7–2–1
Dallas: 11–5–2
Rice Owls (Southwest Conference) (1934–1939)
1934 Rice 9–1–1 5–1 1st
1935 Rice 8–3 3–3 T–3rd
1936 Rice 5–7 1–5 T–6th
1937 Rice 6–3–2 4–1–1 1st W Cotton 18
1938 Rice 4–6 3–3 4th
1939 Rice 1–9–1 0–5–1 7th
Rice: 33–29–4 16–18–2
VPI Gobblers (Southern Conference) (1941)
1941 VPI 6–4 4–2 T–5th
Ottumwa Naval Air Station Skyers (Independent) (1943–1944)
1943 Ottumwa NAS 5–1
1944 Ottumwa NAS 3–4
Ottumwa NAS: 8–5
VPI Gobblers (Southern Conference) (1946–1947)
1946 VPI 3–4–3 3–3–2 T–7th L Sun
1947 VPI 4–5 4–3 8th
VPI: 13–13–3 11–8–2
Total: 65–52–9
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

References

  1. ^ University of Dallas Baseball Records (accessed June 3, 2012).
  2. ^ Jimmy Kitts profile at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame[usurped](accessed March 19, 2020)
  3. ^ Gregory, Lloyd (December 15, 1923). "Sports News And Comments". Austin American-Statesman. Austin, Texas. p. 3. Retrieved August 29, 2020 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  4. ^ "Former Rice Coach, Jimmy Kitts, Dies". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press. December 15, 1952. Retrieved October 20, 2011 – via Google News.