John Heisman - Early Coaching Career

Early Coaching Career

Heisman coached at Oberlin College in 1892, went to Buchtel College in 1893, and returned to Oberlin the next year. While at Buchtel, Heisman had his hand in the first of many permanent alterations he would make to the sport: The center snap. This came out of necessity because the previous rule, which involved the center rolling the ball backwards, was too troublesome for Buchtel’s unusually tall quarterback, Harry Clark. It became clear that if the ball was thrown to him, the play could go on with less complication which evolved into a common practice now known as the snap that begins every play in American football. In 1895, he became the fifth head football coach at Auburn University, where he stayed for five years. In 1900, Heisman went to Clemson University, where he coached four winning seasons. A street on the campus bears his name to honor him.