Photo of Ad and Joan Rutschman by Wildcatville.
McMinnville N-R letter to editor, 4/23/2011
Enjoyed ‘Mac in time’
As I was not a resident of McMinnville during the 1970s, I have especially enjoyed Karl Klooster’s articles “Mac in time.” I find them enlightening and entertaining; the well-targeted commentary is amusing (e.g., the bridge and the bypass).
I would have added one sentence to Part I. Mr. Klooster reported that Ad Rutschman coached Linfield to a national collegiate baseball championship in 1971. I wish you had added that Rutschman would go on to coach the Wildcats to three national collegiate (NAIA) football championships and is still the only coach in collegiate history, at any level, to win national championships in both football and baseball.
There was even a suggestion in 1986 that McMinnville, named for an early 19th century governor of Tennessee, should be renamed Rutschman for the man who put this wonderful town on the national map.
Dennis Anderson
McMinnville
……..
Notes and anecdotes by Karl Klooster, McMinnville N-R, 6/22/2011
(Edited by Wildcatville to only include Ad Rutschman mention.)
Coaches to monuments to rail buses and rutted roads
As often as not, there's more to a given story than what has been told by the end of the last sentence. Following are much appreciated additional details that have been brought to this writer's attention about several recent stories.
First class coach
"Mac in time - the 1970s, Part One" was the Connections feature of April 2, 2011.
This 10th installment of an 13-part series on the history of McMinnville, included an item from the year 1970 that mentioned iconic Linfield coach Ad Rutschman. It stated:
"After heating up Linfield athletics, baseball coach Roy Helser retires with 14 NWC championships in a 21-year run.
"Replacement Ad Rutschman not only holds the job for the next 13 years, but goes on to serve 24 as head football coach and 25 as athletic director."
McMinnville resident Dennis Anderson felt that, even in such a short overview, Rutschman's singular accomplishments deserved to be recounted in greater detail.
"I wish you had added that Rutschman would go on to coach the Wildcats to THREE NAIA national collegiate football championships and is still the only coach in collegiate history, at any level, to win national championships in both football and baseball," he said.
"There was even a suggestion in 1986 that McMinnville, named for an early 19th century governor of Tennessee, should be renamed 'Rutschman' for the man who put this wonderful town on the national map."
Right you are, Dennis. And to elaborate on the point, he reached the post-season playoffs 13 times, won 15 conference titles and retired from coaching football in 1991 with a career record of 183-48-3 or .788.
Rutschman was honored as the state of Oregon's Slats Gill man of the year five times, more than any other individual. He was named to the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
His admission into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998 would have capped anyone's career. But he loves the sport so much he was persuaded to return to the football coaching staff part time in 2001 and has continued with it ever since.
Enjoyed ‘Mac in time’
As I was not a resident of McMinnville during the 1970s, I have especially enjoyed Karl Klooster’s articles “Mac in time.” I find them enlightening and entertaining; the well-targeted commentary is amusing (e.g., the bridge and the bypass).
I would have added one sentence to Part I. Mr. Klooster reported that Ad Rutschman coached Linfield to a national collegiate baseball championship in 1971. I wish you had added that Rutschman would go on to coach the Wildcats to three national collegiate (NAIA) football championships and is still the only coach in collegiate history, at any level, to win national championships in both football and baseball.
There was even a suggestion in 1986 that McMinnville, named for an early 19th century governor of Tennessee, should be renamed Rutschman for the man who put this wonderful town on the national map.
Dennis Anderson
McMinnville
……..
Notes and anecdotes by Karl Klooster, McMinnville N-R, 6/22/2011
(Edited by Wildcatville to only include Ad Rutschman mention.)
Coaches to monuments to rail buses and rutted roads
As often as not, there's more to a given story than what has been told by the end of the last sentence. Following are much appreciated additional details that have been brought to this writer's attention about several recent stories.
First class coach
"Mac in time - the 1970s, Part One" was the Connections feature of April 2, 2011.
This 10th installment of an 13-part series on the history of McMinnville, included an item from the year 1970 that mentioned iconic Linfield coach Ad Rutschman. It stated:
"After heating up Linfield athletics, baseball coach Roy Helser retires with 14 NWC championships in a 21-year run.
"Replacement Ad Rutschman not only holds the job for the next 13 years, but goes on to serve 24 as head football coach and 25 as athletic director."
McMinnville resident Dennis Anderson felt that, even in such a short overview, Rutschman's singular accomplishments deserved to be recounted in greater detail.
"I wish you had added that Rutschman would go on to coach the Wildcats to THREE NAIA national collegiate football championships and is still the only coach in collegiate history, at any level, to win national championships in both football and baseball," he said.
"There was even a suggestion in 1986 that McMinnville, named for an early 19th century governor of Tennessee, should be renamed 'Rutschman' for the man who put this wonderful town on the national map."
Right you are, Dennis. And to elaborate on the point, he reached the post-season playoffs 13 times, won 15 conference titles and retired from coaching football in 1991 with a career record of 183-48-3 or .788.
Rutschman was honored as the state of Oregon's Slats Gill man of the year five times, more than any other individual. He was named to the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993.
His admission into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998 would have capped anyone's career. But he loves the sport so much he was persuaded to return to the football coaching staff part time in 2001 and has continued with it ever since.
