Carroll Curtis Widdoes (December 3, 1903 – September 22, 1971) was an American college football coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Ohio State University (1944–1945) and Ohio University (1949–1957), compiling a career head coaching record of 58–38–5. Widdoes's 1944 Ohio State team went undefeated and was retroactively named national champion by the National Championship Foundation and the Sagarin Ratings.

Carroll Widdoes
Biographical details
Born(1903-12-03)December 3, 1903
Philippines
DiedSeptember 22, 1971(1971-09-22) (aged 67)
Lake Worth Beach, Florida, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1941–1943Ohio State (assistant)
1944–1945Ohio State
1946–1948Ohio State (assistant)
1949–1957Ohio
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1940–1961Ohio
Head coaching record
Overall58–38–5
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 national (1944)
1 Big Ten (1944)
1 MAC (1953)
Awards
AFCA Coach of the Year (1944)

Early life

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Widdoes was the son of the Rev. and Mrs. Howard W. Widdoes. The Widdoes were missionaries to the Philippines for the United Brethren Church, a predecessor denomination of the United Methodist Church, and Carroll was born there in 1903. Carroll and his brothers and sister came to live at Otterbein in 1916.

Coaching career

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After graduating from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio in 1926, Widdoes was an assistant football coach under Paul Brown at Massillon Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio. He followed Brown to Ohio State University as an assistant and assumed the head coaching job in 1944 when Brown joined the Navy, leading the Buckeyes to an undefeated season. That season, he coached Ohio State's first Heisman Trophy winner, Les Horvath. In two seasons at Ohio State, Widdoes posted a 16–2 record. After the 1945 season, Widdoes left Ohio State, choosing his offensive coordinator, Paul Bixler, to be his successor.

Widdoes took over as head football coach at Ohio University in 1949, eventually becoming athletic director as well. In nine seasons as head coach, he led the Bobcats to a 42–36–5 record and a Mid-American Conference title in 1953.

Later life and death

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Widdoes retired in 1969 and moved to Lake Worth Beach, Florida. He died at his home there on September 22, 1971.[1][2]

Head coaching record

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs AP#
Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten Conference) (1944–1945)
1944 Ohio State 9–0 6–0 1st 2
1945 Ohio State 7–2 5–2 3rd 12
Ohio State: 16–2 11–2
Ohio Bobcats (Mid-American Conference) (1949–1957)
1949 Ohio 4–4–1 2–2–1 3rd
1950 Ohio 6–4 2–2 3rd
1951 Ohio 5–4–1 2–2 4th
1952 Ohio 6–2–1 5–2 3rd
1953 Ohio 6–2–1 5–0–1 1st
1954 Ohio 6–3 5–2 2nd
1955 Ohio 5–4 3–3 4th
1956 Ohio 2–7 2–4 T–4th
1957 Ohio 2–6–1 1–4–1 T–5th
Ohio: 42–36–5 27–21–3
Total: 58–38–5
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ "Carroll Widdoes, former Tiger, OSU coach, dies". The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio. September 23, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com  .
  2. ^ "Widdoes . . (continued)". The Evening Independent. Massillon, Ohio. September 23, 1971. p. 12. Retrieved January 12, 2022 – via Newspapers.com  .