Miami Ohio University Athletics
Legendary Miami Player and Coach John Pont Passes Away
7/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
OXFORD, Ohio--Considered one of the all-time greats of Miami University football and one of the pillars among the Cradle of Coaches, John Pont--a charter member of Miami University's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969 and the first athlete in Miami history to have his jersey number retired--passed away at his home after a long illness on Tuesday, July 1 at the age of 80.
Pont was a standout halfback for the Red and White from 1949-51. In the 1949 season opener against Wichita, he returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, helping Miami to a 23-6 win. Over the next three seasons, Pont became the top ground-gainer in school history, amassing 2,457 rushing yards and 4,184 yards of total offense. His career rushing yards remain the No. 7 total in program history. Pont averaged an impressive 9.5 yards each time he handled the ball, including 6.9 yards per rush.
Pont was a three-time first-team all-MAC and all-Ohio selection and received honorable mention all-America honors twice. During his sophomore campaign in 1949, he led the nation in rushing, registering 977 yards. He also led the MAC in points as a sophomore with 54, while going on to lead the MAC in rushing as a senior with 883 yards. Pont spearheaded Miami to a MAC Championship and a Salad Bowl title in 1950 under coach Woody Hayes. He went on to play football in Canada in 1952.
Following his senior season, Pont's jersey No. 42 was retired. In 1973, Bob Hitchens joined Pont when his jersey No. 40 was retired following his senior campaign. Both were back for the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger's jersey No. 7 on Oct. 13, 2007.
Shortly following his playing career, Pont joined the Miami football staff as an assistant coach under the legendary Ara Parseghian--who was in his first year as head coach at Miami during Pont's senior season--serving in the post from 1953-55. In 1956, Pont succeeded Parseghian and assumed the position of head coach at Miami, directing the Red and White for seven campaigns through the 1962 season. While guiding the Red and White, Pont compiled an impressive 43-22-2 mark, leading Miami to MAC Championships in 1957 and 1958. In his final season at the helm of the program in 1962, Pont led Miami to a Tangerine Bowl berth.
From Miami, Pont went on to serve two seasons as head coach at Yale (1963-64), eight seasons at Indiana (1965-72) and five years at Northwestern (1973-77). His 1967 Indiana team was the Big Ten Co-Champions and went on to play in the Rose Bowl. He owns the distinction as the only coach in Indiana history to lead the Hoosiers to a Rose Bowl and is the last to lead them to a Big Ten title. Pont was named the Football Writers and American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1967. He also served as athletics director at Northwestern from 1975-80.
He returned to coaching in 1984, serving as the head coach at Hamilton High School until 1989. When the College of Mount Saint Joseph went co-ed and started a football program, Pont returned to the college sidelines as the program's first head coach until 1992. In recent years, he has also volunteered his time with the coaching staff at Oxford's Talawanda High School.
Following an illustrious coaching career in the United States, Pont went international, taking his coaching talents to Japan for 13 seasons until retiring in 2005.
In addition to the Miami Athletic Hall of Fame, Pont was inducted into the Mid-American Conference Hall of Fame and also inducted into Miami's Cradle of Coaches Association in 1992. He also was inducted into the Indiana University Hall of Fame. Mr. Pont was a member of Miami University's Sigma Chi Fraternity.
Pont was born in Canton, Ohio on Nov. 13, 1927 and was the son of Bautista and Suzannah Pont. He is survived by his wife, Sandy. There are three children: John (Agnes) Pont of Newington, Conn.; Jennifer (Thomas) Shrack of Indianapolis: and Jeff (Lynn) Pont of Carmel, Ind..
His grandchildren include John (Pont), Aimee (Pont), Kevin (Pont), Alison (Pont), Amanda (Pont), Christopher (Shrack) and Carrie (Shrack).
Mr. Pont's family also includes his brother, Richard (Sarah) Pont of Wallingford, Conn., one nephew and three nieces.
Visitation will be on Sunday, July 6 from 3-6 p.m. at Oxford's Smith and Ogle Funeral Home (5086 College Corner Pike). A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Oxford on Monday, July 7 at 10 a.m. Burial will be in the Miami University section of the Oxford Cemetery. The public is invited to attend all of the observances.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the McCullough-Hyde Oncology Department (Oxford), The John Pont Scholarship Fund at Miami University, The John Pont Scholarship Fund at Indiana University, and the Athletic Department at the College of Mount Saint Joseph.
THE PONT FILE:
- Spent 13 years at Miami University as a player, assistant coach, and head coach
- Was the first Miamian ever to have jersey retired (No. 42)
- Finished his Miami playing career as a the school's all-time leading rusher and still ranks No. 7 on the career rushing yards list with 2,457 yards
- Served as head coach at Miami for seven seasons from 1956-62
- Posted career record of 43-22-2 as head coach at Miami, including six winning seasons, two MAC titles, and one bowl game appearance
- Finished his Miami head coaching stint ranked fourth in career victories (43) and sixth in career games (67)
- Named National Coach of the Year in 1967 after leading Indiana to the Big Ten title and a berth in the Rose Bowl
- Was a charter member of the Miami Athletics Hall of Fame and is a member of the MAC Hall of Fame
PONT'S HEAD COACHING RECORD AT MIAMI1956 - 7-1-1, 4-0-1 MAC (2nd)1957 - 6-3, 5-0 MAC (1st, MAC Champions)1958 - 6-3, 5-0 MAC (1st, MAC Champions)1959 - 5-2, 3-2 MAC (3rd)1960 - 5-5, 2-3 MAC (4th)1961 - 6-4, 3-2 MAC (3rd)1962 - 8-2-1, 3-1-1 MAC (3rd, Tangerine Bowl)
PONT'S FOOTBALL CAREER1949-51 - Miami Football Letterwinner1953-55 - Miami Assistant Coach1956-62 - Miami Head Coach1963-64 - Yale Head Coach1965-72 - Indiana Head Coach1973-77 - Northwestern Head Coach1984-89 - Hamilton High School1990-92 - Mount St. Joseph's Head Coach1992-05 - Coached in Japan
John Pont on "What Miami Has Meant To Me" from his induction into the Miami Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969:
"From a purely professional standpoint, I would be the first one to admit that Miami--its tradition, its successes and its stature as a university--has opened a great many doors to me, and I should also include members of my staff.
I doubt that I could have gotten to where I am now without the name of this most illustrious university. I also go back to my start in coaching, and the opportunity that the Athletic Board, John Brickels and Ara Parseghian gave to me when they enlisted my services as freshman coach, and then the University saw fit to extend to me the invitation to be its head football coach.
On a more personal note, and one that I feel to be more important than what I have previously talked about, is what I call the Miami family. No matter where I go it seems as if those of us who have graduated from the University tend to gravitate toward each other.
I realize there is always the possibility of too much inbreeding, but to say the least, one thing Miami has done is to develop the individual personality of each and every one of its graduates, and especially those of us in the coaching profession.
In this day and age with our changing society, I would have to say that the foundation upon which we were developed at Miami has stood each and every graduate of our University in good stead.
Honors have been accorded to me, but being selected to Miami University's Athletic Hall of Fame most certainly stands at the top."
