Harry George Kipke

Harry George Kipke

University of Michigan Football, Baseball, Basketball Player (1920– 1924)
Michigan State Football Coach (1928)
University of Michigan Football Coach (1929 - 1937)

Harry Kipke was born in Lansing, Michigan attending Lansing High School. He moved on to the University of Michigan where he earned and earned nine varsity athletic letters in football, baseball and basketball. Kipke was a halfback and punter earning All-American honors and helping the Wolverines to a 19 -1- 2 record during his three years with the 1923 team going 8 – 0 and winning a national championship. He also earned All-American honors in basketball in 1924. Kipke went into the coaching profession and after four years as an assistant at the University of Missouri, he became the football coach at Michigan State for one season before accepting the football coaching position at his alma mater. He coached Michigan for nine seasons compiling a 46 – 26 – 4 record winning four consecutive Big Ten Championships. In 1942, Kipke joined the U.S. Navy in World War II and later became president of the Coca-Cola Company of Chicago. Harry Kipke was inducted into College Football Hall of Fame in 1958, the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1981 and was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame in 1968. He passed away on September 14, 1972 at 73 years of age.