Jump to content

Bob Brodhead

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bob Brodhead
No. 84, 17, 16, 11, 10
PositionQuarterback
Personal information
Born(1936-12-20)December 20, 1936
Kittanning, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 11, 1996(1996-02-11) (aged 59)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight207 lb (94 kg)
Career information
CollegeDuke
NFL draft1958: 12th round, 144th overall pick
Career history
Playing
Coaching
Operations
Awards and highlights
  • CFL champion (1966)
  • UFL champion (1964)
  • UFL Most Valuable Player (1964)
  • 2× All-UFL (1961, 1964)
  • 2× All-COFL (1965, 1966)
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts25
Passing completions7
Completion percentage28.0%
TD–INT0–3
Passing yards75
Passer rating0
Stats at Pro Football Reference
Executive profile at Pro Football Reference

Robert Edgar Brodhead (December 20, 1936 – February 11, 1996) was an American gridiron football player, executive, and college athletics administrator. He was the athletic director at Louisiana State University (LSU) from 1982 to 1987.

Playing

[edit]

Brodhead attended Duke University, where he played quarterback on the Duke Blue Devils football team. During that time he led the Blue Devils to the 1958 Orange Bowl and shared the quarterback position with Sonny Jurgensen.

Brodhead was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1958 but went on active duty in the armed services before being able to join the Browns.[1] He returned to the team during training camp in 1959, but was cut from the team.[1] Brodhead instead played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) that year, as backup to Don Allard.[1] In 1960, he signed with the upstart Buffalo Bills of the fledgling American Football League (AFL).[1] He played one season, in 1960, for the Bills, starting one game and scoring two points before having a brief stint with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos. In 1961, he embarked on a career in minor league football with the Canton Bulldogs and Cleveland Bulldogs in the United Football League (UFL). Brodhead lead Canton to a UFL title in 1964 and was named the league MVP.[1] In 1965 and 1966 with the Philadelphia Bulldogs of the Continental Football League. He led the Bulldogs to the Continental Football League title in 1966 with a win over the Orlando Panthers. Brodhead was elected to the Minor League Football Hall of Fame for his career with the Canton/Cleveland/Philadelphia Bulldogs.

Administration

[edit]

Cleveland Browns

[edit]

In 1967, the Cleveland Browns appointed to the newly-created position of business manager.[2] He remained with the Browns until February 13, 1971, when he was named general manager of the Houston Oilers.[3] He resigned on April 1, 1971 and returned to the Browns as treasurer.[4] He resigned at the end of the 1973 season.[5]

Portland Thunder

[edit]

In 1975, Brodhead was named president and general manager of the Portland Thunder of the World Football League.[6] On September 8, 1975, he fired head coach Greg Barton after a 1–5 start and took over as his interim replacement.[7] After his one-game stint as the Thunder head coach, Brodhead hired Joe Gardi to take over for the remainder of the season.[8] The World Football League folded on October 22, 1975.[9] After the WFL folded, Brodhead remained in Oregon and worked as an accountant. In 1976, he interviewed for the athletic director's position at the University of Oregon.[10]

Miami Dolphins

[edit]

In 1981, Brodhead returned to the National Football League as the Miami Dolphins director of finances.[11] In this role, he was responsible for the team's budget and financial planning as well as negotiating contracts.[12]

LSU

[edit]

On May 21, 1982, Brodhead was named athletic director at Louisiana State University.[12] One of his first hires was women's basketball coach Sue Gunter.[13] Gunter coached at LSU for 22 seasons and guided the Lady Tigers to the NCAA tournament 14 times, including the Final Four in her final campaign of 2003-04.[14]

In 1983, Brodhead hired Miami Hurricanes associate head coach Skip Bertman to coach the LSU Tigers baseball team.[15] Bertman guided LSU to five national championships (1991, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000) and 11 trips to the College World Series in 18 seasons (1984-2001). Bertman became LSU's athletic director upon his retirement from the diamond, remaining in the position through June 2008.[16]

In football, Brodhead inherited coach Jerry Stovall, an LSU All-American and runner up for the Heisman Trophy in 1962, who took over as head coach following Bo Rein's death in 1980 and led the Tigers to an appearance in the 1983 Orange Bowl. Brodhead fired Stovall after a 4-7 season in 1983 and replaced him with Bill Arnsparger.[17] Arnsparger went 26-8-3 in three seasons and coached LSU to the 1986 SEC championship and two Sugar Bowl berths.[18]

In 1982, the National Collegiate Athletic Association began a four-year investigation into the LSU Tigers men's basketball program and head coach Dale Brown.[19] On April 18, 1986, Brodhead pleaded guilty to conspiracy to intercept radio communications after the Federal Bureau of Investigation seized covert listening devices from his office. Brodhead admitted that he intended to listen in to NCAA investigators' interviews with LSU basketball players and said that Brown was aware of the plan. He was fined $1,000 sentenced to 200 hours of community service.[20] The NCAA cited LSU for sixteen rules violations and stripped the Tigers of two scholarships.[19] On April 25, 1986, the LSU Board of Supervisors voted 15–1 to freeze Brodhead's salary.[21]

On October 8, 1986, Brodhead was suspended with pay after he was cited for violating state ethics laws by receiving payment for hosting a radio show on WJBO, which had contracts with the LSU athletic department, and accepting a free trip to Mexico from station owner Doug Manship.[22] Brodhead resigned on October 21, 1986.[23] The Commission on Ethics for Public Officials fined Brodhead $2,500, but immediately suspended the penalty because the violations were minor and there was no evidence of intentional misconduct.[24]

Brodhead authored Sacked! The Dark Side of Sports at Louisiana State University, which was published in 1987. (ISBN 0-9446790-0-5)

Southeastern Louisiana

[edit]

In 1988, Brodhead was named athletic director at Southeastern Louisiana University. He developed a five-year plan to upgrade the university's athletic program, which including reviving the school's football program.[25][26] Wally English was hired as football coach, but he was fired after only three months "philosophical differences" with Brodhead.[27] Southeastern was unable to raise enough funds to bring back football and Brodhead was fired on April 25, 1989.[28] In 1990, a judge found that Southeastern Louisiana had breached its contract with Brodhead and awarded him $275,000.[29]

Later life

[edit]

In 1992, Brodhead filed a Chapter 7 liquidation petition due to "horrendous business decisions" since leaving LSU. He and his wife declared $105,000 in debts and $20,000 in assets.[30]

Brodhead died on February 11, 1996 at the age of 59.[1] Another former LSU athletic director, Carl Maddox, died five days later.[31]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bailey, Budd. "Bob Brodhead" (PDF). Professional Football Researchers Association. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Brodhead Joins Browns In Office". Toledo Blade. April 22, 1967. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  3. ↑ "New GM Announced By Oilers". The Victoria Advocate. February 14, 1971. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Brodhead Quits Houston GM Post". Herald-Journal. April 2, 1971. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Brodhead resigns". The Phoenix. November 22, 1973. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Brodhead Portland WFL chief". The Bulletin. May 6, 1975. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  7. ↑ "WFL's Thunder Fires Head Coach". Ocala Star-Banner. September 9, 1975. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Thunder inks new coach, loses players". Eugene Register-Guard. September 30, 1975. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  9. ↑ "Reaction is mixed on collapse of WFL". The Beaver County Times. October 23, 1975. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  10. ↑ "UO interviews Bob Brodhead for AD position". The Bulletin. January 21, 1976. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  11. ↑ "John Mahaffey clone? O'Brien would pass". Boca Raton News. July 29, 1981. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  12. 1 2 "LSU Names New AD: Robert Brodhead". Gainesville Sun. May 22, 1982. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Gunter named LSU coach". UPI. August 31, 1982. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Sue Gunter". LSU. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  15. ↑ "LSU taps UM's Bertman". St. Petersburg Times. April 26, 1983. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  16. ↑ "Skip Bertman". LSU. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  17. ↑ Even, Dan (December 3, 1983). "Arnsparger Takes Post At LSU as Stovall Fired". The Press-Courier. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  18. ↑ "'A great human being' - Arnsparger's time at LSU short but impactful". WAFB 9. August 3, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Brown Says Coaches Should Be More Vocal". The Albany Herald. December 4, 1986. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  20. ↑ "NCAA: Brodhead pleads guilty". The Beaver County Times. April 20, 1986. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  21. ↑ "LSU's Broadhead given 15-1 vote for reprimand". Gainesville Sun. April 26, 1986. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Brodhead faces review by LSU committee". Daily News. October 9, 1986. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  23. ↑ "LSU's Brodhead Resigns Posts". Ocala Star-Banner. October 22, 1986. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Pair found guilty". The Bryan Times. December 19, 1986. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Broadhead (sic) hired". The Vindicator. June 10, 1988. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  26. ↑ Hairston, Jack (June 15, 1988). "Larry Brown: forever moving". Gainesville Sun. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Southeast Louisiana fires coach". The Tuscaloosa News. November 19, 1988. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  28. ↑ "SE Louisiana fires Brodhead". The Vindicator. April 26, 1989. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Miscellany". The Spokesman-Review. November 15, 1990. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Brodhead declares bankruptcy". The Vindicator. July 19, 1992. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Former AD dies". Gainesville Sun. February 17, 1996. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Brodhead&oldid=1362600027"