Art Guepe

Arthur Leo Guepe (January 28, 1915 – November 4, 2001) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Virginia from 1946 to 1952 and Vanderbilt University from 1953 to 1962, compiling a career college football record of 86–71–9.

Art Guepe

Biographical details
Born	(1915-01-28)January 28, 1915 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	November 4, 2001(2001-11-04) (aged 86) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Playing career
1934–1936	Marquette
1943	Iowa Pre-Flight
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1937	Marquette (freshmen)
1938–1942	Virginia (assistant)
1946–1952	Virginia
1953–1962	Vanderbilt
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1963–1975	OVC (commissioner)
Head coaching record
Overall	86–71–9
Bowls	1–0
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
SEC Coach of the Year (1955)

Playing and assistant coaching career

Guepe played quarterback at Marquette University from 1934 to 1936 in a backfield that included two-time All-American Ray Buivid, Ray Sonnenberg, and Arthur's twin brother, Albert Guepe. The Golden Avalanche compiled records of 7–1 in 1935 and 7–2 in 1936, the latter season concluding with a 16–6 loss to Sammy Baugh and TCU in the 1937 Cotton Bowl Classic. Guepe and his twin brother, Al, starred for Marquette from 1933 to 1936. In the TCU game, Guepe raced a punt back 60 yards for the first touchdown in Cotton Bowl history to give Marquette an early lead. He was drafted in the third round of the 1937 NFL Draft.^[1] After graduation, Guepe served one season as freshmen football and basketball coach at Marquette, and then moved to the University of Virginia as an assistant football coach from 1938 to 1942. Guepe served in the United States Navy during World War II and played one season in 1943 for the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football team.

Head coaching career

Guepe was the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers football program from 1946 to 1952, having compiled a 47–17–2 (.727) record. His final three years were his best, winning eight games in each of those seasons. His '51 team finished 8–1 and ranked 13th in the nation.

Vanderbilt University lured Guepe from Virginia in 1953 and he coached the Commodores for ten seasons (1953–1962). Guepe's 1955 Vandy team, beat 8th-ranked Auburn in the Gator Bowl and finished 8–3. His Vandy teams won more Southeastern Conference games (19) than any Commodore coach before or since.

Upon retiring from coaching after the 1962 season, Guepe said matter-of-factly and without bitterness: "There is no way you can be Harvard Monday through Friday and try to be Alabama on Saturday."^[2] His message to the Vanderbilt chancellor and trustees was unambiguous. To be competitive in the arena of big-time college football, Vanderbilt would have to relax some of its high standards of admissions and academic eligibility. His son, Arthur A. Guepe, played football at Vanderbilt from 1961 to 1963.

Later life and death

Guepe served as the Ohio Valley Conference's first commissioner from 1963 to 1975. Guepe died on November 4, 2001, at a nursing home in Florida.^[3]

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	AP#
Virginia Cavaliers (Independent) (1946–1952)
1946	Virginia	4–4–1
1947	Virginia	7–3
1948	Virginia	5–3–1
1949	Virginia	7–2
1950	Virginia	8–2
1951	Virginia	8–1				13
1952	Virginia	8–2
Virginia:		47–17–2
Vanderbilt Commodores (Southeastern Conference) (1953–1962)
1953	Vanderbilt	3–7	1–5	T–10th
1954	Vanderbilt	2–7	1–5	T–11th
1955	Vanderbilt	8–3	5–3	4th	W Gator
1956	Vanderbilt	5–5	2–5	T–8th
1957	Vanderbilt	5–3–2	3–3–1	T–6th
1958	Vanderbilt	5–2–3	2–1–3	4th
1959	Vanderbilt	5–3–2	3–2–2	T–5th
1960	Vanderbilt	3–7	0–7	12th
1961	Vanderbilt	2–8	1–6	12th
1962	Vanderbilt	1–9	1–6	11th
Vanderbilt:		39–54–7	19–43–6
Total:		86–71–9
#Rankings from final AP Poll.

References

1. "1937 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
2. Walsh, Christopher J. (2006). Where football is king: a history of the SEC (1st Taylor Trade Pub. ed.). Lanham, Md.: Taylor Trade Pub. p. 119. ISBN 9781461734772. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
3. "Former Vandy football coach, Guepe, dies at 86". The Gadsden Times. The New York Times Company. Associated Press. November 6, 2001. Retrieved May 31, 2010.