{{Short description|American football and basketball coach (1921–1967)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Jay Pattee | image = Jay Pattee, 1952.png | alt = | caption = Pattee in 1952 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1921|5|6}} | birth_place = Massachusetts, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1967|2|2|1921|5|6}} | death_place = Ceres, California, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_sport1 = Football | player_years2 = 1940–1943 | player_team2 = Brown | player_sport4 = Basketball | player_years5 = {{Circa|1940–1941}} | player_team5 = Brown | player_sport6 = Baseball | player_years7 = {{Circa|1940s}} | player_team7 = Brown | player_positions = Quarterback, placekicker (football)<br/>Guard (basketball) | coach_sport1 = Football | coach_years2 = 1947 | coach_team2 = Torrington HS (CT) | coach_years3 = 1948–1949 | coach_team3 = Toledo (backfield) | coach_years4 = 1950–1951 | coach_team4 = Stetson (backfield) | coach_years5 = 1952–1953 | coach_team5 = Stetson | coach_years6 = 1954–1956 | coach_team6 = Idaho (backfield) | coach_years7 = 1957–1966 | coach_team7 = Modesto HS (CA) | coach_sport8 = Basketball | coach_years9 = 1947–1948 | coach_team9 = Torrington HS (CT) | coach_years10 = 1951–1952 | coach_team10 = Stetson | overall_record = 6–10–3 (college football)<br/>16–4 (college basketball) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = | coaching_records = }}
'''John Hiram''' "'''Jay'''" '''Pattee''' (May 6, 1921 – February 2, 1967) was an American college football and basketball coach. He was the head football coach for John B. Stetson University (now known as Stetson University) from 1952 to 1953 and head basketball coach from 1951 to 1952.
==Playing career== Pattee was born on May 6, 1921, in Massachusetts, to Harry Pattee, a former professional baseball player, and Margaret Grant. Pattee was almost named Olaf Gustaf Hazard Oden Pattee after his father, who was coaching the Brown baseball team at the time, said he would name his son after whoever hit the first home run in the team's game against Columbia.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=October 2, 1941 |title=Pattee Big Cog In Brown Team |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bangor-daily-news-pattee-big-cog-in/171151174/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Bangor Daily News |pages=3}}</ref> The first player to hit a home run was Curly Oden, who, after reciting the entirety of his Swedish name, left Harry astonished.<ref name=":0" /> Instead of being the namesake, Oden was honored as Jay Pattee's godfather.<ref name=":0" /> Pattee's brother, Harry Pattee Jr., was the starting quarterback on the 1937 state champion Barrington High School football team.<ref name=":0" />
Pattee grew up in Barrington, Rhode Island and was a quarterback and placekicker for Barrington High School.<ref name=":0" /> During his high school career, he missed only one extra point, with his only missing being a game losing miss in the Class C State Championship.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Martin |first=Whitney |date=November 3, 1943 |title=Brown's Jay Pattee Has Great Record As Point-After Kicker |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-browns-jay-pattee-has/171153013/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Tampa Tribune |pages=12}}</ref> Alongside football, Pattee also participated in basketball, baseball, and track and field for the school.<ref name=":0" /> After graduating, he took a graduate year with Kents Hill School in Kents Hill, Maine, where he starred in football and basketball.<ref name=":0" /> He was voted as Rhode Island's outstanding athlete in 1939.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |date=March 31, 1950 |title=Stetson Adds Coach For Backs |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-stetson-adds-coach-for/171154181/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Miami Herald |pages=56}}</ref>
Pattee then enrolled at his father's alma mater, Brown University, as a football, basketball, and baseball player.<ref name=":0" />
As a freshman, Pattee followed in his father's footsteps as they both were named captains of the freshmen football team during their tenures with the team.<ref name=":0" /> After missing his first two extra points, he went on to make nine consecutive kicks.<ref name=":1" /> During his sophomore year, the 190-pound blocking back served as the backup to captain Ernie Savignano and made his varsity debut in Brown's 20–6 opening win over Wesleyan.<ref name=":0" /> On the year, he also completed all three of his point-after attempts.<ref name=":1" /> He maintained his dominance as a placekicker in his junior year, finishing with 16 out of 18 kicks being good.<ref name=":1" /> In 1943, his senior year, he finished making all 18 of kicks and finished his career with a Brown-record of 46 of 50 throughout his entire career.<ref name=":1" /> At the conclusion of his college football career, he earned honorable mention All-American honors.<ref name=":2" />
With the basketball team, Pattee was described as an "outstanding" player for the freshmen basketball team.<ref name=":0" />
==Coaching career== In 1947, Pattee began his coaching career as the head football and basketball coach for Torrington High School.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=March 31, 1950 |title=Backfield Coach For Stetson Named |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pensacola-news-journal-backfield-coach-f/171154592/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=Pensacola News Journal |pages=11}}</ref> Alongside coaching at Torrington, he also was an instructed at the YMCA in Torrington, Connecticut.<ref name=":3" /> In 1948, he rejoined his old head coach Skip Stahley as the backfield coach for Toledo.<ref>{{Cite news |date=March 14, 1949 |title=Named Line Coach Toledo University |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-tribune-named-line-co/171153586/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Daily Sentinel-Tribune |pages=9}}</ref> In 1950, Pattee joined fellow former Brown teammate Joe McMullen after he was hired as the head coach for Stetson.<ref name=":2" /> In 1951, alongside assisting the football team, Pattee was picked as the head basketball coach.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 14, 1951 |title=Stetson Picks Cage Coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-stetson-picks-cage-coac/171154792/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Miami Herald |pages=41}}</ref> He resigned after one season as basketball coach to work as an insurance agent.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news |date=July 10, 1952 |title=Jay Pattee Named Head Grid Coach at Stetson |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-jay-pattee-named-head/171155062/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Tampa Tribune |pages=23}}</ref>
In 1952, after a highly successful 16–3–2 record in two years under McMullen, McMullen resigned to become the head coach for Washington & Jefferson, leaving Stetson to promote Pattee to the head coaching position.<ref name=":4" /> His first move as head coach was to hire assistant Gene Stauber to coach the line as Pattee opted to remain working directly with the backfield himself.<ref name=":4" /> With Stetson, he aimed to return to the one-platoon system, with seven players playing both ways in his inaugural 1952 season.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last=Burns |first=Jimmy |date=September 15, 1953 |title=No Time for Crying as Jay Pattee Preps Stetson for Tough Foes |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-miami-herald-no-time-for-crying-as-j/171155478/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Miami Herald |pages=33}}</ref> He stated that the one-platoon system would "personalize the game...the spectators will see men block and tackle, not block or tackle. They'll know their players better."<ref name=":5" /> It also allowed for the team to have a smaller roster, letting Pettee pick from a pool of 48 players rather than 100 or more like other schools.<ref name=":5" /> He resigned after two seasons and an overall record of 6–10–3. He recommended his assistant Joe Berry for the position,<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |date=February 25, 1954 |title=Pattee Added To Idaho U. Grid Staff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tampa-tribune-pattee-added-to-idaho/171156447/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Tampa Tribune |pages=23}}</ref> but renowned coach Herb McQuillan ultimately returned for the position.
Following Pettee's resignation from Stetson, he rejoined Stahley again, this time as the backfield coach for Idaho.<ref name=":6" /> He resigned from Idaho after three seasons and retired from coaching altogether.<ref name=":7">{{Cite news |date=February 27, 1957 |title=Jay Pattee Quits Idaho |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian-jay-pattee-quits-idaho/171156972/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Oregonian |pages=25}}</ref>
Pattee was out of coaching briefly as he pursued other business ventures before being hired as the head football coach for Modesto High School.<ref name=":8">{{Cite news |date=June 4, 1957 |title=Jay Pattee Named Head Coach of Modesto High Grid Squad |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/stockton-evening-and-sunday-record-jay-p/171157414/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=Stockton Evening and Sunday Record |pages=18}}</ref> He replaced Don Warhurst who was hired as the head coach for Cal Poly Pomona.<ref name=":8" /> As head coach, he aimed to bring Stahley's offense with him and run the spread offense.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Flynn |first=Bernard |date=July 2, 1957 |title=New MHS Grid Coach May Use Spread T Offense |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-modesto-bee-new-mhs-grid-coach-may-u/171157925/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Modesto Bee |pages=23}}</ref> Pattee coached at Modesto until his death in 1967. He had led the team to a 9–1, 7–0 in conference, and a conference championship.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |date=February 3, 1967 |title=Modesto High Coach, Jay Pattee, Is Dead |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/turlock-journal-modesot-high-coach-jay/171158857/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=Turlock Journal |pages=5}}</ref> The team repeated its success in 1966 before tying Turlock High School in the last game of the season.<ref name=":9" />
==Personal life== Pattee's father, Harry Pattee, played professional baseball for the Brooklyn Superbas.<ref name=":0" /> Pattee served in the United States Navy in 1944 after receiving his bachelor of arts from Brown.<ref name=":2" /> He served as an assistant gunnery officer on the USS Strong (DD-758) before working as a transportation officer at the Boston Navy Yard in Charlestown, Boston.<ref name=":2" /> He was discharged in 1946.<ref name=":2" />
In 1950, Pattee married Tommy, a woman he had met on a blind date.<ref name=":10">{{Cite news |last=Gandolfo |first=Lu |date=February 3, 1967 |title=Modesto High Football Coach Jay Pattee Dies At Age 45 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-modesto-bee-modesot-high-football-co/171159093/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=The Modesto Bee |pages=15}}</ref>
In 1957, Pattee left coaching to pursue a business venture in turf and lawn for a new chemical solution for soil.<ref name=":11">{{Cite news |date=February 26, 1957 |title=Jay Pattee, Idaho Vandal Gridiron Aide, Resigns |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/spokane-chronicle-jay-pattee-idaho-vand/171158357/ |access-date=April 26, 2025 |work=Spokane Chronicle |pages=11}}</ref> He picked up the business idea from the father of a football player in the Idaho team.<ref name=":11" /> The father, Wade Patterson Sr., backed the product that initially was developed by a man in California.<ref name=":11" />
Pattee died on February 2, 1967, at 45 years old.<ref name=":9" /> Prior to his death he was playing handball at the Sportsmen at the Stanislaus clubhouse in Modesto, California.<ref name=":9" /> He had collapsed after being hit in the head with the ball and never regained consciousness,<ref name=":10" /> he was pronounced dead at 4:30 p.m. at a nearby hospital in Ceres, California.<ref name=":9" /> His cause of death was officially ruled as a stroke. He was survived by his wife and 15-year old daughter, who attended Modesto High School.<ref name=":10" />
==Head coaching record== ===College football=== {{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Stetson Hatters | conf = Independent | startyear = 1952 | endyear = 1953 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1952 | name = Stetson | overall = 3–4–3 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1953 | name = Stetson | overall = 3–6 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Stetson | overall = 6–10–3 | confrecord = }} {{CFB Yearly Record End | overall = 6–10–3 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no }} <ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=NCAA Football Statistics; Coach; Jay Pattee |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/people/18767?sport_code=MFB |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=April 26, 2025 }}</ref>
===College basketball=== {{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | conf = | postseason = | poll = no }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Stetson Hatters | conference = Independent | startyear = 1951 | endyear = 1952 }} {{CBB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | season = 1951–52 | name = Stetson | overall = 16–4 | conference = | confstanding = | postseason = }} {{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Stetson | overall = 16–4 | confrecord = }} {{CBB Yearly Record End | overall = 16–4 | legend = no }} <ref>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=NCAA Basketball Statistics; Coach; Jay Pattee |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/people/18767?sport_code=MBB |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=April 26, 2025 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Find a Grave}}
{{Brown Bears quarterback navbox}} {{Stetson Hatters men's basketball coach navbox}} {{Stetson Hatters football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pattee, Jay}} Category:1921 births Category:1967 deaths Category:American football placekickers Category:American football quarterbacks Category:Guards (basketball) Category:Brown Bears baseball players Category:Brown Bears football players Category:Brown Bears men's basketball players Category:Idaho Vandals football coaches Category:Stetson Hatters football coaches Category:Stetson Hatters men's basketball coaches Category:Toledo Rockets football coaches Category:High school basketball coaches in Connecticut Category:High school football coaches in California Category:High school football coaches in Connecticut Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II Category:Baseball players from Massachusetts Category:Basketball coaches from Massachusetts Category:Basketball players from Massachusetts Category:Coaches of American football from Massachusetts Category:Players of American football from Massachusetts Category:Military personnel from Massachusetts