Rufus Gilbert

{{Short description|American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach (1884–1962)}} {{for|the American surgeon and inventor|Rufus Henry Gilbert}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox college coach | name = Rufus Gilbert | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date|1884|12|8}} | birth_place = Warren, Minnesota, U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1962|5|29|1884|12|8}} | death_place = Grand Junction, Colorado, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_sport1 = Baseball | player_years2 = 1908–1910 | player_team2 = Peoria Distillers | player_years3 = 1912 | player_team3 = Springfield Reapers | player_years4 = 1912 | player_team4 = Zanesville Potters | player_years5 = 1913 | player_team5 = Denver Bears | player_years6 = 1913 | player_team6 = Terre Haute Terre-iers | player_years7 = 1914 | player_team7 = Toronto Maple Leafs | player_years8 = 1914 | player_team8 = Jersey City Skeeters | player_years9 = 1915–1916 | player_team9 = Terre Haute Highlanders | player_years10 = 1917 | player_team10 = Richmond Quakers | player_years11 = 1921–1922 | player_team11 = Portland Beavers | player_positions = First baseman, outfielder, pitcher | coach_sport1 = Football | coach_years2 = 1905 | coach_team2 = Kalamazoo | coach_years3 = 1907–1908 | coach_team3 = Kalamazoo | coach_years4 = 1909–1911 | coach_team4 = Bradley | coach_years5 = 1915 | coach_team5 = Rose Polytechnic | coach_years6 = 1917–1920 | coach_team6 = Rose Polytechnic | coach_sport7 = Basketball | coach_years8 = 1913–1921 | coach_team8 = Rose Polytechnic | coach_sport9 = Baseball | coach_years10 = 1915–1916 | coach_team10 = Terre Haute Highlanders | coach_years11 = {{circa|1920}} | coach_team11 = Rose Polytechnic | coach_sport12 = Track and field | coach_years13 = {{circa|1920}} | coach_team13 = Rose Polytechnic | admin_years1 = 1917–1921 | admin_team1 = Rose Polytechnic | overall_record = 27–53–4 (football)<br>39–67 (basketball) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = | coaching_records = }} '''Rufus W.''' "'''Lefty'''" '''Gilbert''' (December 8, 1884 – May 29, 1962)<ref name=BR>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gilber001ruf|title=Rufus Gilbert Minor League Statistics & History|accessdate=July 14, 2019|publisher=Baseball Reference}}</ref> was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Kalamazoo College in 1905 and from 1907 to 1908), Bradley Polytechnic Institute (now known as Bradley University) from 1909 to 1911, and at Rose Polytechnic Institute (now known as Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology) in 1915 and from 1917 to 1920). Gilbert was also the head basketball coach at Rose Polytechnic from 1913 to 1921, tallying a mark of 39–67. His son, Louis, played college football at the University of Michigan from 1925 to 1927.

Gilbert played high school baseball in Kalamazoo, Michigan.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=To Northern League |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-kalamazoo-gazette/187191894/ |newspaper=Kalamazoo Gazette |location=Kalamazoo, Michigan |date=May 6, 1904 |page=5 |access-date=December 20, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref> He was appointed as the athletic director at Rose Polytechnic in 1917, and given charge of the football, basketball, baseball, and track teams.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title="Lefty" Gilbert Rose Poly Athletic Director |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/evansville-courier-and-press/187188606/ |newspaper=The Evansville Courier |location=Evansville, Indiana |date=January 12, 1917 |page=1 |access-date=December 20, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref>

Gilbert was later a geologist. He moved to Grand Junction, Colorado in 1946. He died on May 29, 1962, at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction.<ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Rufus W. Gilbert |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-sentinel-obituary-for-rufus-wi/187191262/ |newspaper=The Daily Sentinel |location=Grand Junction, Colorado |date=June 1, 1962 |page=9 |access-date=December 20, 2025 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}</ref>

==Head coaching record== {{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Kalamazoo | conf = Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | startyear = 1905 | endyear = single }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1905 | name = Kalamazoo | overall = 3–6 | conference = 3–3 | confstanding = T–3rd | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Kalamazoo | conf = Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association | startyear = 1907 | endyear = 1908 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1907 | name = Kalamazoo | overall = 0–6 | conference = 0–5 | confstanding = 5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1908 | name = Kalamazoo | overall = 2–7–1 | conference = 0–4–1 | confstanding = 5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Kalamazoo | overall = 5–19–1 | confrecord = 3–12–1 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Bradley Indians | conf = Independent | startyear = 1909 | endyear = 1911 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1909 | name = Bradley | overall = 1–4–2 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1910 | name = Bradley | overall = 5–4 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1911 | name = Bradley | overall = 1–6 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Bradley | overall = 7–14–2 | confrecord = }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Rose Polytechnic | conf = Independent | startyear = 1915 | endyear = single }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1915 | name = Rose Polytechnic | overall = 4–4 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subhead | name = Rose Polytechnic | conf = Independent | startyear = 1917 | endyear = 1920 }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1917 | name = Rose Polytechnic | overall = 6–4 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1918 | name = Rose Polytechnic | overall = 0–2–1 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1919 | name = Rose Polytechnic | overall = 3–4 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Entry | championship = | year = 1920 | name = Rose Polytechnic | overall = 2–6 | conference = | confstanding = | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no }} {{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal | name = Kalamazoo | overall = 15–20–1 | confrecord = }} {{CFB Yearly Record End | overall = 27–53–4 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no }} <ref>{{cite web |author= |title=NCAA Statistics; Coach; Rufus Gilbert; Football |url=https://stats.ncaa.org/people/26494?sport_code=MFB |publisher=National Collegiate Athletic Association |access-date=December 20, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |title=Kalamazoo College Football Year-by-Year |url=https://hornets.kzoo.edu/sports/2024/7/23/fball-year-by-year.aspx |publisher=Kalamazoo College |access-date=December 20, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author= |title=Football Head Coaching Year-by-Year Records |url=https://athletics.rose-hulman.edu/sports/football/coaches/year |publisher=Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Athletics |access-date=December 20, 2025 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{Baseballstats}}

{{Kalamazoo Hornets football coach navbox}} {{Bradley Braves football coach navbox}} {{Rose-Hulman Fightin' Engineers football coach navbox}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilbert, Rufus}} Category:1884 births Category:1962 deaths Category:Baseball first basemen Category:Baseball outfielders Category:Baseball pitchers Category:Bradley Braves football coaches Category:Denver Bears players Category:Jersey City Skeeters players Category:Kalamazoo Hornets football coaches Category:Minor league baseball managers Category:Rose–Hulman Fightin' Engineers athletic directors Category:Rose–Hulman Fightin' Engineers baseball coaches Category:Rose–Hulman Fightin' Engineers football coaches Category:Rose–Hulman Fightin' Engineers men's basketball coaches Category:Peoria Distillers players Category:Portland Beavers players Category:Richmond Quakers players Category:Springfield Reapers players Category:Terre Haute Highlanders players Category:Terre Haute Terre-iers players Category:Zanesville Potters players Category:College track and field coaches in Indiana Category:People from Warren, Minnesota Category:Baseball players from Kalamazoo, Michigan Category:Coaches of American football from Michigan Category:Baseball coaches from Michigan Category:Basketball coaches from Michigan Category:Long stubs with short prose