Spud Harder

Spud Harder

Biographical details
Born	(1906-03-07)March 7, 1906
Died	February 13, 1994(1994-02-13) (aged 87)
Playing career
Football
1926–1928	Stanford
Position(s)	End
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1929–1933	Bakersfield
1934–1940	Santa Barbara State
Baseball
1935–1948	Santa Barbara State / Santa Barbara
1950–1951	Santa Barbara
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1949–1956	Santa Barbara
Head coaching record
Overall	33–27–6 (college football) 32–9–5 (junior college football)

Theodore "Spud" Harder (March 7, 1906 – February 13, 1994) was an American football and baseball coach and college athletic director. He served as the head football coach at Santa Barbara State College—now known as the University of California, Santa Barbara—from 1934 to 1940, compiling a record of 33–27–6. Harder was also the head baseball coach at Santa Barbara from 1935 to 1948 and again from 1950 to 1951. He was the school's athletic director from 1949 to 1956. Harder Stadium on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, California was named his honor in 1981.

A native of Bakersfield, California, Harder graduated from Bakersfield High School in 1925. He played college football as an end at Stanford University under head coach Pop Warner from 1926 to 1928. Harder began his coaching career in 1929 at Bakersfield Junior College—now known as Bakersfield College.[1][2][3]

Head coaching record

College football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Santa Barbara State Roadrunners/Gauchos (Southern California Conference) (1934–1937)
1934	Santa Barbara State	2–5–1	0–4	6th
1935	Santa Barbara State	5–2–2	2–2–1	T–3rd
1936	Santa Barbara State	9–1	4–1	2nd
1937	Santa Barbara State	5–2–2	3–1–1	2nd
Santa Barbara State Gauchos (Independent) (1938)
1938	Santa Barbara State	2–8
Santa Barbara State Gauchos (California Collegiate Athletic Association) (1939–1940)
1939	Santa Barbara State	5–4–1	1–2	3rd
1940	Santa Barbara State	5–5	0–3	4th
Santa Barbara State:		33–27–6	10–13–2
Total:		33–27–6

References

1. "'Spud' Harder Will Coach J. C. Team". Oakland Tribune. Oakland, California. June 25, 1929. p. 37. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
2. "'Spud' Harder Gets Grid Job". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Associated Press. April 4, 1934. p. 27. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
3. "Harder To Direct Staints P. E. Work". The Bakersfield Californian. Bakersfield, California. August 12, 1941. p. 11. Retrieved April 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .

External links

• Spud Harder at Find a Grave