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Denny Douds Manuscript Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MS. 13

Scope and Contents

The Denny Douds Manuscript Collection consists of documents and artifacts relating to Douds' storied career as ESU's men's football coach from 1966 to his retirement in 2018. Included in the collection are Douds’ football binders, playbooks, correspondence, news clippings, photographs, awards, handwritten notes, and AV material. In addition, more general ESU football and athletic information is present in the collection.

Dates

  • Creation: 1968 - 2014

Biographical / Historical

Denny Douds is ESU's most decorated football coach, having coached the team to great success over the course of his long tenure, which began in 1966 and culminated in his retirement in 2018. Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Douds' played collegiate football at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1963. He began his coaching career at ESU as an assistant coach, working his way up to head coach in 1974. Soon after his promotion, Doud's proved his coaching acumen by leading the team to consecutive undefeated seasons in 1975 and 1976, later winning the Lambert Cup in 1982, awarded to the top Division II football team in the East. Over the course of his long career, Douds' was 230 games, becoming the winningest coach in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) history. As of 2018, his 230 career wins ranked as the 11th most wins among active football coaches across all NCAA and NAIA divisions. In addition to his role as football coach, Douds was an assistant professor of sports studies. Douds received numerous accolades and awards over his coaching tenure, including Kodak College Division Coach of the Year in 1975, 1976, and 1982, as well as the PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year in 1976, 1982, and 2002. Douds was inducted into the ESU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999, in addition to being named to the Slippery Rock University Hall of Fame, the Indiana County Hall of Fame, and the Northeast Pennsylvania Athletic Hall of Fame. Doud's career as ESU coach ended dramatically on October 27, 2018. During the final seconds of ESU's loss to Ohio Dominican, Douds' walked off the field, retiring as the clock ran out.

Extent

3 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

The Denny Douds Manuscript Collection is divided into three series. Series I, arranged alphabetically, includes Douds' documents relating to his time as ESU football coach, including his personal binders, handwritten notebooks, play sheets, coaching materials, and player's handbooks. Series II, also arranged alphabetically, includes Douds' photographs, news clippings, awards, correspondence, ESU letterhead, ESU ID, and AV material. Series III includes a football tee, footballs signed by ESU football teams, and various ESU apparel.

Title
Denny Douds Manuscript Collection
Status
Completed
Author
Willow Tomkovicz
Date
6/3/2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
East Stroudsburg University
200 Prospect Street
Kemp Library
East Stroudsburg PA 18301
570-422-3594