:Ira Van Cleave
{{Short description|American football and baseball coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Ira Van Cleave
| image = Ira Van Cleave.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Van Cleave pictured in Reveille 1914, Fort Hays yearbook
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1888|7|30}}
| birth_place = Peoria, Iowa, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1943|5|29|1888|7|30}}
| death_place = Pomona, California, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_sport1 = Baseball
| player_years2 = 1910–1912
| player_team2 = Springfield
| coach_sport1 = Football
| coach_years2 = 1912–1914
| coach_team2 = Hays Normal
| coach_years3 = 1917–1919
| coach_team3 = Whittier
| coach_years4 = 1920–1925
| coach_team4 = Pomona HS (CA)
| coach_years5 = 1927
| coach_team5 = La Verne (freshmen)
| coach_years6 = 1928–1929
| coach_team6 = La Verne
| coach_sport7 = Basketball
| coach_years8 = 1912–1915
| coach_team8 = Hays Normal
| coach_years9 = 1917–1920
| coach_team9 = Whittier
| coach_years10 = 1920–1926
| coach_team10 = Pomona HS (CA)
| coach_years11 = 1927–1930
| coach_team11 = La Verne
| coach_sport12 = Baseball
| coach_years13 = 1917–1920
| coach_team13 = Whittier
| coach_years14 = 1921–1926
| coach_team14 = Pomona HS (CA)
| coach_years15 = 1928–?
| coach_team15 = La Verne (freshmen)
| coach_sport16 = Track
| coach_years17 = 1920–1926
| coach_team17 = Pomona HS (CA)
| coach_years18 = 1927–?
| coach_team18 = La Verne
| admin_years1 = 1912–1915
| admin_team1 = Hays Normal
| admin_years2 = 1928–1930
| admin_team2 = La Verne
| overall_record = 11–25–1 (college football)
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Ira Harlan "Sphinx" Van Cleave (July 30, 1888 – May 29, 1943) was an American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field coach, athletics administrator, and physical education instructor. He served as the head football coach at Fort Hays Kansas State Normal School—now known as Fort Hays State University—in Hays, Kansas from 1912 to 1914, Whittier College in Whittier, California from 1917 to 1919, and La Verne College—now known as the University of La Verne—in La Verne, California from in 1928 to 1929.
Early life and education
Van Cleave was born on July 30, 1888, in Peoria, Iowa. He graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa in 1909 and International YMCA College—now known as Springfield College—in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1912.{{cite news |author= |title=Van Cleave Is Stricken |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pomona-progress-bulletin-obituary-fo/129814069/ |newspaper=The Pomona Progress Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |date=May 31, 1943 |page=3 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
Coaching career
Van Cleave resigned from his position at Hays Normal in the summer of 1915 and moved to California.{{cite news |author= |title=New Faculty Members Added At Hays Normal |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-topeka-daily-capital/129822197/ |newspaper=The Topeka Daily Capital |location=Topeka, Kansas |date=July 22, 1915 |page=3 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} He was hired in 1917 as athletic coach at Whittier College in Whittier, California, succeeding Russell T. Wilson.{{cite news |author= |title=Whittier Officials Select New Coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/los-angeles-evening-express/129814317/ |newspaper=Los Angeles Evening Express |location=Los Angeles, California |date=February 21, 1917 |page=2, section 2 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} Van Cleave left Whittier in 1920 to become the athletic director at Pomona High School in Pomona, California.{{cite news |author= |title=Van Cleave Goes To Pomona High |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-whittier-news/129822701/ |newspaper=The Whittier News |location=Whittier, California |date=June 12, 1920 |page=1 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} He led the Pomona High baseball team to a Citrus Belt League title in 1926.{{cite news |author= |title=Pomona Cardinals Win 1926 Citrus Belt League Pennant |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bulletin/129824038/ |newspaper=The Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |date=May 22, 1926 |page=3 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} In June 1926, the Pomona school board opted to retain Van Cleave at athletic coach, but offered him the position of physical education instructor.{{cite news |author= |title=Archie Nisbet May Be P. H. S. Mentor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pomona-progress-bulletin/129823300/ |newspaper=The Pomana Progress |location=Pomona, California |date=June 10, 1926 |page=11 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
Van Cleave was hired by La Verne College—now known as the University of La Verne—in La Verne, California as varsity basketball and track coach and freshman coach in football and baseball.{{cite news |author= |title=La Verne Signs Van Cleave As Coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pomona-progress-bulletin/129837979/ |newspaper=The Progress-Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |date=May 10, 1927 |page=16 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} He succeeded Claude Arnett as head football coach in 1928.{{cite news |author= |title=Van Cleave Appointed Leopard Coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pomona-progress-bulletin/129838376/ |newspaper=The Progress-Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |date=February 24, 1928 |page=8 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }} Van Cleave resigned as head athletic coach at La Verne in early 1930 and was succeeded by Lee Eisan.{{cite news |author= |title=Eisan Appointed, Accepts As Head Coach At La Verne |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pomona-progress-bulletin/129838740/ |newspaper=The Progress-Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |date=January 31, 1930 |page=8 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |author= |title=Eisan Coach (continued) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pomona-progress-bulletin/129838878/ |newspaper=The Progress-Bulletin |location=Pomona, California |date=January 31, 1930 |page=9 |access-date=August 11, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
Death
Van Cleave died on May 29, 1943, at Pomona Valley Community Hospital in Pomona, California.
Head coaching record
=College football=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Hays Normal
| conf = Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
| startyear = 1912
| endyear = 1914
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1912
| name = Hays Normal
| overall = 1–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1913
| name = Hays Normal
| overall = 4–2
| conference = 0–1
| confstanding = 12th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1914
| name = Hays Normal
| overall = 5–2
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Fort Hays State
| overall = 10–5
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Whittier Poets
| conf = Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
| startyear = 1917
| endyear = 1920
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1917
| name = Whittier
| overall = 1–4
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1918
| name = Whittier
| overall = 0–0–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1919
| name = Whittier
| overall = 0–5
| conference = 0–4
| confstanding = 5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Whittier
| overall = 1–9–1
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = La Verne Leopards
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1928
| endyear = 1929
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1928
| name = La Verne
| overall = 0–6
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1929
| name = La Verne
| overall = 0–5
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = La Verne
| overall = 0–11
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 11–25–1
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Find a Grave}}
{{Fort Hays State Tigers football coach navbox}}
{{Whittier Poets football coach navbox}}
{{La Verne Leopards football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Cleave, Ira}}
Category:Fort Hays State Tigers athletic directors
Category:Fort Hays State Tigers football coaches
Category:Fort Hays State Tigers men's basketball coaches
Category:La Verne Leopards athletic directors
Category:La Verne Leopards baseball coaches
Category:La Verne Leopards football coaches
Category:La Verne Leopards men's basketball coaches
Category:Springfield Pride baseball players
Category:Whittier Poets baseball coaches
Category:Whittier Poets football coaches
Category:Whittier Poets men's basketball coaches
Category:College track and field coaches in California
Category:High school baseball coaches in the United States
Category:High school basketball coaches in California
Category:High school football coaches in California
Category:High school track and field coaches in the United States
Category:People from Mahaska County, Iowa
Category:Coaches of American football from Iowa
Category:Baseball coaches from Iowa
Category:Baseball players from Iowa
Category:Basketball coaches from Iowa