Alvin Pierson

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1898–1974)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Alvin Pierson

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = 1898

| birth_place = Carthage, South Dakota, U.S.

| death_date = 1974

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1919–1920

| player_team1 = California

| player_years2 = 1920–1921

| player_team2 = Nevada

| player_positions = Tackle, guard

| coach_years1 = 1925–1926

| coach_team1 = Colorado Mines (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1927–1932

| coach_team2 = Florida (assistant)

| coach_years3 = 1933–1940

| coach_team3 = Tampa (assistant)

| coach_years4 = 1941–1944

| coach_team4 = Fresno State (assistant)

| coach_years5 = 1945

| coach_team5 = Fresno State

| coach_years6 = 1949

| coach_team6 = Fresno State

| overall_record = 7–14–2

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Alvin Peter "Pix" Pierson (1898 – 1974) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—in 1945 and again in 1949, compiling a record of 7–14–2.

Early life

Pierson was born in 1898 in Carthage, South Dakota. He family moved to Sacramento, California in 1901 and later Modesto and Turlock. Pierson graduated from Turlock High School.{{cite news |last=Orman |first=Ed |title=Pix Pierson, Line Coach On FSC's Finest Teams, Is Back In Leading Role |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/8739574/the_fresno_bee_the_republican/ |newspaper=The Fresno Bee |location=Fresno, California |date=September 16, 1945 |page=16 |access-date=February 3, 2017 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

College

Pierson played tackle on the freshman squad for Pomona College in 1917. He suffered a severe concussion during a game against Pomona High School on October 13, 1917. Pierson played for coach Andy Smith's California Golden Bears football "wonder teams" of the early 1920s.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3023610/dixon_evening_telegraph/|title=Florida's Team of Stars Shines In South Field|page=9|accessdate=August 16, 2015|work=Dixon Evening Telegraph|date=November 23, 1928|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} He then played for the Nevada Wolfpack.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/artemisiayearboo1922univ#page/158/mode/2up/search/pierson|title=Artemisia [yearbook], 1922|year=1922|publisher=Associated Students of the University of Nevada}}

Coaching career

=Florida=

Pierson was an assistant for coaches Tom Sebring and Charlie Bachman for the Florida Gators of the University of Florida, part of the staff on its 1928 team.

=Tampa=

Pierson assisted fellow former Florida assistant Nash Higgins when he became head coach of the Tampa Spartans.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=950&dat=19391104&id=QuFPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xVQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6521,6231396&hl=en|work=The Evening Independent|title='Wrong Down' Highlight of Tie at Tampa|date=November 4, 1939}}

=Fresno State=

Pierson was hired as head coach of Fresno State.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3024229/tucson_daily_citizen/|work=Tucson Daily Citizen|date=January 5, 1949|page=11|accessdate=August 16, 2015|via=Newspapers.com|title=Fresno Bulldogs Name New Mentor}} {{Open access}}