Lew Elverson

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Lew Elverson

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1912|11|13}}

| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|5|1|1912|11|13}}

| death_place = Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_sport1 = Football

| player_years2 = 1934–1936

| player_team2 = Penn

| player_positions = Quarterback, halfback

| coach_sport1 = Football

| coach_years2 = 1937

| coach_team2 = Swarthmore (freshmen)

| coach_years3 = 1938–1941

| coach_team3 = Swarthmore

| coach_years4 = 1943–1944

| coach_team4 = Atlantic City NAS

| coach_years5 = 1946–1972

| coach_team5 = Swarthmore

| coach_years6 = 1974

| coach_team6 = Swarthmore

| coach_sport7 = Track and field

| coach_years8 = 1951–1978

| coach_team8 = Swarthmore

| overall_record = 102–135–7 (football)

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships = Football
2 MAC Southern College Division (1965–1966)

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Lewis Henry Elverson (November 13, 1912 – May 1, 1997) was an American college football player and coach, track and field coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Pennsylvania from 1934 to 1936 and was the head football coach at Swarthmore College for 32 seasons over three stints, starting in 1938 and ending in 1974.

Early years

Elverson attended Toms River High School in Toms River, New Jersey, where he competed for the baseball, basketball, football, and track teams. He also attended the Hun School of Princeton where competed for the football and rowing teams.

Elverson moved on to the University of Pennsylvania, where he played college football at the quarterback and halfback positions for the Penn Quakers from 1934 to 1936 and was captain of the 1936 team that compiled a 7–1 record and was ranked No. 10 in the final AP Poll. He was a member of Penn's "Destiny Backfield" during those years.

Coaching career

Elverson was hired as the freshman football coach at Swarthmore College in August 1937.{{cite news|title=Elverson Named Coach at Swarthmore College|newspaper=Lancaster Daily Intelligencer Journal|date=August 20, 1937|page=28|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118497642/elverson-named-coach-at-swarthmore/|via=Newspapers.com}} In May 1938, he was promoted to head football coach at Swarthmore.{{cite news|title=Elverson Gridiron Coach: Former Penn Halfback Named Swarthmore Head Mentor|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 19, 1938|page=28|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1938/05/19/archives/elverson-gridiron-coach-former-penn-halfback-named-swarthmore-head.html}} In 1939, he led Swarthmore to the first undefeated season in school history.{{cite news|title=Swarthmore Grid Coach Is Seeking New Position|newspaper=The News Journal|date=December 23, 1939|page=16|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118498542/swarthmore-grid-coach-is-seeking-new/|via=Newspapers.com}}

His career at Swarthmore was interrupted by service as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1945. During the war, he coached the Atlantic City Naval Air Station football team in 1943 and 1944.{{cite news|title=Willow Grove Team Shifted To Resort|newspaper=Courier-Post|date=October 16, 1943|page=20|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118499489/willow-grove-team-shifted-to-resort/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Injury Shelves Villanova Star|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=October 17, 1944|page=21|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118499237/injury-shelves-villanova-star/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Elverson returned to Swarthmore after the war and served as the school's head football coach for a total of 32 seasons, ending with the 1972 and 1974 seasons.{{cite news|title=Winning Not Everything to Elverson: Swarthmore Fans Chuckle|newspaper=Asbury Park Press|date=November 6, 1975|page=42|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118497061/winning-not-everything-to-elverson/|via=Newspapers.com}} He compiled a record of 96–130–7 as Swarthmore's head football coach.

Elverson served as the coach of Swarthmore's track team from 1951 to 1978 and for several years as the school's athletic director. He was also a professor of physical education at the college.

Later years

Elverson died from congestive heart failure, on May 1, 1997, at Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.{{cite news|title=Lew Elverson, 84, winning college coach|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|author=Andy Wallace|date=May 3, 1997|page=B4|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118496443/lew-elverson-84-winning-college-coach/|via=Newspapers.com}}

Head coaching record

=Football=

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Swarthmore Garnet Tide

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1938

| endyear = 1941

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1938

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 5–1–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1939

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 6–0–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1940

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 5–2

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1941

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 3–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Atlantic City Naval Air Station Hellcats/Corsairs

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1942

| endyear = 1943

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1943

| name = Atlantic City NAS

| overall = 1–3{{#tag:ref|Ducky Pond began the 1943 season as head coach of the Willow Grove Naval Air Station team. In October, after the Hellcats' first game, the entire team, aside from Pond, was transferred from Willow Grove Naval Air Station to Atlantic City Naval Air Station. Elverson was elevated to head coach after the transfer. The team finished the season with an overall record of 2–3.{{cite news |author= |title=Willow Grove Team Shifted To Resort |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-post/123779168/ |newspaper=The Morning Post |location=Camden, New Jersey |date=October 16, 1943 |page=20 |access-date=April 30, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}|group=n}}

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1944

| name = Atlantic City NAS

| overall = 5–2

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Atlantic City NAS

| overall = 6–5

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Swarthmore Garnet Tide

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1946

| endyear = 1957

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1946

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 5–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1947

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 4–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1948

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 2–4–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1949

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 2–5–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1950

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 1–6

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1951

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 2–5

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1952

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 3–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1953

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 4–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1954

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 3–3–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1955

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 2–6

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1956

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 3–3–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1957

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 3–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Swarthmore Garnet Tide

| conf = Middle Atlantic Conference

| startyear = 1958

| endyear = 1972

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1958

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 1–7

| conference = 1–4

| confstanding = T–4th (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1959

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 2–5

| conference = 1–3

| confstanding = NA (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1960

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 2–5

| conference = 2–3

| confstanding = 5th (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1961

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 5–2

| conference = 4–2

| confstanding = T–2nd (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1962

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 5–2

| conference = 4–2

| confstanding = T–3rd (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1963

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 4–3

| conference = 4–2

| confstanding = 4th (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1964

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 3–4

| conference = 3–3

| confstanding = T–4th (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = division

| year = 1965

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 6–1

| conference = 6–0

| confstanding = 1st (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = division

| year = 1966

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 6–0–1

| conference = 6–0–1

| confstanding = 1st (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1967

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 3–5

| conference = 3–5

| confstanding = T–4th (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1968

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 1–7

| conference = 1–6

| confstanding = T–8th (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1969

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 3–5

| conference = 3–5

| confstanding = 8th (Southern College)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1970

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 2–6

| conference = 2–6

| confstanding = 10th (Southern)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1971

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 0–8

| conference = 0–8

| confstanding = 11th (Southern)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1972

| name = Swarthmore

| overall = 0–7

| conference = 1–7{{#tag:ref|Swarthmore received a forfeit win from {{cfb link|year=1972|team=Haverford Fords|title=Haverford}}, which counted in the conference standings, but not toward the team's overall record.{{cite news |author= |title=MAC Standings |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41322183/lebanon_daily_news/ |newspaper=Lebanon Daily News |location=Lebanon, Pennsylvania |date=November 29, 1972 |page=50 |access-date=December 30, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

|group=n|name=1972season}}

| confstanding = 9th (Southern)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Swarthmore Garnet Tide

| conf = Middle Atlantic Conference

| startyear = 1974