Reginald D. Root

{{Short description|American football and lacrosse coach}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Reginald D. Root

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1924–1925

| player_team1 = Yale

| coach_sport1 = Men's lacrosse

| coach_years2 = 1929–1931
1936–1943

| coach_team2 = Yale

| coach_sport3 = Football

| coach_years4 = 1929–1930

| coach_team4 = UNAM

| coach_years5 = 1933

| coach_team5 = Yale

| coach_years6 = 1941

| coach_team6 = Yale (assistant)

| overall_record = 42–27–1 (men's lacrosse)
4–4 (football)

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Reginald D. Root was an American football and men's lacrosse coach at Yale University.

A native of Le Roy, New York, Root graduated from Yale in 1926. He was "one of the best lacrosse players ever turned out by Yale" and played college football for the Bulldogs from as a backup tackle in 1924 and 1925.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-wichita-eagle-root-is-selected-as-he/167771756/|title=Root is Selected as Head Football Mentor for Yale|work=The Wichita Eagle|agency=Associated Press|date=December 29, 1932|access-date=March 11, 2025|page=6|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}

In 1929, Root was named the head coach at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, even meeting the President of Mexico, Emilio Portes Gil, to discuss the sport.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-le-roy-athlete-is-named/167720976/|title=Le Roy Athlete is Named Grid Coach: Reginald D. Root of Yale Accepts Job in Mexico|work=Buffalo Evening News|date=July 27, 1929|access-date=March 11, 2025|page=22|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-charlotte-news-president-portes-gill/167721006/|title=President Portes Gill [sic], Of Mexico, Supports Football|work=The Charlotte News|agency=Associated Press|date=August 30, 1929|access-date=March 11, 2025|page=20|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} His team played against Mississippi College in 1929 and 1930.{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-times-another-eli-athlete-to/167721165/|title=Another Eli Athlete To Coach at Mexico|first=Arthur|last=Constantine|work=Buffalo Times|agency=International News Service|date=April 9, 1933|access-date=March 11, 2025|page=3D|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} Root developed a strong forward pass attack, completing a school-record 23 passes in their 1929 matchup against Mississippi College, and mixed English and Spanish expletives into his pep talks. When Dwight Morrow, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, attended a team practice, he walked off the field with the remark: "Did he learn all those cuss words at Yale?"{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal-mexicans-pull-for-ro/167721243/|title=Mexicans Pull For Root and Eli Team|work=The Atlanta Journal|agency=Associated Press|date=November 5, 1933|access-date=March 11, 2025|page=B4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}} After two seasons with the team, Root returned to Yale as an assistant freshman and junior varsity coach in 1931 and 1932. He succeeded Mal Stevens as Yale head coach for the 1933 season. In his lone season at the helm, Root compiled a record of 4–4.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/coaches/reginald-root-1.html|title=Reginald Root Coaching Record - College Football at Sports-Reference.com|website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com}}

Root also served as the Yale men's lacrosse coach for two stints, first during the 1929–1930 to 1930–1931 seasons and later during the 1936–1937 to 1942–1943 seasons while compiling a record of 42–27–1.{{Cite web |url=https://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/m-lacros/2016-17/files/Year_by_Year_Results_through_2016.doc |title=Archived copy |access-date=2018-10-02 |archive-date=2018-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180714012233/http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/m-lacros/2016-17/files/Year_by_Year_Results_through_2016.doc |url-status=dead }}