Wally Marks

{{short description|American football, basketball, baseball player, coach, and administrator}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Wally Marks

| image = Walter E. Marks.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1905|2|16}}

| birth_place = Ottumwa, Iowa, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|11|24|1905|2|16}}

| death_place = Terre Haute, Indiana, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1924–1927

| player_team1 = Chicago

| player_positions = Fullback, halfback (football)
Guard (basketball)
Pitcher, outfielder (baseball)

| coach_sport1 = Football

| coach_years2 = 1927–1930

| coach_team2 = Indiana State

| coach_years3 = 1930–1932

| coach_team3 = Indiana (assistant)

| coach_years4 = 1933–1941

| coach_team4 = Indiana State

| coach_years5 = 1945

| coach_team5 = Personnel Distribution Command

| coach_years6 = 1946–1948

| coach_team6 = Indiana State

| coach_sport7 = Basketball

| coach_years8 = 1927–1931

| coach_team8 = Indiana State

| coach_years9 = 1933–1938

| coach_team9 = Indiana State

| coach_sport10 = Baseball

| coach_years11 = 1929–1931

| coach_team11 = Indiana State

| coach_years12 = 1934–1937

| coach_team12 = Indiana State

| coach_years13 = 1942

| coach_team13 = Indiana State

| coach_years14 = 1946–1947

| coach_team14 = Indiana State

| coach_years15 = 1949–1955

| coach_team15 = Indiana State

| admin_years1 = 1948

| admin_team1 = Indiana State (interim AD)

| overall_record = 68–58–8 (football)
90–58 (basketball)
108–81–1 (baseball)

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships = Baseball
4 IIC (1930, 1946–1947, 1949)

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Walter E. Marks (February 16, 1905 – November 24, 1992) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, college athletics administrator, sports official, and university instructor. Marks played football, basketball, and baseball at the University of Chicago. Between 1927 and 1955 he served as the head football, basketball, baseball, and golf coach at Indiana State University, with hiatuses from 1930 to 1931, when he earned a master's degree at Indiana University, and from 1942 to 1945, when he served in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Marks was best known for his football and baseball coaching career(s); though his tenure as basketball coach was highlighted by the Sycamores' run to the semifinals of the 1936 U.S. Olympic Trials.

Marks also served as the Indiana State's athletic director. In total, Marks spent 44 years at Indiana State rising from instructor to the Dean of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, now known as the College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services. He held two degrees from the University of Chicago, a BA and a PhD, and three from Indiana University, an MA, a doctorate in physical education, and a doctorate of education. At his retirement in 1971, Indiana State's home track and field venue was dedicated in his honor. Marks reached the rank of major in the United States Army Air Forces and spent 44 months in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

Playing career

At the University of Chicago, Marks was an outstanding athlete. A three-sport performer, he earned a total of eight varsity letters in football, basketball, and baseball, was an ROTC Cadet Major, and held membership in several honorary fraternities. He played varsity football for three years under the Maroons' coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg. As a sophomore, he played fullback for Chicago's last Big Ten Conference football championship team in 1924. He was a regular halfback on the 1925 and 1926 Maroon teams and captained the 1926 team. For two years, he was a regular starting guard on the Maroons' basketball team. As a pitcher and an outfielder, he played on Chicago's baseball team for three years and had a .399 batting average as a sophomore. Marks also played professional baseball. While pitching for Terre Haute of the Three-I League, he defeated Carl Hubbell of Decatur in a 17-inning masterpiece.{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=marks-008---|title = Wally Marks Minor Leagues Statistics & History}}

Coaching career

=Football=

Marked finished his career as the leader in wins (he currently stands at #2). His 1933 team finished at 7–1 record. This record still ranks as the second best in the school's history; trailing Coach Jerry Huntsman's 1968 team (9–1). His homecoming record was 8–5.

=Basketball=

He finished his career as the leader in wins (he currently stands at #7). Led the Sycamores to a semifinal finish in the 1936 U.S. Olympic Trials. His 1929–30 team finished at 16–2; it still ranks among the finest season performances of any ISU team with its .888 winning percentage.

=Baseball=

He finished his career as the leader in wins (he currently stands at #4). He led the Sycamores to Indiana Intercollegiate Conference titles in 1930, 1946, 1947 and 1949.

=Golf=

He coached the Indiana State Men's golf team for nine seasons (1957-1965); his final club, the 1965 team won the Indiana Collegiate Conference title.

Officiating and military athletics instruction

Marks was a Big Ten Conference official for 20 years with tenures of eight years in basketball and 16 years in football. He officiated the 1960 Rose Bowl and retired at the close of the 1964 football season. In 1954, and again in 1960, he was named by the Big Ten and the United States Department of Defense as a member of an instructional staff presenting football officiating clinics for United States military personnel in Germany.

Honors

Indiana Football Hall of Fame (1974)
Indiana State University Hall of Fame (1982){{Cite web|url=http://www.gosycamores.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=15200&KEY=&ATCLID=3714314&SPID=10510&SPSID=107080|title = Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame Class List}}

Head coaching record

=Football=

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

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Indiana State Sycamores

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1927

| endyear = 1930

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1927

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 4–2–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1928

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 4–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1929

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 5–2–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1930

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 5–3–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Indiana State Sycamores

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1933

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1933

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 7–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Indiana State Sycamores

| conf = Indiana Intercollegiate Conference

| startyear = 1934

| endyear = 1941

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1934

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 3–5

| conference = 3–3

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1935

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 5–3

| conference = 4–1

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1936

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 2–3–2

| conference = 2–0–1

| confstanding = 2nd

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1937

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 1–7

| conference = 1–4

| confstanding = T–12th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1938

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 1–7

| conference = 1–4

| confstanding = 11th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1939

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 2–6

| conference = 0–3

| confstanding = 14th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1940

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 5–1–2

| conference = 2–1

| confstanding = T–6th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1941

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 5–2–1

| conference = 2–1–1

| confstanding = T–7th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Personnel Distribution Command Comets

| conf = Army Air Forces League

| startyear = 1945

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1945

| name = Personnel Distribution Command

| overall = 6–2{{#tag:ref|Ted Shipkey served as head coach of the Personnel Distribution Command Comets for the first three games of the 1945 season, until his discharge from the military. He was succeeded by Marks, who led the team for the remainder of the year. The Comets finished the season with an overall record of 6–5 and a mark of 2–4 league play.{{cite news |author= |title=Louisville AAF Coaches Shifted |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121747345/the-evening-news/ |newspaper=The Evening News |location=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |date=October 5, 1945 |page=19 |access-date=March 27, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Goodale |first=George |title=Who's Kicking Who—Gremlins or Flyers |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121705427/the-tennessean/ |newspaper=The Nashville Tennessean |location=Nashville, Tennessee |date=December 5, 1945 |page=15 |access-date=March 27, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}|group=n|name=1945season}}

| conference = 2–2

| confstanding = 6th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Personnel Distribution Command

| overall = 6–2

| confrecord = 2–2

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Indiana State Sycamores

| conf = Indiana Intercollegiate Conference

| startyear = 1946

| endyear = 1947

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1946

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 4–4

| conference = 2–4

| confstanding = T–10th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1947

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 5–3

| conference = 2–1

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Indiana State Sycamores

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1946

| endyear = 1948

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1948

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 4–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 62–56–8

| confrecord = 19–22–1

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 68–58–8

| bowls = no

| poll = no

| polltype =

| legend = no

}}

=Basketball=

{{CBB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | conference = | postseason = | poll = }}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Indiana State Sycamores

| conference = Indiana Intercollegiate Conference

| startyear = 1927

| endyear = 1938

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1927–28

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 12–5

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1928–29

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 15–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| season = 1929–30

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 16–2

| conference = 8–2

| confstanding = 1st

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1930–31

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 7–8

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1933–34

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 8–9

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1934–35

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 13–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1935–36

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 12–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason = U.S. Olympic Trials

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1936–37

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 7–6

| conference =

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| season = 1937–38

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 1–17

| conference = 1–9

| confstanding =

| postseason =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Indiana State

| overall = 90–58 ({{Winning percentage|90|58}})

| confrecord =

}}

{{CBB Yearly Record End

| overall = 90–58 ({{Winning percentage|90|58}})

}}

=Baseball=

class="wikitable"
! ! colspan="4"\|Overall ! colspan="4"\|Conference !
Year ! School ! W ! L ! T ! Pct ! W ! L ! T ! Pct ! Postseason
1929 \| Indiana State \| 5 \| 4 \| 1 \| .550 \| \| \| \| \|
1930 \| Indiana State \| 7 \| 1 \| 0 \| .875 \| \| \| \| \| Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
1931 \| Indiana State \| 6 \| 2 \| 0 \| .750 \| \| \| \| \|
1934 \| Indiana State \| 5 \| 3 \| 0 \| .625 \| \| \| \| \|
1935 \| Indiana State \| 5 \| 5 \| 0 \| .500 \| \| \| \| \|
1936 \| Indiana State \| 7 \| 5 \| 0 \| .583 \| \| \| \| \|
1937 \| Indiana State \| 1 \| 7 \| 0 \| .125 \| \| \| \| \|
1942 \| Indiana State \| 5 \| 3 \| 0 \| .625 \| \| \| \| \|
1946 \| Indiana State \| 7 \| 3 \| 0 \| .700 \| \| \| \| \| Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
1947 \| Indiana State \| 11 \| 2 \| 0 \| .846 \| \| \| \| \| Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
1949 \| Indiana State \| 12 \| 4 \| 0 \| .750 \| \| \| \| \| Indiana Intercollegiate Conference Champions
1950 \| Indiana State \| 10 \| 5 \| 0 \| .667 \| \| \| \| \|
1951 \| Indiana State \| 8 \| 8 \| 0 \| .500 \| \| \| \| \|
1952 \| Indiana State \| 8 \| 5 \| 0 \| .615 \| \| \| \| \|
1953 \| Indiana State \| 3 \| 9 \| 0 \| .250 \| \| \| \| \|
1954 \| Indiana State \| 6 \| 10 \| 0 \| .600 \| \| \| \| \|
1955 \| Indiana State \| 5 \| 6 \| 0 \| .455 \| \| \| \| \|
colspan="2" \| Overall Totals \| 108 \| 81 \| 2 \| .571 \| \| \| \|

class="wikitable"

!

! colspan="4"|Overall

! colspan="4"|Conference

!

Year

! School

! W

! L

! T

! Pct

! W