Homer Woodson Hargiss
Homer Woodson "Bill" Hargiss (September 1, 1887 – October 15, 1978) was an American athlete and coach known for early innovations in football, including the forward pass and the huddle. He played football, basketball, and competed in track at Kansas Normal College (Emporia State) and excelled in multiple sports.
Hargiss coached at several Kansas and Oregon schools, including the College of Emporia, Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State University), Kansas State Teachers College (Emporia State), and the University of Kansas. He also coached basketball at Oregon Agricultural and track at Kansas.
As a football coach, Hargiss helped popularize the forward pass and the huddle before they became standard in the game. He developed innovative plays with quarterback Arthur Schabinger at Emporia, and his teams were known for creative offenses. At Emporia State, he posted a 61–23–11 record, and the 1926 team went undefeated, outscoring opponents 144–3. He won KCAC championships in 1915–1916 and 1926–1927, and a Big Six title with Kansas in 1930. His overall football coaching record was 102–54–16; he also coached Emporia State’s basketball team to a 10–25 mark.
Hargiss’s influence extended beyond wins: Oregon Agricultural College’s use of the huddle in 1918 and his early forward-pass innovations helped shape modern football. He was inducted into Emporia State’s Athletic Hall of Honor in 1982 (the first year of the honor) and received other recognitions later. His brother Floyd Daniel Hargiss was also a football coach at Ottawa University.
Personal note: He died in Lawrence, Kansas, at age 91.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 05:25 (CET).