Ross Fiscus

American football player and coach (1870–1950)

Ross Fiscus

Fiscus on 1900 Duquesne C&AC football team

Biographical details
Born| (1870-04-02)April 2, 1870
Armstrong Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died| November 6, 1950(1950-11-06) (aged 80)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1891–1894| Allegheny A. A.
1892–1895| Washington & Jefferson
1896| Greensburg A. A.
1900| Duquesne C. & A. C.
Position(s)| Guard, tackle, halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1897–1899| Geneva
Head coaching record
Overall| 3–13–2

William Ross Fiscus (April 2, 1870 – November 6, 1950) was an early professional American football player and coach. He was one of the first pro players on record.

## Playing career

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Fiscus played for the Allegheny Athletic Association professional football team as a lineman in 1891 and 1892, but by 1893 he had successfully earned the role as halfback.[1] Fiscus continued to play several more years for Allegheny, even dropping out of college to do so.[2] This would have put him alongside the first recorded professional football player Pudge Heffelfinger, who also played for Allegheny. In 1896, he played alongside his brother, Lawson, for the Greensburg Athletic Association.

## Coaching career

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Fiscus was the second head football coach at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and he held that position for three seasons, from 1897 until 1899. His coaching record at Geneva was 6–9–2.[3]

## Later life

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Fiscus died November 6, 1950, at his home in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[4]

## Head coaching record

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Year  | Team  | Overall  | Conference | Standing  | Bowl/playoffs

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Geneva Covenanters (Independent) (1897–1899)
1897 | Geneva | 3–4–1 |  |  |
1898 | Geneva | 0–6–1 |  |  |
1899 | Geneva | 0–3 |  |  |
Geneva: | 3–13–2 |  |
Total: | 3–13–2 |

## References

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1. ^ Pro Football Researchers Archived November 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine "The Weekly Wage Professionalism Expands in Pittsburgh: 1893"
2. ^ Pro Football Researchers Archived November 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine "The A's Have It: The 3A's Triumph: 1894"
3. ^ Geneva College coaching records
4. ^ "William Ross Fiscus". Indiana Gazette. Indiana, Pennsylvania. November 7, 1950. p. 2. Retrieved September 20, 2021 - via Newspapers.com .

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Geneva Golden Tornadoes head football coaches

* William McCracken (1890–1896)
* Ross Fiscus (1897–1899)
* Samuel G. Craig (1900–1903)
* Smith Alford (1904)
* Archibald Leech (1905)
* No team (1906)
* Arthur McKean (1907–1911)
* Graydon Long (1912)
* C. Brainerd Metheny (1913–1916)
* Philip Henry Bridenbaugh (1917–1921)
* Robert Park (1922)
* Tom Davies (1923)
* Jack Sack (1924)
* Bo McMillin (1925–1927)
* Mack Flenniken (1928–1929)
* Howard Harpster (1930–1932)
* Jimmy Robertson (1933)
* Dike Beede (1934–1936)
* Edgar P. Weltner (1937–1940)
* Alured Ransom (1941)
* Cal Hubbard (1942)
* No team (1943–1945)
* Alured Ransom (1946–1948)
* Walter J. West (1949–1952)
* Byron E. Morgan (1953–1962)
* Donald Lederick (1963–1966)
* Joe Banks (1967–1968)
* Dan Frasier (1969–1971)
* Max Holm (1972–1973)
* Dick Lasse (1974–1975)
* Gene Sullivan (1976–1992)
* Geno DeMarco (1993– )

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