Contact Us

W.J. Forbes 1899

In the fall of 1899, the school hired W.J. Forbes, a graduate of Vermont University as their first coach of athletics
and football. The Collegian reported that Forbes "has the reputation of being one of the best coaches west of the
Mississippi." Although school records had never acknowledged W.J. Forbes as the first official football coach, it is
apparent that he was the first coach in school history since he stayed on as coach through the football season.
Forbes is not listed in the college directory as an instructor or student, making his official status to the college a
question. It is possible his position was not official or that he was hired after the college directory was printed.
Forbes appeared in the 1899 team photo with his name and position as coach written on the photo.

George E. Toomey 1900-1901

In October, 1900 George E. Toomey was hired by the college to coach the CAC football team and instruct other
athletics to all students. Toomey came from Baker University and later graduated from the University of Denver in
1898. He had a brief playing career at the Kansas City Medical school but lost his best playing form.
Toomey played and coached for the Aggies through the 1900 season gaining a great reputation both with the college
and Fort Collins people. His assistant coach Clarence Griffith was an outstanding full back and excitement was high
for football by the beginning of the 1901 season.
On October 12, 1901 the Aggies opened the regular season against the University of Colorado. In what is known as
the "Fiasco at Ft. Collins" Toomey was accused by CU coach Fred Folsom for playing a "professional". It was later
learned that Toomey's player Joseph Dibble had been paid once before by the Denver Wheel Club and Toomey's
career at Colorado Agricultural College ended after he resigned on October 14, 1901.

Clarence J. Griffith 1901-1902

Clarence James Griffith was a graduate student from Iowa when he played under George Toomey in 1900 and
1901. Born on April 9, 1877 in Maple Valley, Iowa he played Fullback for Toomey in 1900 and also acted as the
team's assistant coach. Following the Dibble incident, "Griff" became the third coach in Aggies history and
continued to play until he was injured later in the 1901 season. He coached his first game two weeks after his
predecessor's resignation on October 26, 1901.

Griffith returned to coach the Aggies in 1902 and posted a very disappointing 1-3-2 record. Griffith along with
Toomey and Dibble received athletic letters for their efforts at Colorado Agricultural College in 1901. He continued
to teach at CAC in 1903 but did not have anything to do with football.

Following his graduate work at CAC, Griffith moved to Idaho around 1906 where he lived out his life. He died on
November 3, 1937 in Wendell, Idaho.

John H. McIntosh 1904-1905

In September 1904 John Houston McIntosh was hired as the new coach of football and the first "Director of
Athletics". McIntosh was born on February 1, 1879 in Early County, Georgia and later moved to Atlanta. He
played under Glenn "Pop" Warner at the University of Georgia and in 1898 became team captain and won
All-Southern Fullback honors.
McIntosh first coached the Colorado School of Mines and later moved on to Butte, Montana to work for a
newspaper. His experience was undoubtedly the most of any previous coach at CAC. Although he did not lead his
teams to many victories, McIntosh is credited as introducing the first black football player in 1905. He left Ft.
Collins following the 1905-1906 school year as quickly as he arrived.

Claude J. Rothgeb 1906-1909

In September 1906 Claude James Rothgeb arrived in Ft. Collins to become the 6th head football coach in eight
seasons. "Rothy" was born in Millford, Illinois on January 1, 1880 and attended the University of Illinois. He
played professional baseball for Indianapolis in 1902 and 1903. In 1903 he played six games for the Washington
Senators and graduated from Illinois in 1904.
Rothgeb lasted three years with the Aggies football program posting a 3-11-1 overall record, he was one of the
single most popular coaches the school had ever seen. The Collegian articles of the time show that "Rothy" was
a friendly and likeable person. He helped make baseball and track better sports but football was never his sport.
After the 1909-1910 school year Rothgeb left CAC for a similar job at Colorado College in Colorado Springs.
The students lashed out at his "defecting" to a rival school and were very unhappy when CC continually beat the
Aggies. He stayed in Colorado Springs until 1918 when he became the track coach at Texas A & M. He later
moved to Rice University where he replaced John Heisman as head coach for one season. He died in
Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1944.

George M. Cassidy 1910

Rothgeb's departure to Colorado College was a last minute decision and in the fall of 1910 the Aggies were left
scrambling for a football coach. In College President Charles Lory's address to the students he announced that
George M. Cassidy of Vermont would be the new football coach and athletic director. Cassidy was a 1910
graduate of the University of Vermont who had served as head football coach and athletic director during his
final two years of school. He came to Aggies young but knowledgeable in athletics. The 1912 Silver Spruce
shows him as the coach of all sports and he, just like McIntosh and Rothgeb served as Athletic Director. It is
not known why he left after only one year at CAC.

Julius "Hans" Wagner 1942, 1945-1946

Julius "Hans" Wagner was a student of Harry Hughes, three-time all conference player and captain of the 1925
championship Aggie team. After graduating in 1927, Hans became the assistant coach for Harry Hughes in
football coaching the line and the head coach of wrestling.

Wagner continued as assistant football coach until 1942 when Hughes stepped down as head coach and Wagner
was promoted to head football coach in April of that year. With a war-time team that had two seasons canceled
due to lack of men, Wagner put out poor teams in '42, and '45 before being fired (Officially he resigned) on
October 22, 1946 and replaced by Hughes on October 26th.

Wagner continued as the head coach of the Freshman football team from 1947 to 1955. He coached wrestling
until 1955 when Don "Tuffy' Mullison took over, coaching a total of 28 seasons in wrestling achieving 23
conference championships.

After retiring from active coaching Wagner became the Director of New Construction at CSU. On August 29,
1960, Hans Wagner and his brother were killed in a car accident in Wyoming. He is a charter member of the
CSU Sports Hall of Fame.

Bob Davis 1947- 1955

In 1947 Harry Hughes hired Robert L. Davis as the school's new head football coach. A star quarterback for
the University of Utah in the late 1920's and assistant coach there for many years, Davis brought a new and
energetic style of play to Aggies football and utilized many veterans returning home from the war to build his
team. His no nonsense approach to football created a well prepared team that brought success to
Colorado A & M.

In 1948 the Aggies went 8-2 and for the first time in school history they were invited to and attended a bowl
game. They lost to Occidental College by one point in a close contest. The 1949 team posted an even greater
season but declined an invitation to play in the Salad Bowl. It was also in 1949 that Thurman "Fum" McGraw
was named the school's first consensus All-American. Davis later brought in players such as Jack
Christiansen, Dale Dodrill, Jim David, Frank Faucett and Gary Glick. Seven of Davis' players went on to play
in the NFL, something the school had never seen before.

Bob Davis is also credited with bringing in black players to a predominately white school. His best known
player was Eddie Hanna, an outstanding running back from Dodge City, Kansas who ran for two 70+ yard
touchdowns in the Raisin Bowl and tragically died of a heart attack after the first game of the 1949 season.
Hanna was not the only black athlete to come to A & M under Davis, George Jones another Raisin Bowl
member and Alex Burl were among these early athletes at Colorado A & M.

In 1955 the Aggies won their ninth conference championship in school history led by Gary Glick. The 1955
championship was the last for the Aggies who were now being called the Aggie-Rams or just Rams. It marks
the end of the Aggie Football era as the college transitioned into a university in 1957.

Bob Davis retired from coaching football after the 1955 season and became the school's full-time Athletic
Director. He was in the midst of transforming the school's athletic program and planning to build new facilities
when he was stricken with cancer in the spring of 1964 and took a leave of absence, he died on January 10,
1965. He holds the record for the highest winning percentage for any football coach in school history with
more than five seasons coaching at .618.

Bob Davis is a charter member of the CSU Sports Hall of Fame.