Hall of Fame
On the football field and in the classroom, Theodore “Ted” Nemeth left an indelible impression on numerous students during his distinguished career.
Nemeth coached the Vulcan football team from 1950 through 1961 and compiled a 55-37-2 (.596) cumulative record. His 55 coaching wins are still the most ever in the school’s football history. Nemeth is one of just three football coaches to guide the Vulcans for 12-year stints along with Jeff Petrucci (1981-92) and Bill Steers (1929-40).
Under Nemeth, the Vulcans enjoyed seven winning seasons and two non-losing seasons. Nemeth’s 1951 team went 7-2 overall and played in the prestigious Pythian Bowl. That was Cal’s only post-season football appearance until 1968.
The 1958 Nemeth-coached Vulcans were one of only two undefeated football teams in school history. Cal went a perfect 8-0 in ’58 while outscoring its opponents by a per-game average of 25.9 to 3.9. Four of the Vulcans’ eight victories that season were by shutouts and Cal’s closest victories that year were 13-0 blankings of Indiana and Edinboro. Nemeth deservedly received the Pittsburgh Dapper Dan’s “Small College Coach of the Year” recognition in 1958. Nemeth’s final three Vulcan squads achieved single-season records of 6-2, 7-1, and 5-2-1. His final four teams compiled a 26-5-2 (.818) cumulative record. That four-year stretch, along with the 27-6 cumulative mark produced by the 1946-49 Vulcans under Nemeth’s predecessor, Earle Bruce, are the two most successful four-year football runs in school history.
While his coaching achievements speak for themselves, Nemeth’s influence on people went far beyond football wins and losses according to Elmo Natali, star running back in the early 1950s and retired Cal U vice president.
“He was definitely what you would call an old-school coach and he had his rules and regulations,” said Natali, who was part of Cal’s initial 1995 Hall of Fame Class. “There’s no question he was a great coach but honestly when I think of the man I look beyond that. Ted Nemeth epitomized what a perfect gentleman was in every sense of the word and there are not too many gentlemen left. I never saw him lose his temper or use foul language. He acted the same whether he was on the football field, walking on campus or in a classroom.”
Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, and a graduate of South High School, Nemeth was a Golden Gloves boxer and three-year scholastic varsity football player. Nemeth received his bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, where he served as captain of the freshman football team, played varsity football for three years, and won an intramural boxing championship.
His first teaching and coaching position at Annapolis, Maryland, was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II when he entered the U.S. Navy pre-fight program and served as a line officer on an aircraft carrier.
Following his discharge, Nemeth returned to Penn State and earned his master’s degree. From 1946 to 1950 he coached the Penn State freshmen who were, during that period, assigned to the California campus. In 1950 he was named the Vulcans’ head football coach as well as the school’s director of intramurals.
Natali believed that Nemeth faced a greater coaching challenge back in the 1950s than today’s modern coaches do.
“He coached a lot of older guys from the military as opposed to today when you mostly have young kids just out of high school who are somewhat in awe,” Natali said. “He was dealing with older, more mature men that had traveled around the world and made their mark. This definitely made it more of a challenge but he was always in total control and that is not always easy to do.”
Despite the dual role of coach and faculty member, Nemeth was not some sort of football demigod or icon.
“Back then it was a small campus and if you went to the snack bar you would literally see just about everyone,” said Natali. “It was common to see Ted Nemeth sitting in there and you would think nothing about having a coke or cup of coffee with him. He never changed how he acted and was always reserved.”
Nemeth retired in 1978 after 32 years of service in Cal’s Health Physical Education and Safety department and received the Cal U Alumni Association’s Michael Duda Award for Athletic Achievement in 1987. Nemeth passed away on December 14, 1990. His wife, Vivian Nemeth, resides in Hilton Head Island, where the couple spent their retirement. The couple has a grown son, Ted Nemeth, Jr.
Nemeth is the first Vulcan football coach to be inducted purely due to his coaching success.
“Well it is long overdue but it is tough in 10 years to properly honor over 150 years of athletic history,” Natali said. “Often, the athletes from the past get lost in the shuffle and I imagine a lot of people have never heard of Ted Nemeth which is a shame.”
Natali’s strong influence and exemplary actions off the field resulted in the Cal U student union being named in his honor after his retirement and the building’s renovation in December of 1991. His admiration for his college coach speaks volumes.
“Everyone respected Ted Nemeth. Not only may he have been the best football person I was ever associated with but also the best person I have ever been associated with,” said Natali. “He was my role model and always a class act. Did he leave a legacy of respect and dignity to those who knew him? Amen to that.”
