| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1927-01-23)January 23, 1927 Drumright, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | September 2, 2012(2012-09-02) (aged 85) Overland Park, Kansas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1948–1951 | Pittsburg State |
| Position(s) | End |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1952–1954 | Caldwell HS (KS) |
| 1955–1960 | Atchison HS (KS) |
| 1961–1966 | Pittsburg State (freshman) |
| 1967–1975 | Pittsburg State |
| Basketball | |
| 1952–1954 | Caldwell HS (KS) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 48–38–5 (college football) 51–21–3 (high school football) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football RMAC (1970) | |
| Awards | |
| Football All-CIC (1951) | |
Thomas Arthur Lester (January 23, 1927 – September 2, 2012) was an American college football coach. He was the eighth head football coach at Kansas State College of Pittsburg—now known as Pittsburg State University—in Pittsburg, Kansas, serving for nine seasons, from 1967 to 1975, and compiling a record of 48–38–5. Prior to becoming head coach, he served as the freshman coach six seasons.
Lester was the head football coach for Caldwell High School and Atchison High School and compiled a record of 51–21–3. He also coached basketball for Caldwell.
Lester was an All-Central Intercollegiate Conference (CIC) end for Pittsburg State from 1948 to 1951.
Head coaching record
College football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburg State Gorillas (Central Intercollegiate Conference) (1967–1968) | |||||||||
| 1967 | Pittsburg State | 6–2–1 | 3–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1968 | Pittsburg State | 4–5–1 | 2–1–1 | T–2nd | |||||
| Pittsburg State Gorillas (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) (1969–1971) | |||||||||
| 1969 | Pittsburg State | 5–5 | 2–3 | 6th (Plains) | |||||
| 1970 | Pittsburg State | 9–2 | 4–1 | 1st (Plains) | |||||
| 1971 | Pittsburg State | 8–1–1 | 3–1–1 | 2nd (Plains) | |||||
| Pittsburg State Gorillas (Great Plains Athletic Conference) (1972–1975) | |||||||||
| 1972 | Pittsburg State | 5–5 | 3–3 | T–4th | |||||
| 1973 | Pittsburg State | 3–7 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1974 | Pittsburg State | 4–7 | 4–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1975 | Pittsburg State | 4–4–2 | 3–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| Pittsburg State: | 48–38–5 | 26–16–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 48–38–5 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
- "Thomas Arthur Lester - Pittsburg, KS - Morning Sun". Archived from the original on December 9, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
- "Former Pittsburg State football coach dies". www.kshb.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2012.
- ^ "Tom Lester Hired At Pittsburg State". The Wichita Eagle. January 19, 1967. p. 35. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- "Pittsburg grid coach Lester axed". Springfield Leader and Press. April 22, 1976. p. 35. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- College Football Data Warehouse Archived September 20, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Pittsburg State University Gorillas all-time coaching records
- ^ "Sports News Items". The Optimist. April 6, 1961. p. 4. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- Boggs, Dean (August 8, 1961). "Out Of Bounds". The Atchison Daily Globe. p. 9. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- "Tom Lester Named Football Coach At Kansas High School". The Drumright Derrick. May 6, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
| Pittsburg State Gorillas head football coaches | |
|---|---|
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- 1927 births
- 2012 deaths
- Pittsburg State Gorillas football coaches
- Pittsburg State Gorillas football players
- High school basketball coaches in Kansas
- High school football coaches in Kansas
- Basketball coaches from Oklahoma
- Coaches of American football from Oklahoma
- People from Drumright, Oklahoma
- Players of American football from Oklahoma
- College football coaches first appointed in the 1960s stubs