Aldo Donelli

Aldo Donelli (-August 9, 2001) was the product of a small working class town in Michigan. He first discovered football at Pittsburgh's Duquesne University which he played punter and halfback in the mid 1920's.

Pittsburgh

In 1939 Donelli took over as head coach for his alma mater, compiling a 29-4-2 record at Duquesne as the Dukes finished in the top ten twice in 4 seasons. He tenure at his alma mater also gave him a place in the history books as the only man to serve as head coach of both a college football team and an NFL team simultaneously. Donelli served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1941 fall campaign on the bluff of Duquesne University. The Dukes were on their way to an undefeated season in 1941 and after the Steelers lost their first two games coach (and later NFL Commissioner) Bert Bell resigned, having Donelli replace him. Aldo would coach the Steelers in the morning during classes at Duquesne University and then the Dukes in the afternoon. Although his college team finished undefeated, the Steelers lost all 5 games under Donelli.

Boston and Columbia

He continued on to coach at Boston University from 1947 to 1956 with a 46-34-4 record and again placing a season in the top 25 poll. In 1957 he was named the head coach at Columbia University where he would serve until 1967 compiling a 30-76-4 record. In 1961 he coached Columbia to its only Ivy League Championship.

Other accomplishments

Donelli was drafted into the Navy for a short time during the last year of World War II. He also coached in the NFL for the Cleveland Rams (today's St. Louis Rams) for a single season (1944) attaining a 4-6 record. In the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's after semi-retiring from coaching, he worked in public relations for PGA events around Boston while keeping homes in suburban Pittsburgh and then eventually Florida.

Honors

Columbia University's weight room is named in Donelli's honor.

Trivia

• He is the only man to coach both a Division I college football program and an NFL team during the same season.
• He was the only American to score a goal in the 1934 World Cup--against Italy. It would be the last goal any American scored on Italy for another 58 years.

External Links

Columbia University obit of Donelli

External links

• Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile