Harry Rabenhorst

Who was Harry Rabenhorst?

Harry Aldrich Rabenhorst was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head basketball coach at Louisiana State University from 1925 to 1942 and again from 1945 to 1957. Rabenhorst was also the head baseball coach at LSU from 1927 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1946 as well as the school's athletic director from 1967 to 1968. His 1935 LSU basketball team won a mythical national championship in basketball in 1935 and his 1953 squad reached the Final Four. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rabenhorst played college football as a fullback from 1917 to 1920, captaining the team for three seasons. He is credited at Wake Forest's head coach of record for the 1918 and 1919 seasons.

Rabenhorst began a very long and successful career at LSU in 1925 as the head coach of the men's basketball team. Two years later, in 1927, he also become the head baseball coach. Along with his successes in basketball, which included a 1935 mythical national championship and an appearance in the 1953 Final Four, he also won two SEC baseball titles. As a reward for his team's success on the baseball diamond, Rabenhorst was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1939 and 1946, as well. Rabenhorst stepped down as baseball and basketball coach in 1942 when he left to serve in World War II. Upon his return, he again coached the baseball team from 1946 until 1956 and the basketball team from 1946 to 1957. He finished his baseball coaching career with a record of 220–226–3.