1911 record 5–2–2 (2–2–2 SIAA) | Captain Robert Bumgardner | |
Conference Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association Head coach D. V. Graves (1st year) Home stadium The Quad
Birmingham Fairgrounds | ||
The 1911 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1911 college football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 19th overall and 16th season as a member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAA). The team was led by head coach D. V. Graves, in his first year, and played their home games at the University of Alabama Quad in Tuscaloosa and the Birmingham Fairgrounds in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished the season with a record of five wins, two losses and two ties (5–2–2 overall, 2–2–2 in the SIAA).
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In June 1911, Guy Lowman resigned from his position of head coach and athletic director at Alabama, and one month later the hiring of Graves to serve in both capacities was announced by the university president. Under Graves, Alabama opened their season with a pair of victories over Howard and Birmingham College at Tuscaloosa. They were then upset by Georgia at Birmingham before playing both Mississippi A&M and Georgia Tech to ties on the road. After a victory over Marion Military Institute in their final road game of the season, Alabama closed the season with victories over both Tulane and Davidson and an upset loss to Sewanee.
Before the season
On June 21, 1911, Kansas State Agricultural College (now known as Kansas State University) announced Alabama head coach and athletic director Guy Lowman had been hired to serve in the same capacities at Kansas State. After a month-long search, on July 21, university president John Abercrombie offered the job of professor of physical training and athletic director to D. V. Graves to which he accepted immediately via telegraph. The appointment was inclusive of him serving as head coach of all athletic teams at Alabama, including football. Graves was selected as he was the most highly recommended candidate, and he also played baseball for a single-season under Lowman while in college at the University of Missouri.