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Walt Kiesling

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Role
  
American football player

Height
  
6 ft 2 in (188 cm)

Weight
  
249 lb (113 kg)

Positions
  
Guard, Tackle

Name
  
Walt Kiesling


Walt Kiesling PSA AutographFacts Walt Kiesling


Date of birth
  
(1903-05-27)May 27, 1903

Date of death
  
March 2, 1962(1962-03-02) (aged 58)

Place of death
  
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Died
  
March 2, 1962, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Past teams coached
  
Pittsburgh Steelers (1954–1956)

Place of birth
  
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Education
  
University of St. Thomas

Walter Andrew "Walt" Kiesling (May 27, 1903 – March 2, 1962) was an American football player and coach.

Contents

Walt Kiesling Walt Kiesling Highlights Pro Football Hall of Fame

Playing career

Walt Kiesling KieslingHOFjpg

A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kiesling played both offensive and defensive line at the University of St. Thomas. In his professional career, he played for the Duluth Eskimos, Pottsville Maroons, Chicago Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Coaching career

Walt Kiesling httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaen77dWal

Kiesling's coaching career in the National Football League was spent exclusively with the Steelers. He was head coach for most of the six seasons from 1939 to 1944, and came back for a second stint from 1954 to 1956. In 1943 and 1944 he split head coaching duties—with Greasy Neale when the Steelers merged with the Philadelphia Eagles (to form the "Steagles") in 1943 and then with Phil Handler when the Steelers merged with the Chicago Cardinals the following season. A 1939 Official Program for Pittsburgh Pirates Intra-Squad Game lists Kiesling as "Asst. Coach" and Johny Blood (McNally) as "Coach"; McNally had resigned three weeks into the 1939 season.

Walt Kiesling Walt Kiesling Bio Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site

Kiesling's overall record at Pittsburgh was 30–55–5. He kept the franchise competitive, but only put together two winning seasons.

Perhaps the biggest blunder in Steelers history is attributed to Kiesling, when as head coach he benched a young Pittsburgh born-and-bred Johnny Unitas through an entire training camp before cutting him, allowing the Baltimore Colts to acquire his rights. However, Kiesling had a reputation for coaching dated techniques and strategies and an intractable personality that pushed away numerous talented players. This occurred particularly during the difficult World War II merger years when he co-coached teams composed of the Eagles-Steelers and Cardinals-Steelers. College talent with better coaching and veterans returning to play football found his methods and attitude intolerable.

Honors

Kiesling was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1966.

References

Walt Kiesling Wikipedia