Tom Shevlin - Football Coach

Football Coach

After moving back to Minneapolis, Shevlin also spent time coaching the football players at the University of Minnesota, where the team developed a new scheme known as "the Minnesota shift." After his death, a friend recounted a story of the passion for football displayed by Shevlin in coaching the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Northrop Field. Shevlin attended a practice in an expensive business suit, overcoat, derby and light colored gloves. Not satisfied with "verbal participation," Shevlin joined in the scrimmages, and at the end of an hour's work he "was thoroughly happy, but his natty clothes were hanging from him in shreds."

On several occasions, Shevlin also returned to Yale to help coach the school's football team during periods of difficulty. One writer opined that Shevlin made his reputation when he brought the Minnesota shift to Yale in 1910. When Yale was defeated 21-0 by Brown in 1910, the school sent for Shevlin. Backed by Yale's advisory coach Walter Camp, Shevlin was called from the West to teach the Yale football team the news style of play that had developed in that region. The New York Times reported as follows:

"Thomas Shevlin, the famous Captain and end, who was called from the West to show the Yale men how the game was being played in his section undertook to give the team the benefit of his knowledge. Then came reports of dissensions among the coaches because of a conflict of old and new ideas."

Shevlin succeeded in turning the program around in 1910, as he coached the team to a 5-3 win over Princeton and a scoreless tie against Harvard.

Shevlin continued assisting the Yale football team until the time of his death, and his colorful presence on the Yale sidelines was described as follows:

"In that familiar heavy Persian lamb lined overcoat, wearing that familiar derby at that rakish angle, carrying that famous cane, with his horseshoe diamond pin in that flashy tie, and smoking that inevitable cigarette, he will run down the field with the varsity ends under kicks, and beat the youngsters in their togs every time. Then he'll get excited, and dressed though he is in top form, will rush right into a scrimmage and show 'em how it should be done, no matter how muddy the field. Practice over, Tom will go back to the Taft and order another suit. He seems to have a new suit of clothes every day."

In November 1915, Shevlin led Yale to a 13-7 win over Princeton in front of 50,000 fans at New Haven—the largest crowd ever to view a Yale-Princeton game. After the game, Shevlin was haled as "the miracle man of football" who had "saved Yale from the worst gridiorn defeat in her history." Shevlin had been called east in October 1915 and was credited with having "made order out of chaos" in just two weeks training the Yale team.