Harold Hunt (coach)

Harold S. Hunt (December 12, 1907 – November 1, 1992) was an American football and basketball coach. He stood out and gained nationwide exposure   as an example of sportsmanship when he rejected a touchdown that would have won a game for his team.

Football
Hunt was named the 13th football coach for the Southwestern College Moundbuilders in Winfield, Kansas and held that position 3 seasons, from 1949 to 1951. His overall coaching record at Southwestern was 6 wins, 18 losses, and 3 ties. This ranks him 20th at Southwestern in terms of total wins and 24th at Southwestern in terms of total winning percentage (as of completion of the 2007 season).

The Rejected Touchdown

 * See 1951 Central Missouri State vs. Southwestern football game

The opening game of the 1951 season against Central Missouri State College produced an event that opposing coach Tate Page called "the finest act of sportsmanship" that he ever saw. In the third quarter, Southwestern halfback Arthur Johnson completed a long run down the sidelines nearest Southwestern's bench. The referee signaled a touchdown and the crowd of 2,000 went wild with enthusiasm.

Coach Hunt ran out on the field and stated, "Southwestern rejects the touchdown!" and stated that Johnson had stepped out of bounds, nullifying the touchdown. Not a single one of the referees had been in a position to see him do so, but they agreed to nullify the touchdown, and returned the ball to the point where Coach Hunt said Johnson had stepped out. A photo of the run later confirmed Coach Hunt's observation.

Basketball
From 1940 through 1943 Hunt coached basketball at Quincy Senior High School in Quincy, Illinois. His Quincy teams had 12 wins and 13 losses in the 1940–41 season, 23 wins and 4 losses in the 1941–42 season, and 14 wins and 8 losses in 1942–43. In 1942 and 1943, his teams won district and regional titles and qualified for the state finals. In 1943, he left Quincy to serve as a U.S. Navy officer in the V5 Pre-Flight Aviation Program.

Coach Hunt also was the basketball coach at Southwestern for three seasons, from 1949 until 1952. His teams accumulated a record of 31 wins and 37 losses.