Kutztown University Athletics

George B. Ely (1905-08) was the first faculty coach in school history.  Not only was Ely the director of the school’s athletic department and coach of its varsity sports, he was a standout athlete on the teams.  In the days before the regulations of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, it was common for standout athletes to compete for schools which they did not attend.  Ely was no exception.  A graduate of Weishample High School and Millersville State Normal School, Ely came to Kutztown, then Keystone State Normal School, in 1905.  He coached and was a prolific scorer for the 1905 football team that went 6-3.  After 1905, the football team was disbanded until 1923 due to a serious on-field injury.  Ely also played and coached the men’s basketball team, which was in its infancy, having become a varsity sport in 1902.  Ely, however, gained the most notoriety as a standout on the baseball diamond. His baseball teams were highly successful during his playing/coaching days, compiling a 23-4-1 record over three years.  Ely’s time at Keystone was highlighted by a headline-grabbing win over the Carlisle Indian School, which later gained fame when Jim Thorpe joined the team.  After leaving Kutztown, Ely went on to coach at Shippensburg Normal School, where his 1910 baseball team was the first Shippensburg team to win 10 games.  He later went into the ministry before passing away in 1952.  Last year, Ely was named one of Kutztown’s Top 30 Athletes of the 20^th Century.