Haughton, Percy D.
Football
b. July 11, 1876, Staten Island, NY
d. Oct. 27, 1924
A second-team All-American tackle at Harvard in 1898, Haughton coached Cornell to a 17-5-0 record from 1899 through 1900 and then went into business. He returned to Harvard as head coach in 1908 and was an immediate success, winning 9 games and tying 1 without a loss.
Haughton created the modern coaching staff. At the time, most teams had just one coach or, at most, one assistant. Haughton had a backfield coach, a line coach, and an end coach, as well as coaches who worked with passers and kickers. He also established a system of scouting opponents.
He also scheduled his practices to the minute, and he was one of the first coaches to use specialists. In Harvard's 4-0 victory over Yale in 1908, the winning field goal was kicked by Vic Kennard, who was put into the game for that one play. (A field goal was worth 4 points at that time.) Later in the game, a player named Sprague was sent in to punt 60 yards from behind the Harvard goal line, keeping Yale out of scoring range.
At a time when most teams emphasized power on offense, Haughton emphasized deception. He developed plays similar to those used in the modern T formation, with the quarterback often taking a direct snap from center, spinning, and faking or making handoffs to another backs. As one writer described it, "Rivals chased will-o'-the-wisps, only to discover somebody else had the ball."
Haughton is often credited with inventing the mousetrap play, on which a defensive player is allowed to cross the line of scrimmage and is then blocked from the side. When sportswriter Grantland Rice remarked to Haughton that Yale had large, fast linemen, Haughton responded, "I only wish they were twice as fast. We'll let 'em through and then cut 'em down."
He was also probably the first coach to use a five-man line with three linebackers. Since his teams were often undersized, that defense, like Haughton's offense, put a premium on speed. Harvard's defenders were taught to read offensive keys, and respond quickly to a developing play, with the object of getting three defenders to the point of attack.
In 9 seasons at Harvard, Haughton won 71 games while losing only 7 and tying 3. His 1912 and 1913 teams both won all 9 of their games. Haughton entered the service in 1917 and returned to private business after World War I ended. He coached Columbia to a 4-4-1 record in 1923 and died of a cerebral hemorrhage after the school had won 4 of its first 5 games in 1924.