Kerr, "Andy" (Andrew)
Football
b. Oct. 7, 1878, Cheyenne, WY
d. Feb. 12, 1969
A long-time assistant to the legendary "Pop" Warner, Kerr didn't become a genuine head coach until he was forty-eight, but he then compiled an excellent record at three colleges.
Kerr was a 130-pound quarterback at Dickinson College, where he also played baseball and was a high jumper on the track team. He studied law after graduating in 1900, went into teaching for a time, and coached high school football.
He became track coach at the University of Pittsburgh in 1914 and began assisting Warner with football the following season. In 1922, Warner agreed to coach at Stanford, but he was under contract with Pittsburgh until 1924. Kerr went to Stanford to install Warner's complex double wing attack and had an 11-7-0 record in two seasons.
After assisting Warner at Stanford for two more seasons, Kerr took over at Washington and Jefferson in 1926. His 1927 team was undefeated, winning 7 games and tying 2. He was hired at Colgate in 1929 and spent 18 seasons there, compiling a 95-50-7 record. His 1932 team won all 9 of its games, outscoring the opposition, 264-0.
Kerr retired briefly after the 1946 season but returned to coaching at little Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania for three more seasons, 1947 through 1949. His teams there won 15 games while losing 8 and tying 2. Kerr's overall record was 137-71-13.
His teams played a wide open, razzle-dazzle style of offense featuring many lateral passes. To develop the lateral attack, Kerr learned from Stanford rugby coaches and players and from a Canadian rugby coach. His teams spent long hours practicing laterals to reduce the possibility of fumbling.
Colgate's stadium is named for him.