Bert LaBrucherie
LaBrucherie, circa 1942
Biographical details
Born(1905-01-19)January 19, 1905
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 10, 1986(1986-12-10) (aged 81)
Laguna Hills, California, U.S.
Playing career
1926–1928UCLA
Position(s)Halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1935–1944Los Angeles HS (CA)
1945–1948UCLA
1949–1967Caltech
Head coaching record
Overall42–136–2 (college football)
60–10–2 (high school football)
Bowls0–1

Bert F. LaBrucherie (January 19, 1905 – December 10, 1986)[1] was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1945 to 1948 and at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) from 1949 to 1967, compiling a career college football record of 42–136–2. LaBrucherie was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987.[2]

Playing career

LaBrucherie played varsity football for UCLA from 1926 to 1928.

Football coaching career

After graduating from UCLA in 1929, LaBrucherie coached the football team at Los Angeles High School, his alma mater. As head coach from 1935 to 1944, he had a 60–10–2 record.[3] His team won three "B" team league titles and seven "A" team championships. From 1945 to 1948, he was the head coach for the UCLA Bruins. He then served as the head coach at Caltech from 1949 to 1967. His 1946 UCLA Bruins team lost to Illinois in the 1947 Rose Bowl.

LaBrucherie's overall record at UCLA was 23–16. In his second year as head coach, the Bruins were Pacific Coast Conference champions, and lost to Illinois in the Rose Bowl.[4] LaBrucherie coached the Caltech Beavers for 19 years in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.[5] Though the Caltech coaching position was less demanding, Coach LaBrucherie once explained in an interview that sometimes the players would "line up with the wrong team."[6] Caltech canceled its football program after the 1993 season, and its last football coach was Wendell Jack.

Other sports

Also while at Caltech, LaBrucherie coached track and cross country. Under his leadership, the track team posted an overall record of 107–105. After resigning as the head football coach at Caltech, he coached cross country from 1968 until his retirement in 1973.[5]

Head coaching record

College football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs AP#
UCLA Bruins (Pacific Coast Conference) (1945–1948)
1945 UCLA 5–4 2–3 5th
1946 UCLA 10–1 7–0 1st L Rose 4
1947 UCLA 5–4 4–2 4th
1948 UCLA 3–7 2–6 8th
UCLA: 23–16 15–11
Caltech Beavers (Southern California Conference / Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1949–1967)
1949 Caltech 0–6–1 0–4 5th
1950 Caltech 1–6 0–4 5th
1951 Caltech 2–5 1–3 T–4th
1952 Caltech 0–7 0–4 5th
1953 Caltech 0–7 0–4 5th
1954 Caltech 0–7 0–4 5th
1955 Caltech 1–6 0–4 5th
1956 Caltech 3–5 0–4 5th
1957 Caltech 4–3 1–2 4th
1958 Caltech 2–5–1 0–4 5th
1959 Caltech 1–7 1–4 5th
1960 Caltech 0–8 0–5 5th
1961 Caltech 1–6 NA NA
1962 Caltech 1–6 0–3 6th
1963 Caltech 2–6 NA NA
1964 Caltech 1–6 0–3 6th
1965 Caltech 0–7 0–4 6th
1966 Caltech 0–9 0–5 6th
1967 Caltech 0–8 0–5 6th
Caltech: 19–120–2 3–66
Total: 42–136–2
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

  1. ^ "LaBrucherie, Former Coach of UCLA, Dies". Los Angeles Times. December 11, 1986.
  2. ^ "UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame". Retrieved March 30, 2010.
  3. ^ "Los Angeles High School". Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  4. ^ "Coach LaBrucherie 1946 Record". Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  5. ^ a b "The Month at Caltech - June 1973" (PDF). Retrieved December 2, 2007.
  6. ^ "The Purists". Time. May 16, 1955. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
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