Fred Thomsen
Biographical details
Born
(1897-04-25)April 25, 1897
Minden, Nebraska, U.S.
Died
January 7, 1986(1986-01-07) (aged 88)
Springfield, Missouri, U.S.
Playing career
1920–1923
1924
Position(s)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1925–1926
1927–1928
Arkansas (assistant)
1929–1941
1949–1952
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1929–1942
Head coaching record
Overall
75–78–14 (college)
Bowls
0–0–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Fred Charles Thomsen (April 25, 1897 – January 7, 1986) was an American football player and coach. From 1929 to 1941, he was the head football coach at the University of Arkansas, compiling a record of 56–61–10. In 1949, he became the head football coach at Southwest Missouri State College, now Missouri State University, where he served until 1952. His record at Southwest Missouri State was 19–17–4. Thomsen's career record as a head coach was 75–78–4. Thomsen played for the Rock Island Independents in the National Football League (NFL) for one season in 1924.
In 1933, Thomsen's Razorbacks had the best record in the Southwest Conference, but Arkansas had to forfeit their first conference championship because Thomsen played Heinie Schleuter, an ineligible athlete. Schleuter had told Thomsen he could play, but actually had no remaining eligibility. A member of the SMU Mustangs noticed him as a former Nebraska Cornhusker, forcing the Hogs to give up their first conference title. The Razorbacks won their first conference championship in 1936. However, TCU received the Southwest Conference's bid to the first Cotton Bowl, leaving Arkansas out of the bowl picture. Thomsen popularized the forward pass at Arkansas, attempting over 300 aerials, which caught fire across the Southwest Conference. Thomsen used two quarterbacks, Dwight Sloan for wet weather, and Jack Robbins for dry.
Year
Team
Overall
Conference
Standing
Bowl/playoffs
AP#
Arkansas Razorbacks (Southwest Conference) (1929–1941)
7–2
3–2
3rd
3–6
2–2
5th
3–5–1
0–4
7th
1–6–2
1–4
7th
7–3–1
4–1
1st[n 1]
4–4–2
2–3–1
5th
5–5
2–4
5th
7–3
5–1
1st
18
6–2–2
3–2–1
3rd
14
2–7–1
1–5
T–6th
4–5–1
2–3–1
5th
4–6
1–5
6th
3–7
0–6
7th
Arkansas:
56–61–10
26–42–3
Southwest Missouri State
5–4–1
3–1–1
T–2nd
Southwest Missouri State
5–4–2
3–1–1
2nd
Southwest Missouri State
6–3–1
4–0–1
T–1st
Southwest Missouri State
3–6
1–4
T–5th
Southwest Missouri State:
19–17–4
11–6–3
Total:
75–78–14
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth
.
# denotes interim athletic director
# denotes interim head coach
