Princeton Football Coach "Fritz" Crisler Moves to Michigan, 1938

Michigan's football helmet is surely one of the most instantly recognizable icons in college sports. The famous "winged" design dates from 1938 when Coach Herbert O. "Fritz" Crisler arrived from Princeton to begin a new era in Michigan football.

Crisler (January 12, 1899 in Earlsville, Illinois - August 19, 1982) was head football coach at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1947. He also coached at Princeton University (1932-1938) and the University of Minnesota (1930-1931). He played football at the University of Chicago under Amos Alonzo Stagg, who nicknamed him Fritz after violinist Fritz Kreisler.

After retiring from coaching, he served as the university's athletic director. At Michigan, Crisler won 71 games, lost 16, and tied one for a winning percentage of .805. Known for his innovative strategies, Crisler is credited with popularizing the two-platoon system, in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. At Michigan, Crisler is also well-known for the distinctive winged football helmet he introduced in 1938. The Michigan football team has worn a version of his design ever since. Crisler had first introduced the winged helmet at Princeton in 1935, whose football team also still wears that design.

Crisler's 1947 team, dubbed the "Mad Magicians," had an undefeated campaign, capping it off with a 49-0 Rose Bowl triumph over Southern California. Afterwards, the team was selected the national champion by the Associated Press in an unprecedented post-bowl vote. (Notre Dame, which was voted champion at the end of the regular season, disputes the validity of this vote.) Crisler Arena, home of the Michigan men's and women's basketball teams, was named for Crisler.