Chester Leland Brewer (November 26, 1875 – April 16, 1953)[1] was an American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field coach and athletic director. He served as the head football coach at Albion College (1899–1902), Michigan Agricultural College—now known as Michigan State University (1903–1910, 1917, 1919), the University of Missouri (1911–1913), and the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture—now known as the University of California, Davis (1922), compiling a career record of 97–51–4. Brewer was also the head basketball coach at Michigan Agricultural (1903–1910), Missouri (1910–1911) and Northern Branch (1922–1923), tallying a mark of 84–36, and the head baseball coach at Michigan Agricultural (1904–1910, 1918–1920) and Missouri (1911, 1914–1917, 1933–1934), amassing a record of 148–93–4.

Chester Brewer
Biographical details
Born(1875-11-26)November 26, 1875
Owosso, Michigan, U.S.
DiedApril 16, 1953(1953-04-16) (aged 77)
Columbia, Missouri, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1896Wisconsin
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1899–1902Albion
1903–1910Michigan Agricultural
1911–1913Missouri
1917Michigan Agricultural
1919Michigan Agricultural
1922Cal Aggies
Basketball
1903–1910Michigan Agricultural
1910–1911Missouri
1922–1923Cal Aggies
Baseball
1904–1910Michigan Agricultural
1911Missouri
1914–1917Missouri
1918–1920Michigan Agricultural
1933–1934Missouri
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1911–1917Missouri
1919–1922Michigan Agricultural
1923–1935Missouri
Head coaching record
Overall97–51–4 (football)
84–36 (basketball)
148–93–4 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
3 MIAA (1900, 1903, 1905)
1 Missouri Valley (1913)

Coaching career

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From 1903 to 1910, and in 1917 and 1919, Brewer coached football at Michigan Agricultural College, where he compiled a 58–23–7 record, making him one of the school's most prolific coaches.

From 1911 to 1913, he coached football at the University of Missouri, where he compiled a 14–8–2 record. During his years at the Missouri, Brewer fulfilled many roles. He was hired as athletic director in 1910 and wasted little time in leaving his mark at the university, as he was one of the founding members of the M Men's Club. He founded the club on the eve of the 1911 football game against Kansas, and the organization became the sponsor for intramural sports championships at the university. Brewer was also the coach of the 1911 baseball team, which had an 8–3 record. He assumed the leadership of the baseball team a second time from 1914 to 1917 and achieved a 49–15–3 record. He remained at the Missouri until 1917 and at different periods also coached basketball and track. Brewer is also credited with beginning the homecoming tradition at the University of Missouri and the entire nation with the 1911 Kansas vs. Missouri football game.

Brewer left Missouri at the end of the 1917 school year to serve in World War I. He spent the next year directing training camp activities at universities around the country. He returned to Michigan Agricultural College after the war. In 1922, he coached football at the Northern Branch of the College of Agriculture in Davis, California, where he compiled a 3–4–2 record.

Brewer returned to Missouri in 1923 and was named athletic director and a professor of physical education. His second tenure as athletic director lasted until 1935. During these twelve years of leadership, he helped oversee the construction of Brewer Fieldhouse, which was named for him on February 8, 1930. Brewer also coached the Missouri Tigers baseball team one final time from 1933 to 1934 and finished with a 12–17 record. His final record as Missouri's baseball coach was 69–32–3.

Later life and death

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Brewer remained with the university as a professor until his death. He died on April 16, 1953, at the age of 77 in Columbia, Missouri.[2]

Head coaching record

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Football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Albion (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1899–1902)
1899 Albion 3–5
1900 Albion 6–1–2 5–0–1 1st
1901 Albion 7–4–1 5–3–1
1902 Albion 4–6
Albion: 20–16–3
Michigan Agricultural Aggies (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1903–1906)
1903 Michigan Agricultural 6–1–1 4–1 T–1st
1904 Michigan Agricultural 8–1
1905 Michigan Agricultural 10–2 5–0 1st
1906 Michigan Agricultural 7–2–2
Michigan Agricultural Aggies (Independent) (1907–1910)
1907 Michigan Agricultural 4–2–1
1908 Michigan Agricultural 6–0–2
1909 Michigan Agricultural 9–1
1910 Michigan Agricultural 6–1
Missouri Tigers (Missouri Valley Conference) (1911–1913)
1911 Missouri 2–4–2 0–2–2 5th
1912 Missouri 5–3 2–3 4th
1913 Missouri 7–1 4–0 T–1st
Missouri: 14–8–2 6–5–2
Michigan Agricultural Aggies (Independent) (1917)
1917 Michigan Agricultural 0–9
Michigan Agricultural Aggies (Independent) (1919)
1919 Michigan Agricultural 4–4–1
Michigan Agricultural: 60–23–7
Cal Aggies (Independent) (1922)
1922 Cal Aggies 3–4–2
Cal Aggies: 3–4–2
Total: 97–51–14
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Standard Certificate of Death : Chester Leland Brewer" (PDF). Sos.mo.gov. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  2. ^ "C. L. Brewer" (PDF). The New York Times. Associated Press. April 17, 1953. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
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