Stephen Sebo (July 15, 1914 – December 10, 1989)[1] was an American football and baseball player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He played baseball and football at Michigan State University, from which he graduated in 1937. He then played minor league baseball and coached sports at Petoskey High School in Petoskey, Michigan. During the World War II era, he served in the United States Army Air Forces and was discharged after 5 years with the rank of major.[2][3] After the war, Sebo was the head football coach at Alma College from 1946 to 1948 and at the University of Pennsylvania from 1954 to 1959, compiling a career college football record of 33–42–2.

Steve Sebo
Biographical details
Born(1914-07-15)July 15, 1914
DiedDecember 10, 1989(1989-12-10) (aged 75)
Playing career
Football
1934–1936Michigan State
Baseball
1935–1937Michigan State
1937Alexandria Aces
1939Big Spring Barons
Position(s)Halfback (football)
Catcher (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1937–1939Petoskey HS (MI)
1944Amarillo AAF (backfield)
1946–1948Alma
1949Harvard (backfield)
1950–1953Michigan State (backfield)
1954–1959Penn
Basketball
1937–1940Petoskey HS (MI)
1946–1949Alma
Baseball
1938–1940Petoskey HS (MI)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1948Alma
1960–1962New York Titans (GM)
1962–1970Virginia
Head coaching record
Overall33–42–2 (college football)
36–24 (college basketball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 MIAA (1948)
1 Ivy (1959)

The highlight of Sebo's tenure at Penn was the 1959 season, in which the Quakers won their first Ivy League championship. As it turned out, even that wasn't enough to save his job; school officials had already decided before the season that his contract would not be renewed.[4]

He also coached basketball at Alma from 1946 to 1949, tallying a mark of 36–24. After Sebo was fired from his post at Penn following the 1959 season, he became the general manager of the New York Titans, a newly formed team of the upstart American Football League that was renamed as the New York Jets in 1963. Sebo left the Titans in 1962 to become the athletic director at the University of Virginia.[5]

Head coaching record

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College football

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Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Alma Scots (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1946–1948)
1946 Alma 2–5 2–3 T–4th
1947 Alma 5–2–1 2–2–1 4th
1948 Alma 8–0 5–0 1st
Alma: 15–7–1 9–5–1
Penn Quakers (Independent) (1954–1955)
1954 Penn 0–9
1955 Penn 0–9
Penn Quakers (Ivy League) (1956–1959)
1956 Penn 4–5 4–3 T–3rd
1957 Penn 3–6 3–4 T–4th
1958 Penn 4–5 4–3 T–4th
1959 Penn 7–1–1 6–1 1st
Penn: 18–35–1 17–11
Total: 33–42–2
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

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  1. ^ "Steve Sebo". Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  2. ^ "Michigan State Hires Sebo as Backfield Coach". Argus-Press. Associated Press. February 8, 1950. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  3. ^ "Steve Sebo Minor League Statistics & History". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 30, 2010.
  4. ^ "40 years ago, Penn won magical first Ivy title".
  5. ^ Briordy, William J. (January 23, 1962). "Sebo Resigns as Titan General Manager for Position at Virginia". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2010.