Benjamin Gilbert Owen (July 24, 1875—February 26, 1970) was an American head coach for the University of Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1905-1926.
Owen was born in Chicago in 1874. His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri when he was twelve. After he finished school, his family again moved, this time to Arkansas City, Kansas. Owen then served as an apprentice to a local doctor for three years. He then enrolled in the University of Kansas in 1...
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Benjamin Gilbert Owen (July 24, 1875—February 26, 1970) was an American head coach for the University of Oklahoma Sooners football team from 1905-1926.
Owen was born in Chicago in 1874. His family moved to St. Louis, Missouri when he was twelve. After he finished school, his family again moved, this time to Arkansas City, Kansas. Owen then served as an apprentice to a local doctor for three years. He then enrolled in the University of Kansas in 1897 to pursue his medical studies and he soon discovered his knack for football.
Owen was the star quarterback for Fielding Yost's undefeated 1899 Kansas Jayhawks team. Upon graduating, he took his first head coaching job at Washburn College. Following a one year stint there, he spent another one year as Yost's assistant at the University of Michigan. While at Michigan, he helped Yost develop the famous point-a-minutes team built around the great Willie Heston. He got his first exposure to the Oklahoma team while head coach at Bethany College...
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