Best college football coach in history from each state

TUSCALOOSA, AL - CIRCA 1958-1982: Paul Bryant, head coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team observes the play during a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Alabama) (Photo by University of Alabama/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /

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FAIRBANKS, AK – JANUARY 08: The Aurora Borealis appears in the sky on January 8, 2017 near Ester Dome mountain about 10 miles west of Fairbanks, Alaska. The Aurora Borealis is a result of the interaction between solar wind and the earth’s magnetosphere. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

Alaska: Bernard Sturgulewski

As Alaska currently has no college football teams at any level, finding the best coach in the history of The Last Frontier takes some digging.

There is a pair of Division II colleges in Alaska with athletic programs, but travel logistics and harsh weather make it nearly impossible to have a football team. To find any shred of college football history in the state requires going back to the Ice Bowl, an annual game held between teams from Alaska Fairbanks and Ladd Air Force Base from 1949-1952.

A pair of sportswriters dreamed up the game, which was held on New Year’s Day alongside more traditional contests such as the Rose Bowl. Sturgulewski served as a player-coach for Fairbanks in at least the initial Ice Bowl, helping him take the top spot in The Last Frontier by default.

As expected, the conditions made it impossible for either team to generate offense, and the Ice Bowl ended in a 0-0 tie in both 1949 and 1951. Fairbanks scored the first Ice Bowl points in 1950 en route to a 3-0 win, while Ladd got revenge in the final edition of the game with a 47-0 beatdown.

There is some support for Fairbanks to start up a college football program, but the cost makes it a long shot, as the Nanooks have focused their athletic resources on hockey and skiing. While little information is known about the Ice Bowl series outside of the final scores, it remains an important part of Alaska college sports history.

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