The record for the most consecutive undefeated seasons by a college football coach had its beginning in North Dakota.

Coach Gil Dobie's teams had gone undefeated for 11 years before one of his teams suffered a loss. His first two years, with no defeats, were at the North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University).

He then went to the University of Washington, where his teams went undefeated for another nine years.

By the time Dobie retired in 1938, after 33 years of coaching, his teams were 179-43 with 15 ties for a .780 lifetime winning percentage, one of the best in the history of college football coaching.

He also was a charter member of the 1951 college football hall of fame.

Gilmour Dobie was born Jan. 21, 1879, and grew up in Hastings, Minn.

His family was poor, but Dobie found success and satisfaction on the football field. He was recruited by the University of Minnesota and played end in his first year.

The next year, 1900, Dobie was converted to quarterback, and the U of M won its first Big Ten championship.

After graduating in 1901, Dobie entered law school and was named assistant coach of the U of M football team for the next two years. After earning his law degree, he became coach of Southside High School in Minneapolis, where his teams went undefeated the next two seasons.

In 1906, Dobie was recruited to coach the NDAC football team. Practice sessions were vigorous and demanding.

Dobie employed many synchronized movements with each play and expected them to be carried out with precision.

Because practice sessions did not always go exactly as planned, Dobie became doubtful of the outcome prior to the game.

His eternal pessimism earned him the nickname "Gloomy Gil."

The first game of 1906 was against NDAC's archrival, the University of North Dakota. The Fargo team won 32-4. However, relations between the two schools became strained, probably because of Dobie's maniacal obsession with winning.

UND announced it would no longer schedule games with NDAC "in the interest of good fellowship." Later in the season, NDAC trounced Carleton College of Minnesota, 23-0, and South Dakota State 61-0.

After two years of coaching at NDAC, Dobie had a perfect 7-0 record with most of the scores being very lopsided.

In 1907, the University of Washington had just come off a .500 season. They were looking for a new head football coach who could put together a winning team. Their athletic manager recommended Dobie with a report, "He's maybe a little rough," but, under his leadership, the team will win games.

When Dobie arrived, he soon alienated the sportswriters, alumni and faculty by closing practice sessions. His cold, calculating style also intimidated the players. He let them know that if they did not follow his instructions exactly the way he outlined them, they were off the team.

The players feared Dobie, but they respected his knowledge of the game.

Dobie coached at Washington from 1908 to1916. During those nine seasons; his team went 58-0 with three ties.

Once again, most of his team's victories were lopsided.

Winning was not enough to Dobie; every play needed to be carried out with precision.

This became evident in a game against the University of California in 1915, when his team won 72-0. Dobie was furious with his team and made all the players run 20 laps around the field following the game.

To Dobie, football was everything.

He once suggested to the National Collegiate Athletic Association "that football was becoming so complicated and time-consuming that players should not be required to attend classes."

This attitude clearly became evident in 1916. One of his star players was caught cheating on a history test, and the faculty committee recommended that the player be suspended for the rest of that season and all of the next season.

Dobie ignored the recommendation and utilized the player in the next game, the final one of the season. For his action, Dobie was fired by the president of the university.

Dobie coached the Navy football team from 1917 to 1919, compiling a 17-3 record and quit because, "Too many admirals (are) trying to run football at Navy."

He then went to Cornell, where he coached from 1920 to 1935. His overall record was 82-36, with seven ties, and his teams from 1921 to 1923 were undefeated.

Once again, Dobie got in a fight with the administration and was fired.

He finished out his coaching career at Boston College, where from 1936 to 1938 he compiled a 16-6 record with five ties. Gilmour Dobie died Dec. 23, 1948.

(Written by Curt Eriksmoen and edited by Jan Eriksmoen. Reach the Eriksmoens at cjeriksmoen@;cableone.net.)