Buck Shaw
A quiet architect of football's evolution, he coached the last pre-Super Bowl NFL champion and mentored a generation of leaders.
1899–1977 (age 78)·American football player and coach·Birthday: March 28·The Lost Generation
Biography
Lawrence 'Buck' Shaw's football life was a bridge between eras. He learned the game under the volcanic Knute Rockne at Notre Dame, playing on that first undefeated team, then carried those lessons west. His coaching journey was a steady, respected climb through the college ranks at Santa Clara and Cal, where he built disciplined, tough squads. Shaw's true legacy was sealed in the professional game, first with the San Francisco 49ers and finally with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 1960, steering a team led by the aging Norm Van Brocklin, he outmaneuvered Vince Lombardi's Packers to win the NFL Championship, the last title before the Super Bowl era dawned. He finished his career launching the program at the Air Force Academy, his gentlemanly demeanor belying a fierce competitive core that shaped the sport's transition into the modern age.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Buck was born in 1899, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Buck Was Born
The biggest hits of 1899
Buck's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1899Born
President: William McKinley
1904Started school
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Became a teenager
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Could drive
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could vote
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Turned 21
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1929Turned 30
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 40
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 50
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 60
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 70
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Died at 78
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
Key Achievements
- Coached the Philadelphia Eagles to the 1960 NFL Championship, the last title before the Super Bowl era.
- Served as the first head football coach for the United States Air Force Academy, establishing its program in 1958.
- Led Santa Clara University to victory in the 1937 Sugar Bowl, a major upset over LSU.
- Was a starting player on Knute Rockne's first undefeated team at the University of Notre Dame in 1919.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'Buck' was reportedly acquired in childhood due to his habit of running with his head down.
He was offered the head coaching job for the Green Bay Packers in 1959 but turned it down, a position later filled by Vince Lombardi.
He coached two Heisman Trophy winners: Angelo Bertelli at Notre Dame (as an assistant) and Joe Bellino at the Naval Academy (in an all-star game).
“Football isn't a complicated game unless you make it that way.”
