ALFRED, NY – The late Alex Yunevich, legendary former head football coach at Alfred University, is up for consideration for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
 
The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Hall of Fame recently announced its finalists for the 2017 College Football Hall of Fame Class and Yunevich is one of more than 200 former coaches and players on the ballot. The ballot includes 75 former plays and six former coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I) and 95 former players and 29 former coaches from the divisional ranks (Division 1-AA, II and III).
 
NFF Press Release on 2017 Hall of Fame Ballot
 
Yunevich coached the Saxons 36 seasons from 1937-41 and 1946-76, compiling a career record of 177-85-12. The 177 career coaching wins are a school record. AU suspended its football program for four seasons (1942-45) during World War II, when Yunevich served as a lieutenant commander with the United States Navy.
 
During his tenure, the Saxons fielded six unbeaten teams (four of them untied as well), including the 7-0-0 squad from his inaugural coaching season of 1937. His 1940 and 1952 teams both went 6-0-1 and the 1955 (8-0-0) and 1956 (7-0-0) Saxons had consecutive unbeaten seasons, combining for a 15-0-0 record. His last unbeaten year came in 1971, when the Saxons went 8-0-0 and claimed the Lambert Bowl Championship, awarded to the top small college team in the East. In 36 years at the Saxons' helm, AU posted losing records just six times.
 
The Washington Touchdown Club named Yunevich Small College Coach of the Year in 1956, and the New York Football Writers named him Small College Coach of the East in 1971, when he guided the Saxons to the Lambert Bowl title.
 
Yunevich coached 40 players now enshrined in the Alfred University Athletics Hall of Fame, and was himself inducted in 1975. He coached 16 All-Americans, including four First Team selections and six two-time honorees.
 
He retired from coaching at age 66, following the conclusion of the 1976 season. A native of Bicknell, Ind., Yunevich was an All-American and All-Big 10 fullback at Purdue University, playing on the Boilermakers' 1929 unbeaten conference championship team. He held coaching jobs at Lehigh (as an assistant in 1933) and Central Michigan (as head coach from 1934-36) before coming to AU prior to the 1937 campaign.
 
Yunevich passed away at age 82 on Jan. 28, 1992. Alfred University's Merrill Field – home to the football, soccer and lacrosse teams – was renamed Yunevich Stadium in his honor prior to the 2013 season.