The Mysterious Disappearance of the NFL's Winningest Coach

When his coaching career ended almost 95 years ago, he was so successful that he remains today as the NFL’s winningest coach of all time.

He won four NFL titles in six years of coaching.

In those four championship seasons, he piled up a phenomenal 42-2-6 record, and did so with three different teams!

And yet, in his only season with the Chicago Cardinals, he stumbled with his first losing campaign and was fired before the end of the schedule, never to coach again.

In this episode of “When Football Was Football,” we’ll look at the incredible career of Guy Chamberlin, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While Chamberlin excelled as both a professional player and coach from 1919 through 1927, it was his mysterious departure from the Cardinals in 1927 that deserves a deeper look at this time.

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Winning Games at 86% Pace!

Prior to his release by the Cardinals in 1927, Chamberlin clearly established his superiority on the coaching sidelines. He won two NFL titles with Canton in 1922 and 1923, another with the Cleveland Bulldogs in 1924, and a final crown with the Frankford Yellow Jackets in 1926.

The only non-championship blemish during his unprecedented string of titles was in 1925 when he finished 13-7 with Frankford. So, for those initial five coaching seasons, Chamberlin compiled an overall 51-9-6 ledger. Since tie games did not count in the NFL standings at the time, Chamberlin was winning games at an 86 percent pace.

But there is some mystery to the numerous accomplishments of Coach Chamberlin. For example, why did he leave the champion Frankford team after the 1926 season for the downtrodden Cardinals? And then, why in the world would Cardinals owner Chris O’Brien cut ties with Chamberlin before he could complete the 1927 schedule?

There may be some unusual reasons for both of these questionable moves, although the opportunity for discovering specific proof has likely departed along with the parties involved in both situations.

Berlin Guy Chamberlin was born on January 16, 1894, in Blue Springs, NE. While he played football at tiny Blue Springs High School (and was the team captain), he was also known as a slugger on the Blue Springs town baseball team. In July of 1911, the Blue Springs Weekly Sentinel reported that “A home run by Guy Chamberlin with a man on base was a feature of the game” when Blue Springs toppled neighboring Wymore 8-4.

With limited options for playing sports in college, Chamberlin enrolled at Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1911. In the spring of 1912, the Beatrice Daily Sun marveled at Chamberlin’s early collegiate accomplishments: “He is one of the twirlers on the baseball team and in the annual field and track meet at Wesleyan, he won 19 points, one more than the highest score ever made before.”

On the gridiron, Chamberlin quickly earned plaudits by leading the Nebraska Wesleyan team to an undefeated season and the championship of the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The Omaha World Herald named the versatile Chamberlin (who played both halfback and end) to its All-Nebraska college team.

First All-American From Nebraska

After repeating as a member of the All-Nebraska honor squad in 1912, Chamberlin transferred to the much larger University of Nebraska. Despite sitting out the 1913 campaign due to his transfer, Chamberlin was a standout as Nebraska captured the Missouri Valley Conference championship in both 1914 and 1915.

During his senior season in 1915, Chamberlin scored 15 touchdowns as the Cornhuskers finished with a perfect 8-0 mark, including a 20-19 win over Notre Dame. It was no surprise that following the 1915 season, Chamberlin was the first member of a Nebraska team to be named an All-American.

However, Chamberlin’s journey to the professional ranks was a lengthy one, including a year spent helping out on the family farm, another as a high school teacher and coach, and finally a stint in the U.S. Army from May of 1918 to October of 1919. Upon discharge, Chamberlin signed on with Jim Thorpe and the Canton Bulldogs, providing Chamberlin with a taste of the professional grid game.

In early 1920, George Halas was hired to further develop the Decatur Staleys football team and one of his first recruiting targets was the versatile Guy Chamberlin. The Staleys, of course, were part of the inaugural group of teams in the new American Professional Football Association, soon to become known as the National Football League. Chamberlin worked full-time at the Staley plant and played on the company’s football, basketball, and baseball teams.

The 6-2 Nebraskan started all 12 games at end for the champion Staleys (9-1-1) in 1921 and tallied three touchdowns. According to author Mark Sorensen: “None was bigger than his interception and 90-yard run back in Cubs Park on December 4 to defeat the Buffalo All-Stars to clinch the national championship, his first of five as a player.” George Halas later wrote of Chamberlin: “He was the best two-way end I’ve ever seen. He was a tremendous tackler on defense and a triple-threat performer on offense.”

In 1922, Chamberlin was coaxed into becoming the player/coach of the Canton Bulldogs. He pushed the Bulldogs on the defensive side and the club captured the NFL title with a 10-0-2 record while allowing just 15 points in those dozen contests. Chamberlin repeated that championship feat in 1923 when Canton remained undefeated with an 11-0-1 record and grabbed another NFL title. Could he do it again in 1924?

Of course! Although the Bulldogs were now based in Cleveland, Chamberlin led the club to a 7-1-1 ledger and a third straight NFL crown. Chamberlin’s remarkable record with the Bulldogs over three years and in two cities was a mind-boggling 28-1-4! And yet, following the 1924 season, Chamberlin departed the Bulldogs for still another player/coach position, this time with the Frankford Yellow Jackets.

The determined new coach reported early for his own practice sessions in 1925 and quickly issued a warning to his players (including himself) as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer: “They’ll have to fight for their jobs and that includes me!”

Chamberlin's System Is Bringing Great Results

Frankford jumped out to a 9-1 record in 1925 and the local media was impressed with Chamberlin’s coaching style. The Philadelphia Inquirer stated: “Chamberlin’s system of preparing a certain style of play for each game is bringing great results. The Frankford mentor is familiar with the various styles used by other league teams and every week grounds his men in the best way to battle with the opposing eleven.”

But a series of injuries, including one to Chamberlin himself, detoured the championship hopes of Frankford down the stretch as the team struggled to a 13-7 league finish. Not to be deterred, Chamberlin returned to Frankford in 1926 and blitzed through the NFL with a 14-1-2 record, safely ahead of the Chicago Bears, who finished with a 12-1-3 mark. Since ties did not count in the standings in 1926, Frankford snatched the NFL title based on those two extra wins.

The turning point for the season was the Yellow Jackets’ 7-6 victory over the Bears on December 4, 1926, that ensured Chamberlin’s fourth NFL championship as a coach and fifth as a player. His performance on the field did not suffer during this impressive stretch as he was continually chosen to the All-Pro team.

Chamberlin Did Not Deny The Rumors

However, immediately after the 1926 title was decided, there were rumors that he would leave Frankford. The likely destinations were with the New York Giants or the Green Bay Packers, to which Chamberlin responded: “I have nothing to say. It is a long time between now and next football season and I may decide to do something which I may not even have in my mind at the present time.”

In other words, Chamberlin did not deny the rumors, which also mentioned that several Frankford players would follow Chamberlin wherever he landed. But on August 9, 1927, the Chicago Cardinals introduced Chamberlin as the team’s new head coach. Apparently, it was not a surprise as the Intelligence Journal newspaper reported: “This news [about Chamberlin] was announced yesterday, although known to followers of pro football for several months.” But why?

One solid theory was that the Frankford organization experienced a change at the top at the conclusion of the 1926 season when the president of the managing Frankford Athletic Association resigned and was replaced by the organization’s attorney.

There may have been a difference in viewpoints between Chamberlin and the new boss and it may have been over money, not an unusual occurrence in professional sports. In my humble opinion, it was probably about money but not in the usual sense. It was not because Chamberlin jumped to the Cardinals for significantly more money because the Cards were nearly broke in 1927.

Rather, the new Frankford president may not have wished to pay fair wages to the players that Chamberlin wished to retain for the Yellow Jackets in 1927. Instead of fleeing for more cash, Chamberlin was perhaps seeking refuge with a new team that might present him with a new challenge and thus sparing him from avoiding the dismantling of his previous championship club, due to lack of adequate financial support.

Chamberlin Received A Great Ovation

Indeed, the Chicago Cardinals were woeful in 1927, finishing 3-7-1 although Chamberlin was gone before the final two games were played. He was replaced by team captain Ben Jones for the last two contests.

Chamberlin’s record was 2-6-1 before his firing by owner Chris O’Brien following a 28-7 loss against the Giants in New York on November 20, 1927. The day before on November 19, 1927, the Cardinals were edged by Frankford 12-8.

During this game, Chamberlin was honored by the still adoring Frankford fans who presented him with a gold watch and basket of flowers upon his first trip back to the area after winning the 1926 NFL title there. “Chamberlin received a great ovation when he stepped onto the gridiron,” wrote the Morning Call newspaper.

The release of Chamberlin when the team returned to Chicago was barely noticed by the local media with the Chicago Tribune simply stating prior to the Cardinals’ Thanksgiving battle with the Bears’ game on November 24:

“Dissatisfied with the showing of the Cardinals, Manager Chris O’Brien has changed his lineup for this morning’s game. Guy Chamberlin, Cardinal coach, has been released and the Cardinals will be directed by Ben Jones, captain of the team.”

Once again, this decision regarding Chamberlin was clouded and questionable. As with his departure from Frankford the previous year, there are no existing records regarding the reasons for the change. So—we’ll provide one (or two)!

Chamberlin Declared He Was Tired Of Pro Football

Based on interviews that Chamberlin gave around and after the time of his release from the Cardinals, he hinted broadly that he would welcome the opportunity to coach his old school, the University of Nebraska. In fact, Chamberlin provided a highly unusual guarantee that he would not accept any salary for his coaching expertise if Nebraska lost a single game during his initial season.

The Des Moines Register summarized the situation with Coach Chamberlin at the time: “Chamberlin declared he had tired of pro football and not only would like to coach at his alma mater but would guarantee to produce an all-victorious team his first year, regardless of schedule or accept no salary.”

It should be noted that at the time, however, anyone affiliated with a professional football team would not be allowed to coach (or officiate) a team in the Missouri Valley Conference. That regrettable rule would soon disappear, but Chamberlin’s role as a long-time professional player and coach would disqualify him from coaching Nebraska.

It is also reasonable to assume Cardinals’ owner Chris O’Brien was aware of Chamberlin’s restlessness. This may have contributed to a fracture in their relationship resulting in Chamberlin being banished from the south side of Chicago. In fact, the Post-Crescent newspaper in Wisconsin picked up a story shortly before the departure of Chamberlin that stated:

“The Cardinal coach isn’t used to getting beat. So far this season, the team has dropped more games than it has won and there is a bit of grumbling among the followers of the south siders.” Since it was rare that reporters interviewed fans back in 1927, the so-called “grumbling” may have been derived from Chris O’Brien himself.

There are famous legends of Bears’ owner George Halas writing up game summaries and hand-delivering these articles personally to newspaper offices in Chicago in hopes of securing some much-needed print space for his team. Again, it might be reasonable for O’Brien to plant his thoughts with specific media personnel before he finally took the plunge and fired Chamberlin.

It would have been unusual for O’Brien to do so, but possible, especially if he sensed his coach was already looking elsewhere for employment during the dismal 1927 season.

As it was, Chamberlin was never again a head coach on any level. He returned to farming and was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1962 and then the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1965. His head coaching record of 58-16-7 remains as the finest winning percentage (.784) of all time.

He was also selected as an end on the NFL’s “All-Decade” team for the 1920s. Thank you for joining us for this episode of “When Football Was Football” and we’d like to leave you with one final note. Most official sources credit Chamberlin with absorbing the record for all of the Cardinals games in 1927 (3-7-1).

The team did split two games after Chamberlin left, which should leave his record for the year at 2-6-1 and his all-time record at 57-15-7. Since ties did not count in the standings, Chamberlin’s revised winning percentage would now improve slightly to .792. Not much, but still the best!

Please join us next time on the Sports History Network as we examine the life and times of big Doug Atkins, the giant defensive end of the Chicago Bears. At 6-8, Atkins could go around defenders, jump over them, or simply run over a blocker!

Author and Host - Joe Ziemba

Joe Ziemba is the host of this show, and he is an author of early football history in the city of Chicago. Here, you can learn more about Joe and When Football Was Football, including all of the episodes of the podcast.