Members
Inductee
KRUEGER, BERNIE
KRUEGER, BERNIE
Born on January 12, 1926
Hammond, IN
March 8, 2016.
Inducted On
May 16, 1976
Location Inducted
East Chicago, IN
Region Number
1
Hammond
Coach
Hammond
1944
3-year letterman in football; All-Conference, All-State in 1942, 1943; All-Conference hurdler and 880 relay in track; All-State Relay Champion in 1944.
University of Illinois 1948
1948
4-year football letterman; Big 10 and Rose Bowl Champions 1946-1947; 2nd Team Quarterback Big 10 in 1948-1949; best passing percentage in Big 10 1948; Most Valuable Player for North in 1949 in Blue-Gray Game with Coach Ray Eliot.
Had the fine opportunity of coaching against Hall of Fame Coaches Karl Huffine, Ray Gallivan, Pete Rucinski, Herman Byer, Russ Deal, and former IFCA president, Jules Siegle; speaker at clinics at Purdue, IU, and Northwestern, and before IHSAA coaches; inducted into Hammond Sports Hall of Fame 1989; Hammond HS football field named in his honor September 16, 2005; honored with Lifetime Achievement Award by Hammond Sports Hall of Fame 2015.
First wife, Norma (deceased 1985); remarried 1987, Catherine; 9 children; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Professional Athletic Background: Drafted by New York Giants but did not accept; favored coaching instead.
Coaching Experience: Backfield coach at North Dakota State 1950-1952; coached at Irving JHS in Hammond in 1954, with record of 7-0-1 and City Champions; head coach at Hammond HS 1955-1972, with 18 year record of 113-45-12 (.700).
Coaching Honors: Indiana Coach of the Year 1962; 1958-1964 record was 53-7-6 including 2 mythical State Championships 1960 and 1962 and Northern Indiana Western Division Championships in 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963.
Outstanding Players Coached: Irv Cross, Northwestern; Frank Saculla, Don Brumm, George Papais, and Don Schwingendorf, Purdue; Del Kuchaes, Illinois; Ted Kaegebein, Wyoming.
Coaching Experience: Backfield coach at North Dakota State 1950-1952; coached at Irving JHS in Hammond in 1954, with record of 7-0-1 and City Champions; head coach at Hammond HS 1955-1972, with 18 year record of 113-45-12 (.700).
Coaching Honors: Indiana Coach of the Year 1962; 1958-1964 record was 53-7-6 including 2 mythical State Championships 1960 and 1962 and Northern Indiana Western Division Championships in 1956, 1958, 1960, 1962, 1963.
Outstanding Players Coached: Irv Cross, Northwestern; Frank Saculla, Don Brumm, George Papais, and Don Schwingendorf, Purdue; Del Kuchaes, Illinois; Ted Kaegebein, Wyoming.