Al Kircher

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American baseball, basketball, and football player and coach

title: "Al Kircher" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1909-births", "2004-deaths", "american-men's-basketball-players", "michigan-state-spartans-baseball-coaches", "michigan-state-spartans-baseball-players", "michigan-state-spartans-football-coaches", "michigan-state-spartans-football-players", "michigan-state-spartans-men's-basketball-coaches", "michigan-state-spartans-men's-basketball-players", "washington-state-cougars-football-coaches", "united-states-army-personnel-of-world-war-ii", "people-from-gladstone,-michigan", "coaches-of-american-football-from-michigan", "players-of-american-football-from-michigan", "basketball-coaches-from-michigan", "basketball-players-from-michigan", "baseball-coaches-from-michigan", "baseball-players-from-michigan", "military-personnel-from-michigan", "20th-century-american-sportsmen"] description: "American baseball, basketball, and football player and coach" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Kircher" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American baseball, basketball, and football player and coach ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox college coach"]

FieldValue
nameAl Kircher
birth_date
birth_placeTurtle Lake, Wisconsin, U.S.
death_date
death_placeSalem, Oregon, U.S.
player_years11931–1933
player_team1Michigan State
player_positionsQuarterback (football),
Guard (basketball),
Outfielder (baseball)
coach_sport1Football
coach_years21939–1949
coach_team2Michigan State (assistant)
coach_years31950–1951
coach_team3Washington State (backfield)
coach_years41952–1955
coach_team4Washington State
coach_sport5Basketball
coach_years61939–1949
coach_team6Michigan State (assistant)
coach_years71949–1950
coach_team7Michigan State
coach_sport8Baseball
coach_years91940–1950
coach_team9Michigan State (assistant)
overall_record13–25–2 (football)
4–18 (basketball)
::

| name = Al Kircher | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = Salem, Oregon, U.S. | alma_mater = | player_years1 = 1931–1933 | player_team1 = Michigan State | player_positions = Quarterback (football), Guard (basketball), Outfielder (baseball) | coach_sport1 = Football | coach_years2 = 1939–1949 | coach_team2 = Michigan State (assistant) | coach_years3 = 1950–1951 | coach_team3 = Washington State (backfield) | coach_years4 = 1952–1955 | coach_team4 = Washington State | coach_sport5 = Basketball | coach_years6 = 1939–1949 | coach_team6 = Michigan State (assistant) | coach_years7 = 1949–1950 | coach_team7 = Michigan State | coach_sport8 = Baseball | coach_years9 = 1940–1950 | coach_team9 = Michigan State (assistant) | overall_record = 13–25–2 (football) 4–18 (basketball) | bowl_record = | tournament_record = | championships = | awards = | coaching_records = Alton S. Kircher (December 5, 1909 – November 1, 2004)-- was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach.

Early years

Born in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin, Kircher grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Gladstone. He was a star athlete at Gladstone High School and then attended Michigan State College in East Lansing, where he earned nine letters in football, basketball, and baseball for the Spartans. Kircher was the quarterback on the football team and the captain of the basketball team. An outfielder in baseball, he had a batting average of .430 (37 for 86) in 1933.

Coaching career

Kircher began his coaching career in Michigan at Trout Creek High School in 1935 as the basketball coach, and won two state titles (class D), in 1935 and 1937. Kircher moved to Marquette in 1937 and coached at Marquette High School (Graveraet).

Kircher returned to his alma mater, Michigan State, as an assistant coach in three sports from 1939 to 1950, and was head basketball coach for 1949–50 season. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army and was wounded during the Normandy invasion, earning a Purple Heart. He was later awarded a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars.

When fellow Spartan assistant Forest Evashevski was hired as the head football coach at Washington State College of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1950, Kircher followed him west and joined his staff in Pullman as backfield coach. but was promoted and stayed on the Palouse as the 20th head coach of the Cougar football program.

Kircher's Cougars were 4–6 in each of his first three seasons, but fell to 1–7–2 in 1955 and he was fired days after the final game, a loss to rival Washington. His overall record for four seasons was 13–25–2.

After coaching

Kircher was relieved of his head coaching duties in November 1955 with a year remaining on his five-year contract, at $12,500 per year. He and his family operated it for nearly two decades, then moved to Las Vegas and later to Salem, Oregon.

Death

Kircher died in 2004 at a nursing home in Salem, at age 94.

Honors and awards

Kircher was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in Michigan in 1985. He was added to the Gladstone High School hall of fame in 2013.

Head coaching record

College basketball

| type = coach | conference = | postseason = | poll = no | name = Michigan State Spartans | conference = Independent | startyear = 1949 | endyear = 1950 | season = 1949–50 | name = Michigan State | overall = 4–18 | conference = | confstanding = | postseason = | name = Michigan State | overall = 4–18 () | confrecord = | overall = 4–18 () | legend = no

College football

| name = Washington State Cougars | conf = Pacific Coast Conference | startyear = 1952 | endyear = 1955 | championship = | year = 1952 | name = Washington State | overall = 4–6 | conference = 3–4 | confstanding = 5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | championship = | year = 1953 | name = Washington State | overall = 4–6 | conference = 3–4 | confstanding = 5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | championship = | year = 1954 | name = Washington State | overall = 4–6 | conference = 3–4 | confstanding = 5th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | championship = | year = 1955 | name = Washington State | overall = 1–7–2 | conference = 1–5–1 | confstanding = T–7th | bowlname = | bowloutcome = | bcsbowl = | ranking = no | ranking2 = no | name = Washington State | overall = 13–25–2 | confrecord = 10–17–1 | overall = 13–25–2 | bowls = no | poll = no | polltype = | legend = no

References

References

  1. "Alton Kircher". Find the Best.
  2. Vautier, Mike. (November 19, 1954). "Life, times of Al Kircher". WSC Daily Evergreen.
  3. (August 20, 2013). "Gladstone High School announces 2013 Athletic Hall of Fame class". Daily Press.
  4. (January 15, 1952). "Al Kircher accepts Washington State football post". Seattle Daily Chronicle.
  5. Boni, Bill. (August 2, 1960). "When Kircher scored all the points". Spokesman-Review.
  6. (2014). "Basketball: media guide". Michigan State University Athletics.
  7. (2014). "Baseball: record book". Michigan State University Athletics.
  8. "Boys Basketball Champions 1925-2014". Michigan High School Athletic Association.
  9. [http://www.upshf.com Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame]
  10. (December 8, 2004). "Former Cougar Grid Coach Kircher Passes Away". Washington State University Athletics.
  11. (January 31, 1950). "It's official! Washington State names Evashevski to head grid job". Spokesman-Review.
  12. (January 11, 1952). "Evy to receive $15,000 at Iowa". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
  13. (November 22, 1955). "WSC may revise policy on gridiron contracts". Seattle Daily Chronicle.
  14. Boni, Bill. (November 23, 1955). "WSC opens coach hunt". Spokesman-Review.
  15. (November 22, 1955). "Cougars fire Kircher after miserable year". Eugene Register-Guard.
  16. link. (2011-07-14 '' Washington State University all-time football records)
  17. [http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/pac10/washington_state/coaching_records.php Washington State Cougars coaching records] {{webarchive. link. (2014-11-15)
  18. (January 26, 1956). "Kircher to run Pullman motel". Spokane Daily Chronicle.
  19. (March 13, 1956). "Kircher has more at 'steak' now". Milwaukee Sentinel.
  20. (December 8, 2004). "Former Washington State coach Al Kircher dies". ESPN.
  21. Smith, Craig. (December 8, 2004). "Notebook: Former WSU coach Kircher, 95, dies". Seattle Times.

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1909-births2004-deathsamerican-men's-basketball-playersmichigan-state-spartans-baseball-coachesmichigan-state-spartans-baseball-playersmichigan-state-spartans-football-coachesmichigan-state-spartans-football-playersmichigan-state-spartans-men's-basketball-coachesmichigan-state-spartans-men's-basketball-playerswashington-state-cougars-football-coachesunited-states-army-personnel-of-world-war-iipeople-from-gladstone,-michigancoaches-of-american-football-from-michiganplayers-of-american-football-from-michiganbasketball-coaches-from-michiganbasketball-players-from-michiganbaseball-coaches-from-michiganbaseball-players-from-michiganmilitary-personnel-from-michigan20th-century-american-sportsmen