Joe Bedenk

Fred Joseph Bedenk (July 14, 1897 – May 2, 1978) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He served as the head baseball coach at Rice University from 1925 to 1926 and at Pennsylvania State University from 1931 to 1962. Bedenk was also the head football coach at Penn State for one season in 1949, tallying a mark of 5–4.

Joe Bedenk

Bedenk pictured in The Campanile 1926, Rice yearbook
Biographical details
Born	July 14, 1897
Died	May 2, 1978(1978-05-02) (aged 80) State College, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1921–1923	Penn State
Baseball
1922–1923	Penn State
Position(s)	Guard (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1924–1926	Rice (assistant)
1927–1928	Florida (line)
1929–1948	Penn State (assistant)
1949	Penn State
1950–1951	Penn State (assistant)
Baseball
1925–1926	Rice
1931–1962	Penn State
Head coaching record
Overall	5–4 (football) 391–171–3 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
First-team All-American (1923) Second-team All-American (1921) Third-team All-American (1922)

Playing career

Bedenk played guard for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team. He was elected team captain and earned All-America honors in 1923. He graduated from Penn State with a Bachelor of Arts in finance in 1924.

Coaching career

Bedenk served for several years as Penn state's line coach before being promoted to head coach for the 1949 season. After finishing the year at 5–4, Bedenk requested a return to coaching the line and the university brought in Rip Engle as head coach, and Engle's quarterback from Brown University, Joe Paterno as an assistant coach.

Death

Bedenk died on May 2, 1978, at the Mountainview Unit of Centre Community Hospital—now known as Mount Nittany Medical Center—in State College, Pennsylvania, following a long illness.

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Penn State Nittany Lions (Independent) (1949)
1949	Penn State	5–4
Penn State:		5–4
Total:		5–4