Bob Friedlund
| No. 85 | |
|---|---|
| Position | End |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 6, 1920 Galesburg, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | August 24, 1991 (aged 71) Indian River County, Florida, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Schenectady (Schenectady, New York) Peekskill Military Academy (Peekskill, New York) |
| College | Michigan State |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| Philadelphia Eagles (1946) | |
Coaching | |
| |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Robert Memler Friedlund (January 6, 1920 – August 24, 1991) was an American football player and coach. He played college football for Michigan State from 1938 to 1941, served on General Douglas MacArthur's staff during World War II, and worked as a coach and business executive after the war.
Early years
Friedlund was born in 1920 at Galesburg, Illinois. He attended Schenectady High School and the Peekskill Military Academy.[1]
Michigan State
Friedlund played college football at Michigan State College (now known as Michigan State University) from 1938 to 1941.[1]
Army and coaching career
Friedlund served in the Army during World War II. He was a liaison officer on General Douglas MacArthur's staff from 1942 to 1945.[2] After the war, Friedlund played professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles. He appeared in two games for the Eagles in 1946.[1][3][4] before being demoted to the Eagles' American Football League affiliate, the Bethlehem Bulldogs. He appeared in eight games for Bethlehem during the 1946 season.[5]
Coaching and later years
In 1947, Friedlund was hired as an assistant football coach at Drake University.[6]
Friedlund left coaching in the 1950s for a career in business. He held positions with General Motors Institute in Flint, Michigan, the Martin Aircraft Co. in Baltimore, Aeroquip Corp. in Jackson, Michigan, and as chairman of the product liability steering of Shea Managment Corp. in Pittsburgh. He lived in Battle Creek, Michigan, from 1968 to 1984. He was an executive with Clark Equipment Co. in Battle Creek.[2] In 1976, Friedlund returned to coaching as the head coach for Olivet.[7] He coached for one season before resigning after a winless 0–9 campaign.[7]
Friedlund moved to Vero Beach, Florida, in 1984. He died there in 1991.[2]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300th Infantry Sabers (Independent) (1943) | |||||||||
| 1943 | 300th Infantry | 5–3 | |||||||
| 300th Infantry: | 5–3 | ||||||||
| Olivet Comets (Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1976) | |||||||||
| 1976 | Olivet | 0–9 | 0–5 | 6th | |||||
| Olivet: | 0–9 | 0–5 | |||||||
| Total: | 5–12 | ||||||||
References
- ^ a b c "Bob Friedlund". Pro Football Archives. Retrieved February 21, 2026.
- ^ a b c "Former Clark exec Friedlund dies in Florida". Battle Creek Enquirer. August 28, 1991. p. 2A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bob Friedlund". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 3, 2015.
- ^ "Spartan End Making Good With Pro Eagles". The News-Palladium. August 7, 1946. p. 6.
- ^ "Bethlehem Bulldogs 'Pro' Player Named Grid Coach at Drake," Allentown Morning Call, Feb. 25, 1947; p. 14.
- ^ "Drake Adds Coaches to Handle Three Seasons". Iowa Press-Citizen. February 25, 1947.
- ^ a b "Friedlund resigns as Olivet football coach". Battle Creek Enquirer. November 3, 1976. p. 15. Retrieved May 11, 2025.