Glenn Franklin Thistlethwaite (March 18, 1885 â October 6, 1956) was an American football, basketball, baseball, and track and field coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Illinois College (1908), Earlham College (1909âÂÂ1912), Northwestern University (1922âÂÂ1926), the University of WisconsinâÂÂMadison (1927âÂÂ1931), Carroll CollegeâÂÂnow known as Carroll UniversityâÂÂin Waukesha, Wisconsin (1932âÂÂ1933), and the University of Richmond (1934âÂÂ1941), compiling a career college football record of 117âÂÂ74âÂÂ16. Coaching at Northwestern from 1922 to 1926, Thistlethwaite compiled a 21âÂÂ17âÂÂ1 record, making him one of the most successful coaches in Northwestern Wildcats football history. In 1926, his team won a share of the Big Ten Conference title, only the second in school history, and his tenure sparked a revival in Northwestern football after a post-World War I decline. From 1927 to 1931, Thistlethwaite coached at Wisconsin, tallying a 26âÂÂ16âÂÂ3 mark. From 1934 to 1941, he coached at Richmond, where he oversaw the school's entry into the Southern Conference in 1936. Born in Franklin, Indiana in 1885, Thistlethwaite died at the age of 71, on October 6, 1956, of a heart attack at a hospital in Richmond, Virginia.
Thistlethwaite was the 15th head football coach at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and held that position for five seasons, from 1922 until 1926. His record at Northwestern was 21âÂÂ17âÂÂ1.
Thistlethwaite was the 17th head football coach at Carroll CollegeâÂÂnow known as Carroll UniversityâÂÂin Waukesha, Wisconsin and held that position for two seasons, from 1932 until 1933. His record at Carroll College was 10âÂÂ2âÂÂ1.