Hall of Fame
E.L. "DICK" ROMNEY
Sports: Athletics Director; Head Coach - Football, Men's Basketball, Baseball, Track & Field
Years: 1919-49
E.L. "Dick" Romney became Utah State's athletic director and head coach for football, basketball, baseball and track on December 24, 1918. Romney served as the Aggies' athletic director for 31 years. From 1919-49 he compiled a career record of 128-91-16 in 29 football seasons while leading Utah state to four conference titles and five second-place finishes. A member of the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, Romney was the first coach to ever use the "trap" block. Utah State's football facility was first named in his honor in 1927. He directed the track and field program for 24 years (1919-43), winning four conference championships. Romney coached the basketball team for 22 seasons (1920-41) and produced four conference championships and one AAU national title. His 1936 basketball squad became the first team West of the Mississippi river to play in a national championship game in New York's Madison Square Garden. He coached the baseball team for 10 years before it was discontinued as a collegiate sport in the Rocky Mountain Conference.
Following the breakup of the Rocky Mountain Conference in 1948, Romney became the first commissioner of the Mountain States Athletic Conference (Skyline), and he served in that capacity for 11 years. During his tenure in the league office, he was a member of the NCAA's first television committee. Romney was founder and director of the Utah State Coaching School for high school and college coaches from 1927-56. He was inducted into the Helms Athletic Foundation Basketball Hall of Fame in 1958 as both a player and coach.
Romney was inducted to the Hall of Fame posthumously, as he passed away on Feb. 5, 1969 at the age of 73.
