x
Breaking News
More () »

New center at Dartmouth College will be named in memory of football coach

Buddy Teevens was known nationally for his efforts to make football safer. He died in Sept. 2023 of injuries sustained in a bicycle accident.
Credit: AP
FILE - Dartmouth coach Buddy Teevens celebrates after a win during a game, Oct. 21, 2006, in New York. (AP Photo/Paul Hawthorne, File)

HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth College announced a new center named for its winningest football coach Tuesday on what would have been his 68th birthday.

Buddy Teevens, known nationally for his efforts to make football safer, died in September 2023 of injuries he had sustained in a bicycle accident six months earlier.

“Buddy had a passion for helping student-athletes discover their best selves and perform at the highest levels possible, on and off the field," Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock said in statement. “We will carry his life-long commitment forward through the new Teevens Center by sparking collaboration, research, and innovation for the benefit of young people nationally.”

RELATED: Dartmouth football coach Buddy Teevens, an innovator and the school's winningest coach, dies at 66

The center will focus on research with cognitive science, quantitative social sciences, engineering, and biomechanics, among the possible areas of emphasis, the college said in a news release.

It's one of several initiatives in memory of Teevens since a community celebration honored him in May and announced that the stadium will be named the “Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field” at a dedication on Friday.

Dartmouth is setting up a fund to support leadership development, nutrition and mental wellness and performance for students. It is also establishing a scholarship fund to honor Buddy and his wife, Kirsten Teevens, for the culture of inclusivity they fostered. Gifts to the football program will enhance the team’s recruiting efforts and support technology upgrades.

RELATED: Former office manager of Dartmouth College student paper sentenced for stealing $223K

Teevens was a former star Dartmouth quarterback who went on to become the school’s all-time leader in wins with a 117-101-2 coaching record in 23 seasons. He coached the Big Green from 1987 to 1991 and returned in 2005. His teams won or shared five Ivy League championships, but his lasting legacy has been the safety innovations he championed.

Teevens reduced full-contact practices at Dartmouth in 2010 by focusing on technique, while still leading winning teams. He also led the development by Dartmouth’s engineering school of the Mobile Virtual Player, a robotic tackling dummy that has also been used by other college programs and NFL teams.

Don’t miss these NEWS CENTER Maine stories

For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app.

Before You Leave, Check This Out