John Pont

John Pont, who guided Indiana to its only Rose Bowl appearance 40 years ago, dies at 80

OXFORD, Ohio - John Pont, who guided Indiana to its only Rose Bowl appearance 40 years ago and coached at Northwestern, Yale and Miami of Ohio, died Tuesday. He was 80.

Officials at Miami said Pont died at his home in Oxford, Ohio. Pont, who had been fighting cancer, coached the Hoosiers from 1965 to 1972. In the 1967 regular season, Indiana finished 9-1 and represented the Big Ten in the school's only appearance in the Rose Bowl, losing to Southern Cal, 14-3.

Pont returned to Indiana last year for a 40th anniversary celebration of the Rose Bowl team.
Pont spent 13 years at Miami as a player, assistant coach to Ara Parseghian and head coach. He succeeded Parseghian as head coach in 1956.

When he graduated, he was the school's career rushing leader with 2,457 yards, and was Miami's first player to have his number retired.

Pont was head coach at Miami from 1956-62, Yale from 1963-64, Indiana from 1965-72 and Northwestern from 1973-77, where he also was director of athletics from 1975-80. He later coached at Hamilton High School in Ohio, the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati and in Japan.