More news
Photos

Buddy Teevens ’79 Through the Years

From his days as a standout athlete to his innovative work as Dartmouth’s winningest football coach, Teevens was a leader. 

Whether it was leading his players at Memorial Field or talking on national television about preventing concussions, the late Eugene “Buddy” Teevens ’79 had a major impact on the game of football and on thousands of students.

Teevens died in September at 66, and a celebration of his life was held at Dartmouth on Saturday.

Buddy Teevens sings with Dartmouth Football players
Eugene F. “Buddy” Teevens ’79, who was Dartmouth’s winningest football coach, led his players in the singing of the Alma Mater after every game and maintained longstanding bonds with them. (Photo by Mark Washburn)
Buddy Teevens playing football for Dartmouth
Teevens (5), a history major, was an Ivy League Player of the Year as quarterback at Dartmouth and led the Big Green to the Ivy League championship in 1978. 
Buddy Teevens playing Dartmouth Hockey
Teevens, left, also lettered in hockey, helping take Dartmouth to a third-place finish at the 1979 NCAA championship. (Photo courtesy of Dartmouth Athletics) 
Buddy Teevens and his dad, Eugene F. Teevens II
Buddy Teevens ’79 with his father, Eugene F. Teevens II ’52. Gene Teevens died in 1981. (Photo courtesy of Dartmouth Athletics) 
Buddy Teevens and Dartmouth Football run out to the field at UNH
Teevens won five Ivy League titles as the Robert L. Blackman Head Football Coach. He is just one of three Ivy Leaguers to have won a conference crown as a player and a head coach. 
Buddy Teevens consults with a referee
(Photo by Gil Talbot)
Buddy Teevens coaching
(Photo by Doug Austin)
Buddy Teevens and football team in locker room
Elliott Kastner '13, Thayer '14, and football coach Buddy Teevens on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on October 8, 2015.
An innovator in player safety, Teevens became the first coach to eliminate traditional tackling in practices in a move to cut down on concussions. He worked with Thayer School of Engineering to create the Mobile Virtual Player, a robotic tackling dummy, and even went on late-night television to promote the reforms. (Courtesy of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert) 
Jim Wright and Buddy Teevens embracing
Like thousands of members of the Big Green community, former President James Wright was a Teevens fan. Wright helped bring Teevens back to Dartmouth in 2005. (Photo by Mark Washburn)
Buddy Teevens and his family
The Teevens family, from left: Matt Knittle, Lindsay Teevens Knittle, Buddy Teevens ’79, Kirsten Teevens, McKenna Teevens, Buddy Teevens IV, and grandchildren Jack, Eugene V, Caroline, and Leila.    
Memorial field blanketed in snow, with the "D" shoveled clear
Coach Teevens was known for shoveling the snow off the “D” at midfield after storms. Dartmouth will dedicate “Buddy Teevens Stadium at Memorial Field” in his honor in October.