By Frank Rajkowski, SJU Writer/Video Producer

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. - The headline in the April 3, 1930 edition of The Record announced there would soon be a new face on the campus of Saint John's University – even if the newspaper couldn't get the spelling exactly right.

"Saint John's appoints Jeseph Benda coach," was the headline of the story announcing the hiring of the school's new football coach.

But it wouldn't be long before everyone in Collegeville knew all about Joseph (Joe) Benda and his keen coaching acumen.

The graduate of Duluth Central High School, who had led his alma mater to a 7-1 finish as head coach the previous fall, was hired as the head football coach at Saint John's in April of 1930 after the resignation of Bill Houle, who stepped down after coaching the Johnnies to an 0-6 record in the fall of 1929.

"Although Houle's resignation is not effective until June 3, Benda will report on April 7 to take over the spring football training," The Record reported in that story, which outlined the new coach's resume – including his time playing for the legendary football coach Knute Rockne at Notre Dame.

"Benda's appointment has met with decided favor on the part of students and alumni and thus is assured co-operation."

But cooperation or not, things didn't improve much in Benda's first year. SJU went 1-4-1 in the fall of 1930, including an 82-0 drubbing at the hands of St. Olaf. 

Just two years later, though, he led the Johnnies to their first MIAC title – adding conference crowns in 1935 and '36 as well.

In short, putting SJU back on the map when it came to football prominence.

With that success, however, came other opportunities. And following the 1936 season, Benda headed back to Notre Dame to take an assistant coaching position under then-head coach Elmer Layden – part of the school's famed "Four Horsemen" backfield.

"Saint John's congratulates Mr. Benda on his step upward in the coaching world, and especially for the opportunity to return to his alma mater," The Record wrote upon his departure. "But it is with deep regret that it accepts the loss of a really brilliant coach and a fine personality."

But when Layden left South Bend to become commissioner of the NFL following the 1940 season, Benda returned to SJU – though he departed again briefly to serve as an assistant coach with the NFL's Cleveland Rams in 1944 (because of World War II, the Johnnies did not field a football team in 1943 and played just two games against Macalester in 1944).

He was back as head coach in 1945, however, and remained in that position through the 1949 season, even as his health began to fail.

Still in his early 40s, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma and had to resign as the Johnnies basketball coach in 1948. He remained with the football team, a choice officials at SJU left up to him.

But his final season was a struggle.

"By the end of the 1949 season, he became so weak that he was unable to stand for any length of time and finally had to drive his car to the practice field and coach from the front seat," read an account of the season in "Scoreboard: A History of Athletics at Saint John's University."

"At the end of the season, he took a year's leave of absence and by the end of November, he had to enter the St. Cloud Hospital, which he did repeatedly for the next few months. A news story widely circulated by the International News Service described how his players showed their loyalty and affection. When they learned that he needed many blood transfusions, the entire Monogram Club of 66 athletes, representing all sports at Saint John's, piled into a bus and went to the St. Cloud Hospital where they contributed several gallons of blood to the St. Cloud blood bank. 

"Gustavus lettermen also sent flowers to Joe in the hospital and offered to donate blood if it was needed."

Jim Byrne of the Minneapolis Star also wrote about Benda's ordeal that final year.

"There were days when Joe didn't come to practice finding it easier to rest in his home on the campus," Byrne wrote. "He came when he could and the players battled against great odds to give him the best record they could. You see most of them were sophomores and anything like a championship seemed impossible.

"As the season lengthened and the chill thickened the fall afternoon air, Benda found it taxed his strength even to wear a coat to practice. But he didn't give up and the boys didn't either."

Indeed, the Johnnies started the 1949 season 6-0 with wins over Bemidji State, St. Cloud State, Macalester, Saint Mary's, Augsburg and St. Olaf. And despite a loss at Gustavus on Oct. 28, they entered their regular-season finale at home against archrival St. Thomas with a chance at the conference title.

A crowd of over 7,000 was on hand to witness what turned out to be Benda's final game, and though his team battled valiantly, the Tommies came-from-behind to win 28-27, clinching the MIAC crown.

St. Thomas legend Jim "Popcorn" Brandt caught a long touchdown pass in the game's final minutes to put the Tommies on top for good.

Frank Farrington of the St. Cloud Times would later write movingly about Benda in the immediate aftermath of that game.

"Joe stayed on the field, after all the thousands of people had gone," Farrington wrote. "He knew it was probably the last game he would see. He just wanted to be by himself on the turf that he loved so well — the gridiron of Saint John's University.

"He stayed a long time, and then slowly walked away."

Benda died at age 45 in Flynntown the following year, on June 20, 1950.

"Editorials and statements by those who had known and worked with Joe Benda mentioned again and again the high ideals he brought to the conduct of the athletic program," "Scoreboard" recounted. "And (how he) inspired his players with a will to win, but always within the rules of complete sportsmanlike conduct."

"His name was intimately connected with Saint John's football place in the conference sun," wrote The Record after his passing.

"When Joe first came to Collegeville in 1930, it was his first college coaching job. The first year was dismal as season records go. But by the next year he had established himself, and from that time on no Johnny eleven was ever considered anything less than a strong contender for conference honors.

"In the early years Benda's squads were often small, but he was feared by opposing coaches for his ability to come up with something special or startling if a game situation demanded it."

5 years ago (2016) – The SJU baseball team had its bats working overtime in a 21-1 victory over Minnesota-Morris on March 29 in Collegeville. The Johnnies recorded 25 hits – a single-game high in program history.

Derek Schiebel '17 and Dan Keller '16 each had home runs. Patrick Strey '16 finished with six RBI. Later that season, Strey would strike out seven and pitch a complete game on the mound in a victory over Hamline.

He and Schiebel were two of four Johnnies who earned All-MIAC honors as the team finished 32-14 that season, reaching the NCAA Midwest Regional championship game.

11 years ago (2010) – An era came to an end as longtime SJU soccer coach Pat Haws '72 announced his retirement on April 1. It brought to a close 37 years in the school's athletic department, including 32 seasons as head soccer coach.

Haws, who also served as the Johnnies head swimming and diving coach for 25 years, remains the winningest coach in Minnesota men's college soccer history. He led SJU to seven MIAC regular-season titles and one conference playoff championship. He was named MIAC coach of the year twice, in 1986 and '89.

20 years ago (2001) – A foot-and-a-half of snow was on the ground on March 31 (left), but that didn't stop the SJU rugby team from taking the pitch for a pair of games – falling 10-7 to the East Side Banshees, a club team from St. Paul featuring a number of SJU alums, but going on to beat the St. Cloud Bottom Feeders club team.

45 years ago (1976) – The Record previewed the upcoming SJU baseball season, providing some tongue-in-cheek insight on each top returner from then-head coach Denny Lorsung. Each player profiled was given a nickname – including pitcher Rick "Abadaba" Laba '77, third baseman Mike "Green Acres" Hejny '77 and left fielder Mike "Amos Carbozo Stagg" Carr '77.

The highlight, though, was the profile of senior co-captain Jerry "Sally Slogan" Haugen '76, a center fielder. Haugen, of course, is now in his 44th season as the head baseball coach at SJU.

95 years ago (1926) – At a banquet on March 28, members of the Spike and Cleat Athletic Fraternity at SJU elected Norbert Schoenecker as president for the upcoming year. The Eden Valley native – and a standout on the Johnnie basketball team – had been one of three finalists for the position. George Durenberger '28, later the school's longtime athletic director, was one of the others.

He was selected as a second-team all-conference selection during the 1925-26 season, during which the Johnnies finished 10-7 and went 5-5 in conference play – beating St. Thomas 40-20 in the season's final game.

"The members of the Spike and Cleat Fraternity are to be congratulated on their choice," The Record wrote. "For 'Schoene' possesses the characteristics of a good leader, besides being a man to whom the students may look up to and follow as an example."