Kansas State University Athletics
K-State Athletics Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1991
As Kansas State’s head football coach from 1905-1910, Ahearn led the Aggies to a 39-12 record in six seasons. In his last two seasons as head football coach, Ahearn’s Aggies were 17-3-0 and outscored their opponents 672 to 42. In fact, Ahearn built such a powerful football machine after the turn of the century that Kansas University actually refused to play the Aggies in 1910, which is the only year since the series began in 1902 that the two rivals have not squared off on the gridiron.
As head basketball coach from 1906-1911, Ahearn was 26-24, including a 10-3 mark during the 1909-10 season. If that wasn’t enough, Ahearn also guided the Aggie baseball team to a 90-35-2 mark from 1904-1910. Then in his “spare” time, Ahearn also coached Kansas State’s track, tennis and golf teams, while maintaining his full-time position as a horticulturalist.
The press of departmental work forced Ahearn to resign his coaching duties in 1912, but he still remained involved in athletics as the school’s faculty representative from 1912-1920. Ahearn was then named athletic director in 1920 with the resignation of A.G. Clevenger.
Some of the highlights of Ahearn’s tenure at Kansas State included the building of Nichols gymnasium in 1911, and later the push for the new indoor facility which would be named after him in 1950. Ahearn was also largely responsible for the building of Memorial Stadium in 1924.
