INDIANA, PA - The 1963 season was a monumental one for the football program at Indiana State Teacher's College. That season was the second in which Chuck Mills would coach the team. Despite the fact that this was the last year that Mills coached the team, it was also the start of a winning tradition at the school. After completing the season with a record of 7-1-1 (5-1 in PSAC West), the team was invited to play in their first ever playoff game in program history at the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.
Mills took over as head coach at Indiana State Teacher's College, in 1962 and led the team to a record of 5-2-1. Bob Jamison, who played offensive line for ISTC both of the seasons that Mills coached, spoke highly of Mills and the instrumental role that he played in turning the football program around.
“Chuck Mills came in and became head coach at Indiana State College, and he changed the program around through his coaching,” he said. “There was a pretty unique makeup of players there with transfers coming in that just became eligible, myself being one, and that's when it started.”
Jamison had played football for the University of Pittsburgh before transferring to ISTC, and he made a name for himself at both the offensive guard and tackle positions. Jamison will be one of 14 inductees in this year's Hall of Fame class.
By producing a record of 7-1-1, the team was invited to play in the Atlantic Coast Football League Championship in Atlantic City, N.J., against Montclair State Nov. 23. The playoff game would have been the first ever for the program, but the invitation proved to be bittersweet as the team was never able to participate in the game. En route to Atlantic City, the team received news that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated, and the game was immediately postponed. The game was never made up as rescheduling difficulties proved to be hard to overcome, but everyone involved still felt proud to finally take that next step and represent ISTC in the playoffs. Jamison spoke to this feeling saying that being invited to the game felt like a “reward” for all the sacrifices they had made and all the hard work they had put in to have such a successful season. Mills brought a serious work ethic to the locker room and reportedly set parameters for the members that Jamison described as “no drinking, smoking, gambling” and various other things that men on the team were into. The players bought into Mills' program and were able to have success because of it.
The 2013 season marks the 50-year anniversary for the 1963 team that has set off a tradition of winning here at IUP. Since 1963, various coaches such as Chuck Klausing and Frank Cignetti have seen success at the helm of the football program, and the Crimson Hawks look to have another successful season here in 2013.
