Gene Oberst

Although he only placed fifth at the 1924 Final Trials, Gene Oberst of Notre Dame became the first US athlete to win an Olympic medal in the javelin throw. He won the event at the 1924 Penn Relays. He was much better known as a football player at Notre Dame. In 1920, 1922, and 1923 he was an offensive right tackle, known as one of the “Seven Mules”, who blocked for Notre Dame’s famed “Four Horseman”.

Oberst became a football coach, initially at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia in 1926-27. He was then a collegiate head coach at Washington and Lee University (1929-30), Canisius College (1931-32), and John Carroll University in 1946.

Oberst moved to John Carroll in 1936 as the football line coach. From 1942-45 he directed the Navy V-12 training program. Returning to John Carroll, he became the school’s head basketball coach in 1945-46, then coached football in 1946, and the track & field team in 1947-48. Oberst was athletic director of the Blue Streaks from 1947-51, during which time he mentored one of their football halfbacks, Don Shula.

Oberst was inducted into the John Carroll University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1971, and the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.

Personal Bests: JT – 61.74 (1924).