A. B. Dille

A. B. Dille
	Dille pictured in Reveille 1911, Mississippi State yearbook
Biographical details
Born	October 31, 1892
Died	August 21, 1964 (aged 71)
Playing career
Football
1910	Mississippi A&M
Position(s)	Halfback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1914–1916	Mississippi Normal
Basketball
1913–1916	Mississippi Normal
Head coaching record
Overall	6–10–1 (football); 29–14 (basketball)

Avery Benjamin Dille (October 31, 1892 – August 21, 1964) was an American college football and college basketball player and coach and educator. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi Normal College—now known as the University of Southern Mississippi—from 1914 to 1916, compiling a record of 6–10–1. Dille was also the head basketball coach at Mississippi Normal from 1913 to 1916, tallying a mark of 29–14.

Education and playing career[edit]

Dille played halfback for the Mississippi A&M (now Mississippi State University) football team^[1] and was awarded a letter for the 1910 season.^[2]

Coaching career[edit]

Football[edit]

Dille was the coach head football at Mississippi Normal College—now known as the University of Southern Mississippi. He held the position from 1914 until conclusion of the 1916 season and was the third person to hold the position at the school. His record at Mississippi Normal was 6–10–1.^[1]

A unique positive turning point occurred in the 1916 season as the result of a loss. In what was called the program's "Greatest pre-World War I success", the team lost to Ole Miss by a score of 13 to 7. The school's leadership at the time took this as a sign that the program could compete nationally in the sport of football.^[3]

Due to World War I, the school ceased competing in football after completion of the 1916 season and did not restart the program until 1919.^[4]

Basketball[edit]

While at Mississippi Normal, Dille also served as the head basketball coach from 1913 until the conclusion of the 1915–16 season, during which time his teams produced a record of 29–14 (.674). Dille was the second person to hold the position at the school.^[5]

Teaching career[edit]

In 1917, Dille was hired as the principal and agriculturalist at the newly-formed Tallachatchie County Agricultural High School in Charleston, Mississippi.^[6]^[7]

Head coaching record[edit]


Year	Team	Overall
Mississippi Normal Normalites (Independent) (1914–1916)
1914	Mississippi Normal	2–3–1
1915	Mississippi Normal	4–4
1916	Mississippi Normal	0–3
Mississippi Normal:		6–10–1
Total:		6–10–1

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b "Southern Mississippi 2009 Football Media Guide". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
^ Mississippi State Bulldogs 2009 Football Media Guide Archived November 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
^ John W. Cox; Gregg Bennett (2004). Rock solid: Southern Miss football. University of Mississippi Press. p. 6. ISBN 157806709X.
^ The Sports Network Archived June 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Southern Mississippi University Directory.
^ "Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 2009 Basketball Media Guide". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2010.
^ "Our New Agricultural High School". The Tallahatchie Herald. Charleston, Mississippi. August 15, 1917. p. 1. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Charleston Schools Open". The Tallahatchie Herald. Charleston, Mississippi. September 12, 1917. p. 1. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .

External links[edit]

A. B. Dille at Find a Grave

[sm-1] "Southern Mississippi 2009 Football Media Guide". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2010.

[2] Mississippi State Bulldogs 2009 Football Media Guide Archived November 6, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

[3] John W. Cox; Gregg Bennett (2004). Rock solid: Southern Miss football. University of Mississippi Press. p. 6. ISBN 157806709X.

[4] The Sports Network Archived June 22, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Southern Mississippi University Directory.

[5] "Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 2009 Basketball Media Guide". Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2010.

[6] "Our New Agricultural High School". The Tallahatchie Herald. Charleston, Mississippi. August 15, 1917. p. 1. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .

[7] "Charleston Schools Open". The Tallahatchie Herald. Charleston, Mississippi. September 12, 1917. p. 1. Retrieved September 23, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .

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