Believe it or not, Centre College (Danville, KY) once defeated the University of Kentucky by 70 points.
On today’s date, 111 years ago, Centre defeated Kentucky by a score of 87-17. To date, that is Kentucky’s largest losing margin in men’s basketball.
ON THIS DAY in 1910: Centre College, then part of Central University, defeated the University of Kentucky 87-17 in basketball. To date, this is the largest losing margin UK has seen! #GoldRush @CentreAthletics @Centre_Bball pic.twitter.com/cpoOfKs1N2
— Centre College (@CentreC) January 28, 2021
In fact, Centre knocked off Kentucky three times that 1909-10 season. The other two games were 31-13 and 51-9.
The Wildcats, under the direction of coach Edwin R. Sweetland, also lost to Georgetown College, DePauw and Rose Polytechnic that season.
Their final record was 4-8.
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On a bright note (and this is all that matters), Kentucky still managed to defeat Tennessee 20-5 that season.
Edwin R. Sweetland
Sweetland coached Kentucky in 1909-10, then ended up as head football coach at Miami (OH) University for the 1911 season. He replaced Harold Iddings at Miami and Iddings ended up replacing Sweetland as head basketball coach at UK.
In 1912, Sweetland returned to Kentucky to coach basketball again. That season was much better as he led the Wildcats to a perfect 9-0 record.
After the 1912 season, Sweetland went to West Virginia, where he lasted one season before going to Tulane to coach football. During his one year at Tulane, he also ended up coaching basketball and track.
Sweetland then went to Alfred College to work as football coach from 1915-17 and again in 1919.
In his lengthy career, Sweetland spent time coaching rowing, track, basketball and football. He was also an AD twice, including one year at Kentucky. He worked at Hamilton, Syracuse, Ohio State, Colgate, Kentucky, Miami (OH), West Virginia, Tulane and Alfred.
Today, Sweetland is known as the first athletic trainer at Ohio State University, the first paid coach of the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team and the first coach of the Syracuse University rowing team.
Sweetland’s Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1899 Hamilton
1900–1902 Syracuse
1903 Hamilton
1904–1905 Ohio State
1908 Colgate
1909–1910 Kentucky
1911 Miami (OH)
1912 Kentucky
1913 West Virginia
1914 Tulane
1915–1917 Alfred
1919 Alfred
Basketball
1909–1910 Kentucky
1911–1912 Kentucky
1914–1915 Tulane
Track
1905 Ohio State
1907 Colgate
1915 Tulane
Rowing
1901–1902 Syracuse
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1912–1913 Kentucky
1913–1914 West Virginia
Head coaching record
Overall 100–41–10 (football)
15–11 (basketball)
