COACH KENNETH D. POUST

Coach Football 1942-1951

Coach Track & Field 1943-45

Football Won-Loss Record 75-17-6
Football Won-Loss Percentage of .796; Best for 50 Years
Assistant Track & Field Coach 1942; 1946-1951
1945 Lansdale H.S. Bux-Mont Football Co-Champions
1948 Lansdale H.S. Undefeated Bux-Mont Football Champions
Coached 6 Future NPAAA Hall of Fame Inductees
1943 Coached Lansdale H.S. to Bux-Mont Track Championship
1937 Muhlenberg College Football Team Co-Captain
1937 Muhlenberg College Football All-East & Little All-American
Member of 1930 & 1931 Undefeated Allentown H.S. Football Teams
Graduated Muhlenberg College, B. S. in Philosophy, 1938
Inducted 2012

Ken Poust, what a legend! According to Edgar Williams (North Penn Reporter Sportswriter), Ken was the most knowledgeable and most imaginative of football coaches. In the 1940’s the old “flying wedge” on the kickoff had been banned for years. Williams reported that during the 1948 annual Thanksgiving Game against Doylestown it was noted that if any of the rules-makers were present, you may expect a prohibition of the “Poust wedge” as employed to rip an enemy line to shreds. The “Poust wedge” isn’t illegal. It’s simply downright destructive! The Lansdale Huskies were losing 7-0 at half time and came from behind to win 20-7. As usual, the game was cleanly waged throughout. Don McCarty, Doylestown’s fine end, raced over to the Lansdale bench to congratulate Poust, prompting the Lansdale coach to comment later, “That was one of the finest expressions of good will I’ve ever seen.” Ken was always introducing new, creative plays throughout his coaching tenure.

Ken was head football coach from 1942-1951 with a compiled 75-17-6 record which stood as the best Win-Loss record of 0.796 for 50 years from 1952 to 2002. His teams never finished lower than 3rd place in the tough Bux-Mont League (1st twice, 2nd six times, and 3rd twice). In 1945 his team shared 1st place with Ambler and Springfield.

Dad’s 1948 team went undefeated with an 11-0 record. They outscored their opponents 359-64; 4 games opponents scored “0” points, 5 games opponents scored “7” points or less, this represents 9 out of 11 games were LHS held their opponents to one touchdown or less! The Huskies scored 40 or more points in five games and came from behind in four games to win, just outstanding, relentless play by the team and coaching to boot. The 1948 team placed four players on the 1st Team All Bux-Mont and two players on the 2nd Team with many other end of the year individual player accomplishments. Ken was the first coach to take his players to camp prior to the start of the football season. He did this in August 1948 (lead to the undefeated team) at Camp Onus outside of Boyertown.

Six of dad’s former players and his 1948 Undefeated team have previously been honored by the NPAAA; Dick Albright (1949), Jim Church (1950), and Wayne “Pud” Helman (1944) who went on to become one of the most feared and wining coaches in the Bux-Mont League, all in 2005; Tom Nolan (1949) in 2007; and Dad’s 1948 Undefeated Football Team, Eugene H. Saylor (1946), and Frank Malack (1948) all in 2008.

Ken while teaching, coaching, and playing semi-professional football for a local team (Falcons) also started a vending business (Kwik-Kafe of Lansdale, Inc.) in 1948 (his championship season) to augment his teaching income. He resigned his teaching and coaching positions in 1952 to devote full attention to his growing, lucrative business. The business grew to include Mountaineer Coffee Vending Service of Clarksburg, WV. Ken eventually sold the business to ARA and retired.

Ken started his football prowess at Allentown High School (now William Allen High School) from 1930-1933. He played on their 1930 and 1931 undefeated teams, lettered at left guard, and was Co-Captain his senior year.

From 1935-1938 Ken attended Muhlenberg College where he was a standout performer at left guard for three years and Co-Captain in 1937. He was named to every All-Opponent team on the Muhlenberg College schedule and a unanimous choice on the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Mythical All-Conference team. He was cited as an All-East and Little All-American selection. Ken was a member of the Varsity “M” Club, track team, Kappa Phi Kappa teaching fraternity, and graduated in 1938 with a Bachelor of Philosophy.

Dad’s first teaching/coaching position was at Pen Argyl High School from 1938-1941. He taught Social Studies, was the head football coach with a 20-7 record, as well as, played football for the Knight Riders, a legendary local Semi-Pro football team. It was here that he met and married his wife, the former Lorraine Jean Smith who was his rock and biggest supporter until her untimely death in 1963 at the young age of 41 years. He was one of the founding members of Indian Valley Country Club in 1952. He served on the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County School for Physically Handicapped Children since its founding. He was Vice President of the Alpha Gamma Sigma social fraternity, a member of the Lansdale Lions, and a former President of the Norristown Chapter of P.I.A.A. Basketball Officials.

Dad was nominated by Dr. Erling N. Jensen, president of Muhlenberg College, for the Sports Illustrated 1962 Silver Anniversary All-America Team, a very prestigious award. He was among five Pennsylvanians out of a group of 59 throughout the nation. Other nominees included U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron “Whizzer” White, Jordan Oliver (Yale University coach), Clint Frank (Clinton E. Frank, Inc.), and U.S. Naval Captain James G. Andrews (U.S. Naval Academy). The purpose of the award is “to emphasize the pursuit of the rounded human values in which athletics and education are joined.” This award is unique, however, in that nomination alone is regarded as a special honor since colleges and universities do not nominate in a year when they do not have a candidate of winning caliber.