Ed Koffenberger (1926-2014)

[Duvall]

Duke All-American in basketball and lacrosse (http://www.goduke.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=220777) passed away Sunday in Delaware. (http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/delawareonline/obituary.aspx?pid=172551352)

[Olympic Fan]

Ed Koffenberger is the only guy I know to play major sports at Duke and UNC.

It wasn't his choice. He enrolled in the Navy officer program in the summer of 1944 and they sent him to UNC. While a freshman there, he played varsity football for the Tar Heels.

But later that fall, he switched his field of study (I think it was to engineering) and the Navy transferred him to Duke.

He played football for Duke in 1945 (winning a letter). That was a 6-2 team that finished 13th in the final AP poll -- their only losses were to Army and Navy (which were virtually unbeatable in those WWII seasons ... I know the war ended before most of the '45 season was played, but the teams were still set -- Army still had Davis and Blanchard).

He played basketball, starting in 1945-46 -- leading that team to Duke's last Southern Conference title.

An All-American in basketball and lacrosse ... a letterman in football.

Thanks Navy for sending him to us.

[jimsumner]

Ed Koffenberger is the only guy I know to play major sports at Duke and UNC.

It wasn't his choice. He enrolled in the Navy officer program in the summer of 1944 and they sent him to UNC. While a freshman there, he played varsity football for the Tar Heels.

But later that fall, he switched his field of study (I think it was to engineering) and the Navy transferred him to Duke.

He played football for Duke in 1945 (winning a letter). That was a 6-2 team that finished 13th in the final AP poll -- their only losses were to Army and Navy (which were virtually unbeatable in those WWII seasons ... I know the war ended before most of the '45 season was played, but the teams were still set -- Army still had Davis and Blanchard).

He played basketball, starting in 1945-46 -- leading that team to Duke's last Southern Conference title.

An All-American in basketball and lacrosse ... a letterman in football.

Thanks Navy for sending him to us.

Correct about engineering. He told the Navy he wanted to switch, Carolina did not have an Engineering program and Duke did.

The story would be even better had he played for both Carolina and Duke in the same season, which he could have. But Koffenberger told me that Cameron thought he would be accused of shady dealings, so he didn't play for Duke in 1944.

[sagegrouse]

Correct about engineering. He told the Navy he wanted to switch, Carolina did not have an Engineering program and Duke did.

The story would be even better had he played for both Carolina and Duke in the same season, which he could have. But Koffenberger told me that Cameron thought he would be accused of shady dealings, so he didn't play for Duke in 1944.

Man, but the greatest is that he retired from DuPont as the worldwide manufacturing manager of "Lycra," which is DuPont's version of spandex.

[summerwind03]

Ed Koffenberger is the only guy I know to play major sports at Duke and UNC.

It wasn't his choice. He enrolled in the Navy officer program in the summer of 1944 and they sent him to UNC. While a freshman there, he played varsity football for the Tar Heels.

But later that fall, he switched his field of study (I think it was to engineering) and the Navy transferred him to Duke.

He played football for Duke in 1945 (winning a letter). That was a 6-2 team that finished 13th in the final AP poll -- their only losses were to Army and Navy (which were virtually unbeatable in those WWII seasons ... I know the war ended before most of the '45 season was played, but the teams were still set -- Army still had Davis and Blanchard).

He played basketball, starting in 1945-46 -- leading that team to Duke's last Southern Conference title.

An All-American in basketball and lacrosse ... a letterman in football.

Thanks Navy for sending him to us.

That's fascinating, Olympic Fan.

I'm sorry to hear about his death.

[Jarhead]

Ed Koffenberger is the only guy I know to play major sports at Duke and UNC.

It wasn't his choice. He enrolled in the Navy officer program in the summer of 1944 and they sent him to UNC. While a freshman there, he played varsity football for the Tar Heels.

But later that fall, he switched his field of study (I think it was to engineering) and the Navy transferred him to Duke.

He played football for Duke in 1945 (winning a letter). That was a 6-2 team that finished 13th in the final AP poll -- their only losses were to Army and Navy (which were virtually unbeatable in those WWII seasons ... I know the war ended before most of the '45 season was played, but the teams were still set -- Army still had Davis and Blanchard).

He played basketball, starting in 1945-46 -- leading that team to Duke's last Southern Conference title.

An All-American in basketball and lacrosse ... a letterman in football.

Thanks Navy for sending him to us.
My recollection on UNC athletics during WWII is more than a bit fuzzy. I do remember that there were two football teams fielded during the war, UNC varsity team and the Carolina Pre-flight. That was a Navy program, and they had a roster of several top coaches. Check it out (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Pre-Flight_Cloudbusters_football). I wonder if that was the Carolina team that included Ed Koffenberger.

[B-well]

What I remember from growing up in Durham during the Koffenberger era was the big sweeping hook shot he had.

All over Durham, kids were learning to shoot hook shots a la Koffenberger.

[Olympic Fan]

My recollection on UNC athletics during WWII is more than a bit fuzzy. I do remember that there were two football teams fielded during the war, UNC varsity team and the Carolina Pre-flight. That was a Navy program, and they had a roster of several top coaches. Check it out (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Pre-Flight_Cloudbusters_football). I wonder if that was the Carolina team that included Ed Koffenberger.

Koffenberger played for the official UNC team, not Carolina Pre-Flight, which was (as you point out) a different team.

The UNC teams were still largely composed of military trainees (as was Duke in that era). That explains why Duke played -- and beat -- UNC twice in 1943. It was basically two different UNC teams as one class of Navy trainees was shipped out after Duke's 14-7 win on October 14 and a new class enrolled before Duke's 27-6 win on November 26. That Duke team also beat Carolina Pre-Flight 42-0 on October 2.

Duke and UNC played just once in 1944 -- and it was after Koffenberger transferred to Duke, so he never played against the Devils.

[nocilla]

Duke and UNC played just once in 1944 -- and it was after Koffenberger transferred to Duke, so he never played against the Devils.

So if Koffenberger never played against Duke then I guess Tyler Zeller remains the leader in guys that have scored for and against the Blue Devils.

[Reilly]

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/delawareonline/obituary.aspx?pid=172551352

[Duke71]

I had the fortunate opportunity to spend hundreds of hours with Ed Koffenberger during the past two decades as we did volunteer work together in Delaware. If I hadn't been a Duke alum with a basketball background myself, I would have never been aware of Ed's trailblazing athletic accomplishments at Duke. Unlike the remember-the-old-days reminiscers in Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days", Ed had moved on. He lived in the moment. He was a soft spoken, but eloquent leader. It didn't take long for those around him to take notice of him. He was perhaps the quietest charismatic person I've ever met.

He was active in Duke affairs, but always very low key about it. He travelled back to Durham regularly and hung out with the likes of Coach K, President Brodhead, and the leaders of the Engineering School where he was a much sought-after adviser.

The only times we broached the subject of basketball was when Duke was about to square off with Maryland. Few people here know that Ed's younger brother, Dick, was a former captain of the Maryland basketball team in the late 40s and early 50s. Ed and Dick always had a bet going on who was going to win the game.

Befitting their deep-seated, old-school class, neither brother ever threw filled or empty water bottles at each other at the conclusion of any of the games.

I'll miss Ed not because he was such a great basketball player, but because he was such a great person.

[Indoor66]

I had the fortunate opportunity to spend hundreds of hours with Ed Koffenberger during the past two decades as we did volunteer work together in Delaware. If I hadn't been a Duke alum with a basketball background myself, I would have never been aware of Ed's trailblazing athletic accomplishments at Duke. Unlike the remember-the-old-days reminiscers in Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days", Ed had moved on. He lived in the moment. He was a soft spoken, but eloquent leader. It didn't take long for those around him to take notice of him. He was perhaps the quietest charismatic person I've ever met.

He was active in Duke affairs, but always very low key about it. He travelled back to Durham regularly and hung out with the likes of Coach K, President Brodhead, and the leaders of the Engineering School where he was a much sought-after adviser.

The only times we broached the subject of basketball was when Duke was about to square off with Maryland. Few people here know that Ed's younger brother, Dick, was a former captain of the Maryland basketball team in the late 40s and early 50s. Ed and Dick always had a bet going on who was going to win the game.

Befitting their deep-seated, old-school class, neither brother ever threw filled or empty water bottles at each other at the conclusion of any of the games.

I'll miss Ed not because he was such a great basketball player, but because he was such a great person.

Thank you for that eloquent profile of Ed Koffenberger. I never knew the man but your words make me wish I had known him. May he rest in peace.

[sagegrouse]

Holy cow, Duke71! This is one of the best posts I've ever read on DBR. Thanks for sharing such touching memories.

Kindly, Sage


I had the fortunate opportunity to spend hundreds of hours with Ed Koffenberger during the past two decades as we did volunteer work together in Delaware. If I hadn't been a Duke alum with a basketball background myself, I would have never been aware of Ed's trailblazing athletic accomplishments at Duke. Unlike the remember-the-old-days reminiscers in Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days", Ed had moved on. He lived in the moment. He was a soft spoken, but eloquent leader. It didn't take long for those around him to take notice of him. He was perhaps the quietest charismatic person I've ever met.

He was active in Duke affairs, but always very low key about it. He travelled back to Durham regularly and hung out with the likes of Coach K, President Brodhead, and the leaders of the Engineering School where he was a much sought-after adviser.

The only times we broached the subject of basketball was when Duke was about to square off with Maryland. Few people here know that Ed's younger brother, Dick, was a former captain of the Maryland basketball team in the late 40s and early 50s. Ed and Dick always had a bet going on who was going to win the game.

Befitting their deep-seated, old-school class, neither brother ever threw filled or empty water bottles at each other at the conclusion of any of the games.

I'll miss Ed not because he was such a great basketball player, but because he was such a great person.

[Duke71]

Thanks for the kind feedback, Indoor66 and Sage Grouse.

Sometimes here on DBR we get carried away thinking there were no great basketball players before Justin Bieber. Sure, The Biebs actually has game, but Ed K. had a sky hook before any of us knew what that was. Unlike The Biebs, Ed never egged his neighbors' residences. Ed apparently recognized that eggs had other uses.

[dairedevil]

What I remember from growing up in Durham during the Koffenberger era was the big sweeping hook shot he had.

All over Durham, kids were learning to shoot hook shots a la Koffenberger.

I had just asked my 88 year old mom if she knew Ed Koffenberger when she was at Duke. She said yes, he was in my dad's fraternity, then she described his hook shot, and said that they called it the Koffenberger Hook! Pretty cool for an old lady! She still LOVES Duke basketball.