Hall of Fame
The late Vinton Rambo was one of the most successful coaches ever to field teams at Shippensburg.
A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan College, Rambo came to Shippensburg after earning a Master’s Degree at Columbia University. In the fall of 1936 he became the football line coach under head coach Ed Gulian. He took over the head coach’s job in track in the spring of 1937, a position he was to hold until 1953.
In 1947, he was named head coach of the football team and under his guidance Shippensburg produced some of its finest teams. In his eight seasons as head coach, the Raiders won 45 games, lost 16 and tied three. His .727 winning percentage is the best in school annals.
In 1952 and 1953, the Raiders were undefeated and untied. During the period 1951 to 1954, Shippensburg won 20 straight games and won 24 out of 25 contests. The winning streak was also the longest in the history of the Pennsylvania Conference.
The 1952 team went 7-0, outscoring the opposition 266 to 20. That team ranked fifth in the nation in defense and returned five kickoffs for touchdowns.
The 1953 team registered an 8-0 record and was the only team in collegiate history to lead the nation in total defense, rushing defense and pass defense in the same season.
Rambo retired from coaching following the 1954 season in order to complete his doctorate at Columbia University. He retired as Shippensburg’s Dean of Men in 1962.
Rambo was a consultant to the Presbyterian Church in the United States and headed its higher education program from 1962-67. He was Dean of Students at Kutztown University from 1968-1971 and the Director of Development from 1971 until his retirement in 1974. He died in 1980.
