June 13, 2022
Purdue University graduate and football standout as well as Saxon football coaching icon, Alex Yunevich, was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame on Sunday, June 12, hosted by his alum school.
David Snyder, the Public Services Coordinator for Herrick Memorial Library at Alfred University and longtime Saxon football supporter was the nominator for Coach “Yuni”, as he was known as to his players and staff during his total of 39 seasons of coaching collegiate football. On Sunday, it was Snyder who traveled to Indiana to receive the award for Yunevich, who passed away on January 28, 1992 at the age of 82.
Yunevich is the winningest coach in Alfred University football history, composing a record of 177-85-12 in Saxon history. He coached six undefeated teams while adding another five seasons with teams that only loss one contest. Yuni coached the Saxons from 1937 to 1941 before answering the call of duty at the age of 32 and was commissioned as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy in World War II. After the conclusion of the war, he returned to the helm of the Saxon football program until 1976.
Yuni’s Saxons won eight Independent College Athletic Conference Championships in 1964, 1965 (co-champions), 1966, 1967, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1976. He was twice recognized as the Small College Coach of the Year, first in 1956 by the Washington Touchdown Club and again in 1971 by the New York State Football Writers Association.
During his historic tenure at Alfred University, Coach Yunevich was involved in more sports than football as he was the head coach of the Saxon men’s basketball team, wrestling team and golf team.
There are a multitude of football players who played under Yuni who are now members of the Alfred University Hall of Fame. Yunevich was inducted in 1975 while still at the helm and is joined by 41 of his former players and one of his assistant coaches. Those members are:
Walter Johnson 1940
Mearl Greene 1942
James Kehoe 1947
William Argentieri 1949
Dale Thompson 1951
Donald Lester 1951
Lester Goble 1951
John Fasano 1953
George Policano 1954
Frederick Gibbs 1954
Joseph Fasano 1954
Vernon Fitzgerald 1954
Ralph DiMicco 1954
Pat Lattari 1956
Warner Micciche 1956
Don Carlin 1957
Charles Shultz 1957
James Ryan 1958
Nicholas Teta 1958
William McAlee 1960
Stephen Kelley 1960
Alex Zoldan 1962
Steve Crossman 1962
Joe Renwick 1963
Thomas Quinn 1964
Jack Hedlund 1965
Jim Eggler 1967
Keith Gregory 1968
Bill Knott 1968
Frank Wyant 1968
Michael Johnston 1968
Chris Rodger 1970
James Moretti 1972
Gary Eggler 1973
Henry Bzdak 1974
Charles Young 1974
John Henderson 1975 *Silver Saxon
Frank Logan 1976
Joseph VanCura 1976
Steve Lester 1977
Terrance Bruce 1977
Clifford Dubreuil N/A *Assistant Coach
Yunevich coached three years as the head coach at Central Michigan, going 10-13-1, making his combined head coaching record 187-93-13. As a player, Yunevich played high school in Bicknell, IN, earning 16 total varsity letters in four sports. In college, he was a fullback that earned All-Big 10 for the Boilermakers of Purdue while also captaining the track & field team.
The stadium at Merrill Field on Alfred University’s campus was named after Coach Yunevich in 2014.
— Swords Forward Saxons —
