WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – 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.

Coach Yunevich is also on the ballot for the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame with voting ending on June 30. For those who wish to cast a vote, all that is needed is to join the NFF in order to vote HERE.
 
The stadium at Merrill Field on Alfred University's campus was named after Coach Yunevich in 2014.