Knute Rockne is a Norwegian-American football player and coach at the University of Notre Dame.
Rockne is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history. His biography at the College Football Hall of Fame identifies him as "without question, American football's most-renowned coach". Rockne helped to popularize the forward pass and made the Notre Dame Fighting Irish a major factor in college football.
Pictured on a 22¢ US commemorative postage stamp issued in his honor,
issued 9 March 1988.
His cousin Judge Russell Rockne Leggett presided over the murder case of schoolmistress Jean Harris, who was convicted of killing the
"Scarsdale Diet" author, Dr. Herman Tarnower.
Always insisted that his given name was properly pronounced with the
"k" sound, i.e., "kuh-nute," rather than with a silent "k," as it
usually is, i.e., "nute."
Was captain of the 1913 Notre Dame team that popularized the forward
pass in their 35-13 upset win over Army.
Delivered his now-famous "Win one for the Gipper" speech at halftime
during the 1928 Notre Dame-Army game.