Demosthenes "Dee" Konstandies Andrecopoulos (October 17, 1924 – October 22, 2003) was a college football head coach. He led the Idaho Vandals from 1962-64, and the Oregon State Beavers from 1965-75. A native of Oklahoma and a World War II veteran, he later served as athletic director at Oregon State.

[edit] Early life

Dee Andros, born Demosthenes Konstandies Andrecopoulos, received his high school education at Oklahoma City’s Central High School, and then enlisted in the military in 1942.^[1] Andros was a veteran of World War II where he served four years in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was awarded the Bronze Star and spent more than a month under heavy fire on the island of Iwo Jima.^[1] He was present at the famed moment when six soldiers raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.

Andros played college football at Oklahoma from 1946-49, under hall of fame head coach Bud Wilkinson.^[1] He was selected in the 14th round (177th overall) by the Chicago Cardinals in the 1950 NFL Draft.^[2]. Dee's older brother Plato was an All-American at Oklahoma in 1946 and played four years in the NFL for the Chicago Cardinals.

[edit] Coaching career

Andros' coaching career included stops as an assistant at Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas Tech, Nebraska, California and Illinois. While Dee was serving as an assistant, Texas Tech went to the Sun Bowl and California to the Rose Bowl in 1959. He earned his first head coaching position at the Idaho in 1962.

After three seasons on the Palouse with the Vandals, Andros was hired as the head coach at Oregon State in 1965. He replaced the legendary Tommy Prothro, who had left for Pac-8 rival UCLA in Los Angeles. Andros compiled a 51-64-1 record (.409) in his 11 seasons at OSU. In the Civil War games against the Oregon Ducks, he won his first seven, and was 9-2 overall. Andros was nicknamed "The Great Pumpkin" for his bright orange jacket and rather large physical size.

Dee Andros is best known for his incredible 1967 season in which his team, dubbed the "Giant Killers", went 7-2-1. In that season the Beavers, led by quarterback Steve Preece, beat #2 Purdue, tied the new #2 UCLA, and then beat #1 USC. But because they lost to Washington (and tied UCLA), USC won the conference title by a half game, and earned the Rose Bowl berth, from which they defeated the Big 10's Indiana 14-3 and won the national title. Oregon State would finish with a #7 national ranking, but no bowl game. In 1968, the OSU Beavers would be a pre-season #6, go 7-3 and finish #15, again not competing in a bowl game, as there were few in the 1960s.

[edit] Later life and family

After stepping down as head coach following the 1975 season, Andros was named athletic director, succeeding Jim Barratt. Andros served in this capacity until the spring of 1985, when he retired. Though retired, Andros continued to serve as a special assistant within the Beaver Athletic Scholarship Fund until health problems forced him to remain at his Corvallis home. He spent nearly 40 years of his life involved with Oregon State athletics.

In 1992, his "Giant Killers" team of 1967 was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame.^[1] In the spring of 2003, Dee was awarded the Martin Chaves Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fifth Annual Bennys celebration at Oregon State. Andros married Luella Andros, and they would have on daughter named Jeanna.^[1] Dee Andros died on October 22, 2003, at the age of 79 in Corvallis.^[1]

[edit] Head coaching record

[edit] See also

United States Marine Corps portal

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• KATU.com sports - Information
• Oregon State still missing Andros - 16-Sep-1998, by Loel Schrader, USC sportswriter
• College Football Data Warehouse.com - Dee Andros' coaching record
• Season of the Giant Killers - Oregon State - 1967
• Final AP Poll - 1967 season
• Final AP Poll - 1968 season
• University of Idaho - Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame - Dee Andros
• Dee Andros at Find a Grave Retrieved on 2008-02-17