Fred Spiegelberg – Coaching

Fred Speigelberg1(October 4, 1919 – March 22, 1996) Fred Spiegelberg turned Medford High into a football dynasty and left a mark on high school athletics enough that the town named the stadium after him.

Spiegelberg boxed and played football collegiately at Washington State in 1939-41, then entered the war as a captain and received a Purple Heart after being wounded in France. He followed Bill Bowerman as coach and teacher at Medford and led the Black Tornado to 253 wins and four state titles in 31 years as head coach. In 1971, he was named National Coach of the Year.

Under Spiegelberg, the Black Tornado, prior to splitting into North and South, reached the state final nine times beginning in 1956 with a title loss to Marshfield, and ending in 1980 with a title loss to Beaverton. Medford won titles in 1959, ’62, ’69 and shared a title with Churchill in ’77.

Medford renamed its stadium Spiegelberg Stadium in 1983 at Fred’s Retirement Party in Medford.
Spiegelberg was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and the National Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 1990.

Fred Spiegelberg2