The Kent State shootings of May 4 , 1970 , focused attention on the 1970 Kent State football team , as one of the first activities of the new academic year in the fall of 1970 . Before the season began , coach Puddington noted that his players believed they could " set the tone " and become " a unifying force on the campus . " Nick Saban , a freshman on the 1970 team , later recalled seeing the aftermath of the shootings : " It 's a horrible thing . There 's not a May 4 that goes by that I do n't think about it . Really think about it . " On November 12 , 1970 , Puddington announced that he would resign as the school 's football coach at the end of the quarter . He had compiled a 9-21 record in three seasons at Kent State . Puddington cited factors contributing to his decision , including " prevailing contagious negativism on campus " since the May 4 shootings as well as " fatalism around us and the current tendency to politicize every facet of life . "
Kent State shootings
Kent State shootings
1970 Kent State Golden Flashes football team