In February 1935 , Bank was hired as the head football coach and athletic director at the University of Idaho in Moscow , then a member of the Pacific Coast Conference . Following a 4 – 3-1 record in his third season on the Palouse in 1937 , Bank was on the short list of many to succeed Harry Kipke as head coach at Michigan , his alma mater . Bank denied interest in replacing Kipke , a teammate at Michigan , and told the press , " I am perfectly satisfied at Idaho . I have not been contacted by the Michigan athletic board and would think twice before leaving Idaho . " In January 1938 , Idaho 's state board of education announced that Bank had signed a three-year contract renewal and would remain as the university 's football coach and director of physical education . His best season came that fall , when the Vandals finished with a record of with victories over Oregon State , Utah , and Utah State , and a tie with Washington . The 1937 and 1938 seasons were Idaho 's only winning ones in football between 1927 and 1963 , when the Vandals went as an independent under Dee Andros ( the tenth game on November 23 was canceled ) . The 1938 season was the highest winning percentage ( .650 ) between 1927 and 1971 . Consecutive winning seasons at Idaho were not achieved again until 1982 – 83 under Dennis Erickson in the Big Sky Conference in Division I-AA . ( Idaho had fifteen consecutive winning seasons from 1982 – 96 . ) The success of 1937 and 1938 was not maintained as Idaho went in 1939 and in 1940 ( and winless in conference games ) , giving Bank a six-year record of He was fired as the Vandals ' head football coach in January 1941 , part of an upheaval that included the resignation of basketball ( and baseball ) head coach In February 1941 , Bank , who had remained in the Army Reserves following his service in World War I , was ordered by the War Department to report for active duty in Washington , D.C . He was placed in charge of a $ 3 million program to build field houses and gymnasiums across the country . In February 1942 , Bank was promoted from the rank of major to lieutenant colonel , and he eventually attained the rank of colonel . He was involved in organizing athletics and recreation in the U.S. and in overseas theaters of war . Bank was the chief of the Army 's athletics and recreation branch for three years and in 1944 was named assistant to Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Byron , the head of the Army 's special services division
independent
NCAA Division I FBS independent schools
Ted Bank