As a college football coach, Joe Yukica earned a
reputation for turning shaky programs around. Joe graduated from
Penn State in 1953 after three seasons as one of the top pass
receivers in the East, and in his senior year was named All East at
end. Joe stayed at Penn State for a year as graduate assistant to
Coach Rip Engle. Joe was assistant coach at State College High
School the next year before becoming head coach at Central Dauphin
High School in 1955, where he stayed until 1959, taking a losing
program and finishing with a five year record of 32-23-3. He was
named Pennsylvania High School Coach of the Year in 1958 with a 10-0
record. In 1960 he moved up to the college ranks as an assistant
coach at West Chester State College and from 1961 to 1965 was
assistant coach at Dartmouth. Then he became head grid coach at New
Hampshire University in 1966 and was named New England Coach of the
Year in 1967. Next stop was Boston College, where Joe reversed a
downtrodden football program. He stayed at BC until 1977 and his
67-37 record was the best in the school’s history. In 1978 Joe
returned to Dartmouth as head football coach and won the Ivy League
title his first season with a 6-1 league record. In 1981 and 1982
Dartmouth shared the Ivy League crown. Joe's 17 year coaching record
stood at 104-68-2 at his induction into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. Joe also
played high school football at Midland where he graduated in 1949
after starring in both football and basketball. He made All WPIAL as
a fullback and played in the Dapper Dan All Star football game,
which was the predecessor of the Big 33 game.
As a college football coach, Joe Yukica earned a
reputation for turning shaky programs around. Joe graduated from
Penn State in 1953 after three seasons as one of the top pass
receivers in the East, and in his senior year was named All East at
end. Joe stayed at Penn State for a year as graduate assistant to
Coach Rip Engle. Joe was assistant coach at State College High
School the next year before becoming head coach at Central Dauphin
High School in 1955, where he stayed until 1959, taking a losing
program and finishing with a five year record of 32-23-3. He was
named Pennsylvania High School Coach of the Year in 1958 with a 10-0
record. In 1960 he moved up to the college ranks as an assistant
coach at West Chester State College and from 1961 to 1965 was
assistant coach at Dartmouth. Then he became head grid coach at New
Hampshire University in 1966 and was named New England Coach of the
Year in 1967. Next stop was Boston College, where Joe reversed a
downtrodden football program. He stayed at BC until 1977 and his
67-37 record was the best in the school’s history. In 1978 Joe
returned to Dartmouth as head football coach and won the Ivy League
title his first season with a 6-1 league record. In 1981 and 1982
Dartmouth shared the Ivy League crown. Joe's 17 year coaching record
stood at 104-68-2 at his induction into the Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame. Joe also
played high school football at Midland where he graduated in 1949
after starring in both football and basketball. He made All WPIAL as
a fullback and played in the Dapper Dan All Star football game,
which was the predecessor of the Big 33 game.