Forest “Evy” Evashevski Forest "Evy" Evashevski, the University of Michigan football star and Hall of Fame Coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, died in his sleep Friday, October 30, 2009, at his home in Petoskey. He was 91.

Mr. Evashevski was born in Detroit to Albin and Katherine (nee Snyder) Evashevski.

A superb athlete, he excelled at baseball but made his reputation in football as both player and coach. He played quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines from 1938 to 1940 and was captain of the team his senior year. He was selected an all-Big Ten performer all three seasons and received praise from Michigan Coach Fritz Crisler, who said Mr. Evashevski was "the greatest quarterback I ever had."

He also won the Big Ten Medal given to the school's best senior student athlete, was the baseball team's catcher, served as the senior class president, and was an honor society member.

Following his graduation from the University of Michigan with a major in sociology and a minor in psychology, he married Ruth Brown, the daughter of U.S. Senator Prentiss Brown, in 1941.

He coached at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, then served in the Navy from 1943 to 1945.

Following his military service, Mr. Evashevski took assistant coaching jobs at Syracuse and Michigan State University before accepting the head coaching job at Washington State, which he held for two years.

In 1952, Mr. Evashevski was named head coach at Iowa. The Hawkeyes struggled for the next four years, but in 1956, Iowa started the season 5-0 and ended it by winning the Rose Bowl, defeating Oregon State 35-19. Two years later, the team won it again, beating California 38-12, and members were named National Champions.

Mr. Evashevski coached two more seasons and won a third Big Ten title, but then retired from coaching.

"I knew it was time to quit when I came home and my wife asked me why we passed on third-and-two," he quipped at the time.

He finished his coaching career with an enviable record of 52 wins, 27 losses, four ties, and his teams won two Rose Bowls and finished in the top 10 Associated Press poll five times.

In 1960, he became the University of Iowa's athletic director, a post that he held for 10 years. He retired in 1970 and he and Mrs. Evashevski moved back to Michigan.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Evashevski is survived by his seven children and their families, Frost and Jean of Corvallis, Oregon, Jim and Marty of Nashville, Tennessee, Marion Evashevski of Ann Arbor, John and Lucy of St. Ignace, Tom and Deb of St. Ignace, Bill of Goodheart, and Kassie Evashevski and Charle Landry of Los Angeles; 14 grandchildren, and five greatgrandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to Hospice of Little Traverse Bay.

A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, November 3, at The United Methodist Church of Petoskey.