Pendleton in Umatilla County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)
Donald C. Requa
"Req"
Pendleton High School Football Coach for 36 Years
Don Requa, or Req, as he was known, was an amazing motivator of young people in the classroom teaching mathematics and coaching football. He is remembered as a mentor for everyone he coached. Many credit him with instilling the basic traits that helped make them successful later in life: discipline, a desire to win, teamwork, perseverance, hard work, respect for others, and a love of the game.
Req was the first Oregon High School football coach with over 300 victories and was recognized by the National Football Coaches Association as one of the top ten winning coaches in the country. He amassed records that may never be broken.
Lifetime record 301-98-6
Pendleton High School record 273-86-5
24 Intermountain Conference Championships
25 Oregon State Playoff appearances
43 Conferences wins in a row 1960-1966
By 1984, more wins that any other coach in Oregon
Oregon Sports Hall of Fame 1985
National High School Coaches Hall of Fame 1992
Two time Oregon Coach of the Year
Selected 15 times to coach Shriner's All-Star teams, on which 65 PHS players participated
Buckaroo Football Hall of Fame's first inductee 2004
During WWII, First Lieutenant Requa was a member of the US Fifth Air Force and a co-pilot of a B-24 "Liberator" in the South Pacific. In the Battle of the Bismarck Sea in March 1943, his crew was credited with the sinking of two Japanese Navy vessels. This battle delivered a decisive blow stopping the advance of the Japanese military in the South Pacific.
"Every time I faced a life-threatening moment, I heard Req's voice saying, 'Jimmy, you can do it." - Major James R. Kreutz, former PHS football player and highly decorated helicopter pilot in Viet Nam.
Erected 2015 by Pendleton Linebackers Club.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Sports.
Location. 45° 40.427′ N, 118° 47.282′ W. Marker is in Pendleton, Oregon, in Umatilla County. Marker is at the intersection of South Main Street and Southeast Byers Avenue, on the right when traveling north on South Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4 South Main Street, Pendleton OR 97801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bowman Studio (a few steps from this marker); Chief Clarence T. Burke (within shouting distance of this marker); Jackson Sundown (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Club Cigar Saloon (about 300 feet away); Carnegie Building (about 300 feet away); First Christian Church (about 400 feet away); Judd Block (about 400 feet away); DeSpain Block (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pendleton.
More about this marker. The Donald Requa statue is located in Brownfield Park
Credits. This page was last revised on December 23, 2017. It was originally submitted on December 23, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 561 times since then and 61 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 23, 2017, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.