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John R. Bender was a successful Native American college football player and coach in the early 20th century. Inevitably, he was given the nickname "Chief" Bender (not to be confused with the baseball player with the same nickname).

A native of Sutton, Nebraska, Bender played college football at the University of Nebraska from 1900 to 1904. (Due to loose eligibility standards, he played five seasons for Nebraska.) Bender starred at halfback for undefeated teams in 1902 and 1903, served as captain of the 1903 team, and graduated as the leading scorer in Nebraska history. However, tarnishing his image, one story recounts that he refused to play against the national powerhouse University of Minnesota until Nebraska paid him an acceptable amount of money.[1]

After graduating, Bender served as head football and basketball coach at Washington State in 1906 and 1907, where he posted a remarkable 13-1 record in football. His 1907 basketball squad also recorded a 12-3 mark – by far the best in school history to that point. Between 1907 and 1911, Bender coached football at Haskell Indian Nations University and St. Louis University. During the 1911 season, reporters in St. Louis commented that Bender looked like a charm doll called a Billiken, which were a national fad at the time. His squad became known as "Bender's Billikens," which is the genesis of SLU's athletic nickname.[2] Bender returned to coach Washington State football from 1912 to 1914.

In 1915, Bender was hired as head football coach at Kansas State. In his one season at K-State his team posted a mediocre 3-4-1 record. However, Bender left a lasting mark by instituting two long-term traditions at Kansas State in 1915: starting the annual Homecoming event and adopting the nickname Wildcats.

Prior to the 1916 season, Bender moved to the University of Tennessee. (At the same time, the sitting head coach at Tennessee, Zora Clevenger moved to Kansas State, in effect trading jobs with Bender.) Bender served as head football coach at the University of Tennessee from 1916 to 1920. During his tenure, he compiled a record of 18-5-4 (.741). His best season came in 1916, when his team went 8-0-1, marred only by a scoreless tie against Kentucky. Tennessee did not field football teams in 1917 and 1918, and Bender posted his worst record in 1919, when his team went 3-3-3. In his final season, he went 7-2 and recorded Tennessee's 100th victory in football, with the two losses coming against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. He is also credited with installing the short punt formation at Tennessee.[3]

While at Tennessee, Bender also served as basketball coach for the 1917, 1920, and 1921 seasons, recording a 29-15 mark.

Bender is a member of the American Indian Athletics Hall of Fame.

TEAM	YEAR	WINS	LOSSES	TIES
Washington St.	1906	6	0	0
Washington St.	1907	7	1	0
Haskell	1908	3	5	1
Haskell	1909	7	2	0
Washington St.	1912	2	3	0
Washington St.	1913	4	4	0
Washington St.	1914	2	4	0
Kansas St.	1915	3	4	1
Tennessee	1916	8	0	1
Tennessee	1919	3	3	3
Tennessee	1920	7	2	0
CAREER TOTAL	11 years	52	28	6

• Profile as a player
• Major college football coaching record
• UT sports coaching records

Preceded by Guy Lowman	Kansas State University Head Football Coach 1915	Succeeded by Z.G. Clevenger
Preceded by Z.G. Clevenger	University of Tennessee Head Football Coach 1916–1920	Succeeded by M.B. Banks

Persondata
NAME	Bender, John R.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Bender, Johnny
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Football player & coach
DATE OF BIRTH
PLACE OF BIRTH	Sutton, Nebraska
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH