Lone Star was born in 1884 and attended elementary school in Rice Lake. He then left Rice Lake with his uncle to learn about his heritage. They traveled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in the U.S. and Europe. He attended school at Carlisle Indian Institute in Pennsylvania first as a student and football player and then he taught classes there and took over as head football coach, succeeding the legendary Glenn “Pop” Warner. Warner got him a head coaching job at Washington State University and in 1916 they defeated Brown University in the very first Rose Bowl Game. In 1919 he coached at Mare Island Naval Station and again he went to the Rose Bowl, losing to Great Lakes. In 1921 he coached the Purdue Boilermakers. In 1933 the Boston Braves football team moved to Washington. The team was renamed the “Redskins” in honor of their coach, Wm. “Lone Star” Dietz. During the first half of the 20th century, a week seldom went by when Lone Star’s name didn’t appear in the nation’s newspapers. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and also into the Spokane Sports Hall of Fame.

Dietz was also an accomplished artist. He drew illustrations for Walt Disney and painted many murals all over the nation. His art still adorns the walls of several east coast universities. He was elected into several Indian Hall of Fames for his artwork and illustrations. Lone Star died in 1964 in Reading, PA.

William “Lone Star” Dietz was recently nominated for consideration for induction into the 2003 College Football Hall of Fame.