| Chester C. Dillon | |
| Birth Date: | 14 January 1887 |
| Birth Place: | Normal, Illinois, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Anniston, Alabama, U.S. |
| Player Sport1: | Football |
| Player Years2: | 1905–1907 |
| Player Team2: | Illinois State Normal |
| Player Years3: | 1910–1912 |
| Player Team3: | Illinois |
| Player Positions: | Halfback |
| Coach Sport1: | Football |
| Coach Years2: | 1913–1914 |
| Coach Team2: | Brookings HS (SD) |
| Coach Years3: | 1915 |
| Coach Team3: | Dakota Wesleyan |
| Coach Years4: | 1916–1917 |
| Coach Team4: | Simpson (IA) |
| Coach Years5: | 1919 |
| Coach Team5: | Howard (AL) |
| Coach Years6: | 1920 |
| Coach Team6: | Oshkosh Normal |
| Coach Years7: | 1921–1924 |
| Coach Team7: | Coffeyville HS (KS) |
| Coach Years8: | 1925 |
| Coach Team8: | Howard (AL) (backfield) |
| Coach Years9: | 1926 |
| Coach Team9: | Howard (AL) (freshmen) |
| Coach Years10: | 1927–1928 |
| Coach Team10: | Howard (AL) |
| Coach Years11: | 1929–1930 |
| Coach Team11: | Georgetown (KY) |
| Coach Years12: | 1931–1935 |
| Coach Team12: | Pontiac HS (IL) |
| Coach Years13: | 1937 |
| Coach Team13: | Jacksonville State (line) |
| Coach Years14: | 1938–1939 |
| Coach Team14: | Jacksonville State |
| Coach Years15: | 1945 |
| Coach Team15: | Jacksonville State |
| Coach Sport16: | Basketball |
| Coach Years17: | 1913–1915 |
| Coach Team17: | Brookings HS (SD) |
| Coach Years18: | 1916–1917 |
| Coach Team18: | Simpson (IA) |
| Coach Years19: | 1918–1920 |
| Coach Team19: | Howard (AL) |
| Coach Years20: | 1925–1927 |
| Coach Team20: | Howard (AL) |
| Coach Years21: | 1929–1931 |
| Coach Team21: | Georgetown (KY) |
| Coach Years22: | 1931–1936 |
| Coach Team22: | Pontiac HS (IL) |
| Coach Sport23: | Baseball |
| Coach Team24: | Dakota Wesleyan |
| Coach Years25: | 1920 |
| Coach Team25: | Howard (AL) |
| Coach Years26: | 1925 |
| Coach Team26: | Howard (AL) |
| Coach Sport27: | Track |
| Coach Years28: | 1913–1915 |
| Coach Team28: | Brookings HS (SD) |
| Admin Years1: | 1913–1915 |
| Admin Team1: | Brookings HS (SD) |
| Admin Years2: | 1915–1916 |
| Admin Team2: | Dakota Wesleyan |
| Admin Years3: | 1916–1918 |
| Admin Team3: | Simpson (IA) |
| Admin Years4: | 1919–1920 |
| Admin Team4: | Howard (AL) |
| Admin Years5: | 1920–1921 |
| Admin Team5: | Oshkosh Normal |
| Admin Years6: | 1921–1924 |
| Admin Team6: | Coffeyville HS (KS) |
| Admin Years7: | 1925–1929 |
| Admin Team7: | Howard (AL) |
| Admin Years8: | 1929–1931 |
| Admin Team8: | Georgetown (KY) |
| Admin Years9: | 1937–1962 |
| Admin Team9: | Jacksonville State |
| Overall Record: | 40–48–10 (college football) |
| Championships: | Football 1 WNAC (1920) |
Chester C. Dillon (January 14, 1887 – October 22, 1971) was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, college athletics administrator, and educator. He was the head football coach at Dakota Wesleyan University (1915), Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa (1916–1917), Howard College in Birmingham, Alabama—now known as Samford University (1919, 1927–1928), Oshkosh State Normal School—now known as the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh (1920), Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky (1929–1930), and Jacksonville State Teachers College—now known as Jacksonville State University (1938–1939, 1945). Dillon also served as the athletic director at each of those schools.
Dillon was born on January 14, 1887, in Normal, Illinois.[1] He graduated from high school in Normal in 1905 and then attended Illinois State Normal University—now known as Illinois State University—also located in Normal. He played football at Illinois State Normal from 1905 to 1907 as a halfback and captained the 1907 team.[2] In March 1907, Dillon was hired as a teacher of literature and Latin and track coach at the University of Middle Tennessee, located in Tullahoma, Tennessee. He returned to Illinois State Normal that fall to complete his studies and captain the football team.[3]
Dillon went to the University of Illinois in 1909 and was elected captain of the freshmen football team. He played for three seasons, from 1910 to 1912, for the Illinois varsity football team at halfback before graduating in 1913.[2]
From 1913 to 1915, Dillon was the principal and athletic director at the high school in Brookings, South Dakota. There he also coached football, basketball, and track. In 1915, he was hired at the athletic director at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota.[2] He resigned a year later to take on the same role at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.[4]
In 1919, Dillon was hired as athletic director and coach at Howard College—now known as Samford University—in Birmingham, Alabama.[5] A year later, he left Howard to take on the same role at Oshkosh State Normal School—now known as University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh.[6] From 1921 to 1924, Dillon was the athletic director and coach for the city schools in Coffeyville, Kansas.[7] In 1925, he returned to Howard College as athletic director.[8] He served as the backfield coach for 1925 Howard Bulldogs football team, assisting head coach Jenks Gillem. In 1926, Dillon coached the freshmen football team before resuming the role of head coach of the varsity football team in 1927.[9]
Dillon spent two years, from 1929 to 1931 at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky as athletic director and head coach.[10] In 1931, he returned to him home state to coach football and basketball at Pontiac High School in Pontiac, Illinois. He coached there for five years before resigning in 1936.[11]
Dillon earned a master's degree from the University of Kentucky in 1937. The same year, he was hired at Jacksonville State Teachers College—now known as Jacksonville State University—Jacksonville, Alabama as a physical education instructor and line coach for the football team, assisting head coach T. B. Shotts.[12] [13]
Dillon died on October 22, 1971, at Anniston Memorial Hospital in Anniston, Alabama.[14] [15]