George James Sweetland (August 5, 1872 – March 29, 1954) was an American physician as well as a coach of many sports including basketball, track and field and football at several universities.

[1] After Sweetland returned from the war, but before he was officially mustered out of service, he served as coach of Alma College football team.

[9] Sweetland served as the head football coach at Iowa State Normal School—now known as the University of Northern Iowa—in 1899.

[13] His team faced Kalamazoo High School, the Lower Peninsula champion, who outweighed Ishpeming by 30 pounds a man.

[11][14] The following year, they beat another larger team in the State Championship Game by defeating Benton Harbor High School by a score of 35–12.

[11][15] Earlier in the season one of Benton Harbor's coaches received special access to Sweetland’s team by claiming to be a reporter from the Milwaukee Sentinel.

When his team played Benton Harbor in the state championship, Sweetland had totally changed his formations and attack.

[6] Part of his duties was to be in charge of the University Athletics including coaching the football and basketball teams.

[6] On the recommendation of Yost, Willamette University in Salem, Oregon hired Sweetland as athletic director and football coach.

[21] He was paid approximately $3000 a year to run the athletic department, coaching several sports including football, basketball, and baseball.

[6][21] Hobart President Lyman Powell wanted "...to make the college one of the best in the United States and he is selecting on his faculty the strongest men that can be obtained.

[29] While at University of North Dakota, Sweetland met Mildred Mark and the couple were married in 1906 in Hood River, Oregon.

[5][24] The middle child, Ada, attended college in New York and Chicago and the youngest, George Jr., died of infantile paralysis at age 18.