As an undergraduate at Miami University, Pont was an outstanding halfback, playing for coaches Woody Hayes and Ara Parseghian, and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Despite rumors that he would stay at Indiana, Pont signed a five-year contract to succeed Alex Agase at Northwestern University on December 23, 1972.

[4] He announced on November 14, 1977, that he would remain as athletic director while relinquishing his head coaching duties effective at the end of the season.

[6] Both Pont and Venturi were dismissed on November 18, 1980, after the Wildcats went 1–31–1 within a three-year span culminating with a 0–11 campaign and a twenty-game losing streak.

[7] Additionally, all but one of the black players on the football team had protested against the unequal treatment of African-American student athletes within the program.