e. j. mather coached the team to three big ten titles in his nine seasons as coach. after inheriting mitchell's team, which he led to a 10–13 overall (3–9, big ten) record during the 1919–20 season, he led the team to an 18–4 overall (8–4, big ten) record during the 1920–21 season. this 1921 team won its first eight and last eight games to tie the wisconsin badgers and purdue boilermakers for the big ten title. the team won back-to-back championships in 1925–26 and 1926–27. the 1926 squad, which was captained by richard doyle who became the team's first all-american, tied with purdue, the iowa hawkeyes and indiana hoosiers for the conference championship. the 1927 team had a new all-american, bennie oosterbaan, and won the school's first back-to-back championships and first outright championship with a 14–3 overall (10–2, big ten) record. mather died after a lengthy battle with cancer in august 1928.