In 1893, the college hired John Heisman to become the football and baseball coach. Heisman lead Buchtel to their first winning season with a 5–2 record in 1893, and then led them to their first undefeated season, albeit a single game season in which they defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes. While at Buchtel, Heisman also helped invent the snap, which is still used in modern-day football. The early years for Buchtel saw many coaching changes, as the program went through nine different coaches in the 22-year span. Buchtel College changed its name to the University of Akron in 1913.