Frank Leahy

Francis William Leahy (August 27, 1907–June 21, 1973) was an American collegiate football coach. He was born in O'Neill, Nebraska. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ... ONeill is a city located in Holt County, Nebraska. ...

Early career

Leahy was a tackle on Knute Rockne's last three teams, graduating from Notre Dame in 1931. He went to Georgetown as line coach in 1931 and went to Michigan State the following year to take a similar position. He learned alot about coaching at MSU. Leahy took over as line coach at Fordham in 1933 and stayed until 1938 under Jim Crowley, coaching the famed Seven Blocks of Granite from 1935-37 when the Rams lost only two combined games. (The undersized right guard on the 1935 and 1936 teams was future coaching legend Vince Lombardi). In 1939, he went to Boston College as head coach, guiding the Eagles to a 20-2 record including an undefeated 1940 season capped off by a Sugar Bowl victory and a share of the national championship. At Boston College he triedy relentlessly to recruit beat author Jack Kerouac. 1927 Time cover featuring Rockne Knute (pronounced kah-noot) (noot is the anglicized nickname) Kenneth Rockne (March 4, 1888–March 31, 1931) was an American football player and is regarded by many as the most famous college football coach in history. ... The University of Notre Dame IPA: is a Roman Catholic institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana, immediately northeast of South Bend, Indiana, United States. ... Georgetown University, incorporated as the The President and Directors of the College of Georgetown, is a private university in the United States, located in Georgetown, a historic neighborhood of Washington, D.C. With roots extending back to March 25, 1634 and founded in its current form on January 23, 1789... Michigan State University (MSU) is a public university in East Lansing, Michigan. ... Fordham University is a private, coeducational research university[2]in the United States, with three residential campuses located in and around New York City. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American football. ... For similarly-named academic institutions, see Boston (disambiguation). ... This article is about the American football game. ...

Notre Dame

Leahy went to his alma mater, Notre Dame, as head coach the next season. His impact was felt right away as the Irish posted an 8-0-1 mark in 1941. The following season, he caused an uproar when he junked Rockne's box formation and installed the T. After a 7-2-2 season in 1942, Leahy led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1943 despite losing the season finale against Great Lakes. He entered the Navy in 1944 and was discharged as a lieutenant. He returned to Notre Dame for the 1946 season in which Notre Dame won the national championship after playing rival Earl Blaik's Army team to a scoreless tie at Yankee Stadium in New York. National championships followed in 1947 & 1949, with only a 14-14 tie against USC in the season finale marring a perfect season in 1948 and a possible third "(and then a fourth)" consecutive national title. It was regarded by many as the most successful run in Notre Dame history and Leahy appeared to be well on his way of meeting his goal of ten consecutive seasons without a loss. Then with most of the wartime talent gone from the scene, the Irish fell to 4-4-1 in 1950. Earl Henry Red Blaik (February 15, 1897 - May 6, 1989) was a U.S. football coach. ... USMA redirects here. ... Yankee Stadium is the home stadium of the New York Yankees, a major league baseball team. ... New York, NY redirects here. ...

Scholarships were increased afterwards, and the situation improved. Notre Dame finished 7-2-1 in 1951 and 1952, and the 1953 squad, Leahy's last, posted a 9-0-1 docket. There was some concern about his health when he collapsed from a pancreatic attack in the locker room during halftime of the 1953 Georgia Tech game. A priest allegedly gave Leahy the last rites of the Catholic Church when it was feared he was dying.

Leahy resigned on January 31, 1954 with two years remaining on his contract. While at Notre Dame, Leahy had six undefeated seasons, four national championship teams and an unbeaten string of 39 games (37-0-2) in the late 1940s. He also coached four Heisman Trophy winners - Angelo Bertelli (1943); Johnny Lujack (1947); Leon Hart (1949) and John Lattner (1953) - and recruited a fifth, 1956 winner Paul Hornung. His overall record at Notre Dame was 87-11-9. Paul Vernon Hornung (born December 23, 1935 in Louisville, Kentucky) was an outstanding all-around athlete who played college basketball but is best known as an American football player. ...

An intense fundamentalist, Leahy had little time for personal relationships outside of those with his family and his team.

Leahy was succeeded by Terry Brennan, ushering in a downward slide for Notre Dame's football fortunes for the next decade. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

In 1949 he wrote a book on the T-formation, "Notre Dame Football T-Formation".

Leahy always referred to his players as his "lads."

Post-Notre Dame

Leahy served as general manager for the Los Angeles Chargers during their inaugural 1960 season in the American Football League. He was selected to the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1970. He died of Leukemia in Portland, Oregon in June of 1973. The term general manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. ... The San Diego Chargers are a National Football League team based in San Diego, California. ... The American Football League (AFL) was a professional league of American football that operated from 1960 to 1969. ...

Personal life

Leahy was married to the former Florence Reilly in 1935. They had eight children. Their son, Jim, and grandson, Ryan, played football at Notre Dame.

Quotes

• Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of stupidity.
• When the going gets tough, let the tough get going.

External links

• Hickok Sports bio
• Notre Dame bio