Francis J. McCormick
McCormick pictured in The Hinakaga 1951, Carroll yearbook
Biographical details
Born1903
Antigo, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedAugust 13, 1958 (aged 55)
Milwaukee,Wisconsin, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1924–1925Marquette
Basketball
1924–1926Marquette
Position(s)Back (football)
Forward (basketball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1934–1942St. Norbert
1949–1957Carroll (WI)
Basketball
1934–1943St. Norbert
1944–1945St. Norbert
Head coaching record
Overall69–57–9 (football)
62–74 (basketball)

Francis J. "Mickey" McCormick (1903 – August 13, 1958) was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at St. Norbert College from 1934 to 1942 and at Carroll College—now known as Carroll University—in Waukesha, Wisconsin from 1949 to 1957, compiling a career college football record of 69–57–9. McCormick was also the head basketball coach at St. Norbert from 1934 to 1943 and again during the 1944–45 season, tallying a mark of 62–74. He was one of the more outspoken coaches against the NCAA rule change on "free substitution" in 1953.

Early life

McCormick was a 1929 graduate of Antigo High School< in his hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin.[1][2]

Playing career

Marquette

McCormick played college football[3] and was a forward on the basketball team at Marquette University.[4] The football teams won a victory over Navy by a score of 21–3 in 1924[5] and completed a 7–2 record in 1925[6] under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Frank Murray.[7]

Duluth Eskimos

After graduation at Marquette, McCormic went on to be a member of the Duluth Eskimos in the National Football League (NFL).

Coaching career

St. Norbert

McCormick coached at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin starting with the 1934 season until the conclusion of the 1942 season. His record with the Green Knights was a total of 32–26–8 and included a 7–1 season in 1936.[8] Also at St. Norbert, McCormick was the head basketball coach.[9][2]

Carroll

McCormick the 20th head football coach at Carroll College, serving for nine seasons, from 1949 to 1957.[10] (now called "Carroll University") located in Waukesha, Wisconsin[11][12] His record at Carroll College was 37–31–1.[13] Carroll was his last coaching position as he died in August 1958 before the season began,[14] but the school later inducted him into their "Athletic Hall of Fame" for his contributions to the school and athletic programs.[15] Highlights of his coaching at Carroll included a strong offense in the 1951 season.[16]

McCormick began the 1949 season with twenty eager players that were considered "strong on talent but weak on depth" with team drills beginning in early September 1949.[17] He felt that his most talented team was 1955, a team he called the best Carroll had in ten years.[18] McCormick was selected to coach the "South" team for the 1951 Upper Peninsula All-Star Football exhibition game.[19]

Free substitution

In 1953, McCormick was outspoken among the small-college football coaches against the idea of free substitution in college football.[20] Becoming more common in professional football, the idea paved the way of the "specialist athlete" in college football where one person could focus on one position such as quarterback or punter.[21] For large colleges and professional teams, the idea of free substitution worked well. McCormick pointed out that smaller colleges would suffer under this rule. Free substitution generally prevented a player from returning to gameplay in the same quarter after he was taken out for a substitute and it required either a very large squad that could handle all the substitutions or a highly talented small squad that would not need to substitute.[22]

Death

McCormick died on August 13, 1958, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[23]

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
St. Norbert Green Knights (Independent) (1934–1942)
1934 St. Norbert 1–4–2
1935 St. Norbert 3–1–4
1936 St. Norbert 7–1
1937 St. Norbert 5–2
1938 St. Norbert 4–3
1939 St. Norbert 2–4–1
1940 St. Norbert 3–3–1
1941 St. Norbert 6–2
1942 St. Norbert 1–6
St. Norbert: 32–26–8
Carroll Pioneers (Independent) (1949–1955)
1949 Carroll 6–2
1950 Carroll 0–8
1951 Carroll 4–3
1952 Carroll 4–3
1953 Carroll 5–2
1954 Carroll 6–2
1955 Carroll 5–2–1
Carroll Pioneers (College Conference of Illinois) (1956–1957)
1956 Carroll 5–35–23rd
1957 Carroll 2–62–56th
Carroll: 37–31–17–7
Total:69–57–9

References

  1. ↑ 1929 Antigo High School Graduates
  2. 1 2 Antigo Daily Journal "Phil Kafka, 90, local military figure, dies" November 18, 2008
  3. ↑ Marquette University Special Collections and Archives – Athletics Archives
  4. ↑ GoMarquette "All-Time Men's Basketball Letter Winners"
  5. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine 1924 Marquette University football results
  6. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine 1925 Marquette University football results
  7. ↑ College Football Data Warehouse Archived 2010-02-15 at the Wayback Machine Frank J. Murray coaching results
  8. ↑ St. Norbert College 2008 Football Yearbook
  9. ↑ The Argus Archived September 20, 2006, at the Wayback Machine "St. Norbert Meets Titans Here Tonight" December 17, 1941
  10. ↑ 2007 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin
  11. ↑ Waukesha Daily Freeman "St. Norbert final Carroll Grid Foe" November 11, 1955
  12. ↑ Chicago Daily Tribune "Mickey McCormick Appointed Football Coach at Carroll" July 9, 1949
  13. ↑ Carroll College/University Archived May 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Football coaching records
  14. ↑ Carroll College Pioneer "Guest Commentary" by Kathleen (McCormick) Ley, Winter 2008
  15. ↑ Carroll University Archived 2006-09-14 at archive.today Athletic Hall of Fame
  16. ↑ Cedar Rapids Gazette "Strong Carroll Offense Too Much for Rams" October 28, 1951
  17. ↑ Waukesha Daily Freeman "Carroll Team Weak in Depth as Grid Drills Start Monday" September 2, 1949
  18. ↑ The Argus Archived 2006-09-20 at the Wayback Machine "Titans Face Powerful Carroll College Eleven" by Jay Mercer, October 5, 1955
  19. ↑ The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI) "Players on All-Star Grid Announced" July 26, 1951
  20. ↑ St. Petersburg Times "Time For Sports-Belatedly, Friends of Free Substitution Cite Sobering Facts" by Bill Beck, January 18, 1953
  21. ↑ Football Historian "Free Substitution Rule 1950"
  22. ↑ Sports Illustrated "Lost Platoon-Free substitution had its points, but football is a better game without it" by Herman Hickman, October 18, 1954
  23. ↑ "McCormick, Ex-Carroll Coach, Dies". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Milwaukee, Wisconsin. August 15, 1958. p. B8. Retrieved July 14, 2019 – via Google News.
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