Frank Leahy
Encyclopedia
Francis William Leahy was an American football
player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He served as the head football coach at Boston College
from 1939 to 1940 and at the University of Notre Dame
from 1941 to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1953, compiling a career college football
record of 107–13–9. His winning percentage of .864 is the second best in NCAA Division I football history, trailing only that fellow Notre Dame Fighting Irish
coach, Knute Rockne
, for whom Leahy played from 1928 to 1930. Leahy played on two Notre Dame teams that won national championships, in 1929 and 1930, and coached four more, in 1943, 1946, 1947, and 1949. Leahy was also the athletic director
at Notre Dame from 1947 until 1949 when he passed the role to the Fighting Irish basketball
coach, Moose Krause, so that he could focus on football coaching. Leahy served as the general manager of the AFL
's Los Angeles Chargers
during their inaugural season in 1960. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1970.
and graduated from Winner High School in Winner, South Dakota
where he was a football standout. He attended the University of Notre Dame
, where he played football as a tackle
on Knute Rockne
's last three teams (1928–1930), and graduated from the university in 1931.
as line coach in 1931 and Michigan State
the following year to take a similar position. Leahy took over as line coach at Fordham University
in 1933 and stayed until 1938 under Jim Crowley
, coaching the famed Seven Blocks of Granite
from 1935 to 1937 when the Rams lost only two games in three seasons. The undersized right guard on the 1935 and 1936 teams was future coaching legend Vince Lombardi
.
as head coach, guiding the Eagles
to a 20–2 record including an undefeated 1940 season
capped off with a win in the 1941 Sugar Bowl
. At Boston College, he tried relentlessly to recruit future beat author Jack Kerouac
.
Although he had recently signed a contract renewal at Boston College, Leahy accepted the head coaching position at his alma mater, Notre Dame. He tried without success to get out of his BC contract. He pleaded to the school's vice president. When that didn't work, he went to the mayor of Boston. Then the governor of Massachusetts. Then, at a press conference, he told 50 reporters what the South Bend Tribune called "the biggest lie of his life". Leahy stated: "Gentlemen I've called you all here today to inform you that I recently received my release from my coaching contract. With the release went the good wishes and benediction of Boston College." Leahy stepped away, and the buzzing group of reporters battled for phone lines. A phone call came in for Leahy, and he took it. The vice president of Boston College was on the line. "Coach Leahy," he barked. "You may go wherever you want, and whenever you want. Good-bye."
by a score of 19–14. 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 and 1949, with only a 14–14 tie against USC in the season finale marring a perfect season in 1948 and another possible 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. Scholarships had been reduced from 33 to 18 per year in 1948 when other teams, tired of getting beaten year in and year out, began dropping Notre Dame from their schedules. Consequently the talent level had dropped off drastically.
Scholarships were increased afterwards, and the situation improved. Aided by freshman eligibility brought on by the Korean War
, Notre Dame finished 7–2–1 in 1951 and 1952 while the 1953 squad, Leahy's last, posted a 9–0–1 docket. A controversial 14–14 tie against Iowa
denied the Irish another potential national championship. The controversy over the tie with Iowa stemmed from the fact that both of Notre Dame's touchdowns, one late in the first half and the other late in the game, came after a player had faked an injury. In both instances, Notre Dame had used up their allotment of time outs, and under normal circumstances, time would have expired in each half before they could run another play. Faking an injury was a widely-used ploy in football as a means of buying time, but in most cases there was no impact on the outcome of a game. In Notre Dame's case, they used this ruse not once but twice in the same game, and both times they managed to score touchdowns. A new rule was implemented the following year forbidding players from faking injuries, and many saw this as punishment directed at Notre Dame, who were branded as the "Fainting Irish."
There was some concern about Leahy's 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. Supposedly he had been ordered to give up coaching by his doctors for the sake of his health, but he later revealed that he left because he felt he was no longer wanted. Leahy was succeeded by Terry Brennan
, ushering in a downward slide for Notre Dame's football fortunes for the next decade.
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 Johnny Lattner
(1953)—and recruited a fifth, 1956 winner, Paul Hornung
. His overall record at Notre Dame was 87–11–9. Like his former coach, Knute Rockne, Leahy believed that games were won in practice and had the reputation for being relentless. It is said that Leahy's teams never had a practice without hitting and that his quarterbacks would catch snaps every practice until their hands bled. His teams were always well conditioned and Leahy was merciless when it came to the toughness of his players. In addition to his practices, Leahy coached a tough-nosed style of football during the games. Leahy's teams rarely kicked field goals when they were on the goal line because "Notre Dame didn't kick field goals, Notre Dame was too tough to kick field goals." This philosophy backfired against Army in 1946, when the Irish drove all the way to the Cadets' 4-yard line and turned the ball over on downs. A field goal would have won the game. Leahy always referred to his players as his "lads."
In 1949, he wrote a book on the T-formation, Notre Dame Football: The "T" Formation.
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. Leahy moved to the Portland, Oregon
suburb of Lake Oswego
in 1963, where he worked as an executive in a vending machine company until his death from congestive heart failure in Portland in 1973. Leahy was married to the former Florence Reilly in 1935, who survived him in death. They had eight children. Their son, Jim, and grandson, Ryan, played football at Notre Dame.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He served as the head football coach at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
from 1939 to 1940 and at the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
from 1941 to 1943 and again from 1946 to 1953, compiling a career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 107–13–9. His winning percentage of .864 is the second best in NCAA Division I football history, trailing only that fellow Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
coach, Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
, for whom Leahy played from 1928 to 1930. Leahy played on two Notre Dame teams that won national championships, in 1929 and 1930, and coached four more, in 1943, 1946, 1947, and 1949. Leahy was also the athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
at Notre Dame from 1947 until 1949 when he passed the role to the Fighting Irish basketball
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, United States. The program competes in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I. The school holds two national championships in...
coach, Moose Krause, so that he could focus on football coaching. Leahy served as the general manager of the AFL
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's Los Angeles Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
during their inaugural season in 1960. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a coach in 1970.
Early life and playing career
Leahy was born in O'Neill, NebraskaO'Neill, Nebraska
O'Neill is a city in Holt County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 3,733 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Holt County.-Geography:O'Neill is located at ....
and graduated from Winner High School in Winner, South Dakota
Winner, South Dakota
Winner is a city in Tripp County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,897 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Tripp County. Winner also serves as the administrative center of neighboring Todd County, which does not have its own county seat. The nearest airport is Winner...
where he was a football standout. He attended the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
, where he played football as a tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
on Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne
Knute Kenneth Rockne was an American football player and coach. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history...
's last three teams (1928–1930), and graduated from the university in 1931.
Assistant coaching
Leahy went to Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
as line coach in 1931 and Michigan State
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
the following year to take a similar position. Leahy took over as line coach at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
in 1933 and stayed until 1938 under Jim Crowley
Jim Crowley
James Harold "Jim" Crowley was an American football player and coach. He gained fame as one-fourth of the University of Notre Dame's legendary "Four Horsemen" backfield where he played halfback from 1922 to 1924. After a brief career as a professional football player, Crowley turned to coaching...
, coaching the famed Seven Blocks of Granite
Seven Blocks of Granite
The Seven Blocks of Granite was a nickname given to the Fordham University football team's offensive line under head coach "Sleepy" Jim Crowley and line coach Frank Leahy. The most famous Seven Blocks of Granite were: Leo Paquin, Johnny Druze, Alex Wojciechowicz, Ed Franco, Al Babartsky, Natty...
from 1935 to 1937 when the Rams lost only two games in three seasons. The undersized right guard on the 1935 and 1936 teams was future coaching legend Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
.
Boston College
In 1939, Leahy went to Boston CollegeBoston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
as head coach, guiding the Eagles
Boston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
to a 20–2 record including an undefeated 1940 season
1940 college football season
The 1940 college football season ended with the Gophers of the University of Minnesota being named the nation’s #1 team and national champion, and the Stanford University Indians in second, with the two teams receiving 65 and 44 first place votes respectively...
capped off with a win in the 1941 Sugar Bowl
1941 Sugar Bowl
The 1941 edition to the Sugar Bowl featured the fourth ranked Tennessee Volunteers and the fifth ranked Boston College Eagles, both with records of 10–0....
. At Boston College, he tried relentlessly to recruit future beat author Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
.
Although he had recently signed a contract renewal at Boston College, Leahy accepted the head coaching position at his alma mater, Notre Dame. He tried without success to get out of his BC contract. He pleaded to the school's vice president. When that didn't work, he went to the mayor of Boston. Then the governor of Massachusetts. Then, at a press conference, he told 50 reporters what the South Bend Tribune called "the biggest lie of his life". Leahy stated: "Gentlemen I've called you all here today to inform you that I recently received my release from my coaching contract. With the release went the good wishes and benediction of Boston College." Leahy stepped away, and the buzzing group of reporters battled for phone lines. A phone call came in for Leahy, and he took it. The vice president of Boston College was on the line. "Coach Leahy," he barked. "You may go wherever you want, and whenever you want. Good-bye."
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 LakesNaval Station Great Lakes
Naval Station Great Lakes is the home of the United States Navy's only boot camp, located near the city of North Chicago, Illinois, in Lake County. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago...
by a score of 19–14. 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
Earl Blaik
Earl Henry "Red" Blaik was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and United States Army officer. He served as the head football coach at Dartmouth College from 1934 to 1940 and at the United States Military Academy from 1941 to 1958, compiling a career college...
's Army
1946 Army Cadets football team
The 1946 Army Black Knights football team represents the United States Military Academy. Led by head coach Red Blaik, the team finished with an undefeated 9-0-1 season. The Black Knights offense scored 263 points, while the defense allowed 80 points. At season’s end, the team ranked second in the...
team to a scoreless tie
1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game
The 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game was a regular season college football game played on November 9, 1946. Army , then ranked Number 1 in the Associated Press college football poll, played the University of Notre Dame, of South Bend, Indiana, ranked Number 2, at Yankee Stadium in New York City...
at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. National championships followed in 1947 and 1949, with only a 14–14 tie against USC in the season finale marring a perfect season in 1948 and another possible 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. Scholarships had been reduced from 33 to 18 per year in 1948 when other teams, tired of getting beaten year in and year out, began dropping Notre Dame from their schedules. Consequently the talent level had dropped off drastically.
Scholarships were increased afterwards, and the situation improved. Aided by freshman eligibility brought on by the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, Notre Dame finished 7–2–1 in 1951 and 1952 while the 1953 squad, Leahy's last, posted a 9–0–1 docket. A controversial 14–14 tie against Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes football
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
denied the Irish another potential national championship. The controversy over the tie with Iowa stemmed from the fact that both of Notre Dame's touchdowns, one late in the first half and the other late in the game, came after a player had faked an injury. In both instances, Notre Dame had used up their allotment of time outs, and under normal circumstances, time would have expired in each half before they could run another play. Faking an injury was a widely-used ploy in football as a means of buying time, but in most cases there was no impact on the outcome of a game. In Notre Dame's case, they used this ruse not once but twice in the same game, and both times they managed to score touchdowns. A new rule was implemented the following year forbidding players from faking injuries, and many saw this as punishment directed at Notre Dame, who were branded as the "Fainting Irish."
There was some concern about Leahy's health when he collapsed from a pancreatic attack in the locker room during halftime of the 1953 Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
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. Supposedly he had been ordered to give up coaching by his doctors for the sake of his health, but he later revealed that he left because he felt he was no longer wanted. Leahy was succeeded by Terry Brennan
Terry Brennan
Terence Patrick Brennan is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1954 to 1958, compiling a record of 32–18.-Early life and playing career:...
, ushering in a downward slide for Notre Dame's football fortunes for the next decade.
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
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winners—Angelo Bertelli
Angelo Bertelli
Angelo Bortolo Bertelli was an American football player. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1943 playing as a quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.-Early life:...
(1943), Johnny Lujack
Johnny Lujack
John Christopher Lujack Jr. is a former American football quarterback and 1947 Heisman Trophy winner.Lujack was born on January 4, 1925, in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. He played college football for the University of Notre Dame, and professionally for the Chicago Bears. Lujack was the first of...
(1947), Leon Hart
Leon Hart
Leon Joseph Hart was an American football tight end and defensive end. He was raised in Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh....
(1949) and Johnny Lattner
Johnny Lattner
John Joseph "Johnny" Lattner is a former American football player in the United States. He was a halfback for the University of Notre Dame where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1953, and won the Maxwell Award twice, in 1952 and 1953....
(1953)—and recruited a fifth, 1956 winner, Paul Hornung
Paul Hornung
Paul Vernon Hornung is a retired Hall of Fame professional football player who played for the Green Bay Packers from 1957-66...
. His overall record at Notre Dame was 87–11–9. Like his former coach, Knute Rockne, Leahy believed that games were won in practice and had the reputation for being relentless. It is said that Leahy's teams never had a practice without hitting and that his quarterbacks would catch snaps every practice until their hands bled. His teams were always well conditioned and Leahy was merciless when it came to the toughness of his players. In addition to his practices, Leahy coached a tough-nosed style of football during the games. Leahy's teams rarely kicked field goals when they were on the goal line because "Notre Dame didn't kick field goals, Notre Dame was too tough to kick field goals." This philosophy backfired against Army in 1946, when the Irish drove all the way to the Cadets' 4-yard line and turned the ball over on downs. A field goal would have won the game. Leahy always referred to his players as his "lads."
In 1949, he wrote a book on the T-formation, Notre Dame Football: The "T" Formation.
Later life
Leahy served as general managerGeneral Manager (American football)
In the National Football League, the general manager or GM of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the team during contract discussions with players....
for the Los Angeles Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
during their inaugural 1960 season in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. He was selected to the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1970. Leahy moved to the Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
suburb of Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego, Oregon
Lake Oswego is a city located primarily in Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Small portions of the city are also located in neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Located south of Portland surrounding the Oswego Lake, the town was founded in 1847 and incorporated as Oswego in...
in 1963, where he worked as an executive in a vending machine company until his death from congestive heart failure in Portland in 1973. Leahy was married to the former Florence Reilly in 1935, who survived him in death. They had eight children. Their son, Jim, and grandson, Ryan, played football at Notre Dame.