John W. Breen
Encyclopedia
John W. Breen was an American football
and basketball
player, coach, and sports figure. He was active in the college ranks before becoming an early sports administrator in the American Football League
for the Houston Oilers.
and played high school football at Milwaukee East Division High School
. He then went on to Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin
where he was named "most valuable player" and team captain in both football and basketball.
coach (as well as assuming the position of Athletic Director
) for the Carroll College (Wisconsin) Pioneers and he held that position for eleven seasons, from 1938 until 1948. His career coaching record at Carroll College was 34 wins, 33 losses, and 6 ties. This ranks him fifth at Carroll College in total wins and 14th at Carroll College in winning percentage.
in Lake Forest, Illinois
and held the position for three seasons, through 1951. During his tenure as head coach, he accumulated a record of 9 wins, 13 losses, and 2 ties. While at Lake Forest he received nation-wide publicity for defending the interests of small college athletics. In 1974, Lake Forest inducted him into their athletic "Hall of Fame" for his contribution to the football and basketball programs at the school.
Breen was instrumental in the building of the Oilers and the American Football League
itself by being in charge of the league's first draft of players. He is credited with recruiting veteran players George Blanda
, John Carson
, and Willard Dewveall
along with first-year players Billy Cannon
, Dan Lanphear
, and Charley Hennigan. He recognized that the competing NFL
teams would cut good quality players and would recruit them to play at Houston.
After his retirement from professional football management, Breen worked as a sports broadcaster for radio station KTRH in Houston, Texas
.
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...
and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player, coach, and sports figure. He was active in the college ranks before becoming an early sports administrator 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...
for the Houston Oilers.
Playing history
Breen grew up in Milwaukee, WisconsinMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
and played high school football at Milwaukee East Division High School
Riverside University High School
Riverside University High School is a public high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with a college preparatory curriculum. It is a part of the Milwaukee Public Schools system.- Pre-1912 :...
. He then went on to Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. The population was 70,718 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in the county and 7th largest in the state. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Waukesha...
where he was named "most valuable player" and team captain in both football and basketball.
Carroll College (Wisconsin)
After graduation from Carroll in 1935, Breen began coaching freshman teams and teaching classes. Breen the 19th head college footballCollege 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...
coach (as well as assuming the position of 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...
) for the Carroll College (Wisconsin) Pioneers and he held that position for eleven seasons, from 1938 until 1948. His career coaching record at Carroll College was 34 wins, 33 losses, and 6 ties. This ranks him fifth at Carroll College in total wins and 14th at Carroll College in winning percentage.
Lake Forest
In 1949, Breen became the head coach at Lake Forest CollegeLake Forest College
Lake Forest College, founded in 1857, is a private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois. The college has 1,500 students representing 47 states and 78 countries....
in Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest is an affluent city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The city is south of Waukegan along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College and was laid out as a town in...
and held the position for three seasons, through 1951. During his tenure as head coach, he accumulated a record of 9 wins, 13 losses, and 2 ties. While at Lake Forest he received nation-wide publicity for defending the interests of small college athletics. In 1974, Lake Forest inducted him into their athletic "Hall of Fame" for his contribution to the football and basketball programs at the school.
Professional Sports
After a successful college career as an educator and coach, Breen went in to the professional ranks with the Chicago Cardinals as director of player personnel in 1957. He was later the first person hired by the Houston Oilers in 1960 as director of player personnel and was named General Manager in 1971 and he held that position until his retirement in 1973.Breen was instrumental in the building of the Oilers and 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...
itself by being in charge of the league's first draft of players. He is credited with recruiting veteran players George Blanda
George Blanda
George Frederick Blanda was a collegiate and professional football quarterback and placekicker...
, John Carson
John Carson
-People:*Fiddlin' John Carson, American musician*Johnny Carson, American television presenter*John David Carson, American actor*John Carson , English actor*Jack Carson, Canadian-born, U.S...
, and Willard Dewveall
Willard Dewveall
Willard Charles Dewveall is a former American football end. He was the first player to jump from one American professional football league to another, leaving the National Football League's Chicago Bears to play for the American Football League's Houston Oilers for the 1961 season...
along with first-year players Billy Cannon
Billy Cannon
William Abb "Billy" Cannon is an All-American, 1959 Heisman Trophy winner and 2008 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and one of the American Football League's most celebrated players.He was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and moved...
, Dan Lanphear
Dan Lanphear
Dan Lanphear was a player in the American Football League for the Houston Oilers in 1960 and 1962 as a defensive end. Lanphear was also drafted in the eighth round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
, and Charley Hennigan. He recognized that the competing NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
teams would cut good quality players and would recruit them to play at Houston.
After his retirement from professional football management, Breen worked as a sports broadcaster for radio station KTRH in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.