Dan McGugin
Encyclopedia
Daniel Earle McGugin was an American football
player, coach, and lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University
in Nashville, Tennessee
from 1904 to 1917 and again from 1919 to 1934, compiling a record of 197–55–19. He played college football
at the University of Michigan
. McGugin was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1951.
. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin McGugin (1843–1925) and Melissa (Critchfield) McGugin (1845–1915).
and received a bachelor of arts degree in 1901. He played football at Drake for two years. He played at the tackle and guard positions for Drake and "was considered one of the best players that Drake ever had."
. While at Michigan, McGugin played college football for Fielding H. Yost. He was a player on Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams that outscored their opponents, 1,211 to 12 in 1901
and 1902
, and served as Yost's assistant coach at Michigan in 1903
. A profile of McGugin in the 1903 University of Michigan yearbook noted:
from 1904 to 1917 and from 1919 to 1934. During his tenures, the Vanderbilt Commodores
compiled a 197–55–19 record and had a .762 winning percentage. In his first career game, his team defeated Mississippi State
, 61–0. He went on to win his next two games by 60 points as well. He remains the only coach in NCAA
history to win his first three games by 60 points. He also won his first 11 games each by more than 20 points. Vanderbilt outscored its opponents 452–4 during his first year.
McGugin took time was from coaching to work in the mining business. In a draft registration card completed in 1918, McGugin stated that he was the president of the Kensee Mining Company in Marion, Kentucky
.
Fred Russell
wrote of McGugin:
On the Vanderbilt athletics site, Bill Traughber describes McGugin's speech before a famous 1922 game against the Michigan Wolverines
at Dudley Field
:
The Vanderbilt athletics office building, the McGugin Center, bears his name. McGugin was also named to the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class.
. His former coach, Fielding Yost, was married Eunice Fite, making McGugin and Yost brothers-in-law.
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, and lawyer. He served as the head football coach at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
from 1904 to 1917 and again from 1919 to 1934, compiling a record of 197–55–19. He played 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...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. McGugin 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 1951.
Early years
McGugin was born in July 1879 on a farm near Tingley, IowaTingley, Iowa
Tingley is a city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States, which was founded in 1883. The population was 171 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Tingley is located at ....
. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin McGugin (1843–1925) and Melissa (Critchfield) McGugin (1845–1915).
Drake
McGugin enrolled at Drake UniversityDrake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
and received a bachelor of arts degree in 1901. He played football at Drake for two years. He played at the tackle and guard positions for Drake and "was considered one of the best players that Drake ever had."
Michigan
After graduating from Drake, McGugin enrolled in law school at the University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. While at Michigan, McGugin played college football for Fielding H. Yost. He was a player on Michigan's "Point-a-Minute" teams that outscored their opponents, 1,211 to 12 in 1901
1901 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1901 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1901 college football season. In their first year under new head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan finished the season undefeated with an 11–0 record, outscored their opponents by the unprecedented total of 550...
and 1902
1902 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1902 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1902 college football season. In their second year under head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan finished the season undefeated with an 11–0 record, outscored their opponents by a combined score of 644 to...
, and served as Yost's assistant coach at Michigan in 1903
1903 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1903 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1903 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost...
. A profile of McGugin in the 1903 University of Michigan yearbook noted:
"McGugin is the lightest guard that Michigan has had in the last ten years, bu he has not met his match during the past two seasons. ... As a guard he is careful yet nervy. He gets the jump on his opponents and keeps the advantage. Although a hard player he goes into each scrimmage with as much composure as if he were walking along the campus. McGugin, although good in every department of his position, has two qualities that are pre-eminent: namely, making interference and opening holes. [Willie] HestonWillie HestonWilliam Martin "Willie" Heston was an American football player and coach. He played halfback at San Jose State University and the University of Michigan. Heston was the head football coach for Drake University in 1905 and North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, now North...
has been especially fortunate this year in having a good interference, and part of that interference has been McGugin."
Vanderbilt
He was the head football coach for Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
from 1904 to 1917 and from 1919 to 1934. During his tenures, the Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores football
The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference...
compiled a 197–55–19 record and had a .762 winning percentage. In his first career game, his team defeated Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
, 61–0. He went on to win his next two games by 60 points as well. He remains the only coach in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
history to win his first three games by 60 points. He also won his first 11 games each by more than 20 points. Vanderbilt outscored its opponents 452–4 during his first year.
McGugin took time was from coaching to work in the mining business. In a draft registration card completed in 1918, McGugin stated that he was the president of the Kensee Mining Company in Marion, Kentucky
Marion, Kentucky
Marion is a city in Crittenden County, Kentucky, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 3,196. It is the county seat of Crittenden County...
.
Fred Russell
Fred Russell
Fred Russell was an American sports writer prominent in the Golden Era of Sports in the 20th century...
wrote of McGugin:
- For years he ruled supreme in Dixie, and his teams won many glorious intersectional victories. More than any one man, he was responsible for the progress of southern football.... He was the first coach to successfully work the onside kick. He was among the first to bring out guards in the interference.... His name will never die.
On the Vanderbilt athletics site, Bill Traughber describes McGugin's speech before a famous 1922 game against the Michigan Wolverines
1922 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1922 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1922 college football season. The head coach was Fielding H. Yost, in his 22nd season as head coach. The team went through the 1922 season without a defeat and compiled a record of 6–0–1...
at Dudley Field
Vanderbilt Stadium
Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field is a football stadium located in Nashville, Tennessee. Completed in 1922 as the first stadium in the South to be used exclusively for college football, it is the home of the Vanderbilt University football team...
:
- In the locker room prior to the kickoff, McGugin gave his hopeful pregame inspirational talk. Referring to the Michigan players, McGugin said, "You are going against YankeeYankeeThe term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
s, some of whose grandfathers killed your grandfathers in the Civil WarAmerican Civil WarThe American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
." Unknowing [sic] to the Commodore players was the fact that McGugin's father had been an officer in the Union armyUnion ArmyThe Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
.
The Vanderbilt athletics office building, the McGugin Center, bears his name. McGugin was also named to the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class.
Family
McGugin was married to Virginia Louise Fite on December 6, 1905, at Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. His former coach, Fielding Yost, was married Eunice Fite, making McGugin and Yost brothers-in-law.