Francis J. McCormick
Encyclopedia
Francis J. "Mickey" McCormick (died August 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.
. The football teams won a victory over Navy
by a score of 21–3 in 1924 and completed a 7–2 record in 1925 under College Football Hall of Fame
head coach Frank Murray
.
.
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 wins, 26 losses, and 8 ties and included a 7–1 season in 1936. Also at St. Norbert, McCormick was the head basketball coach.
and he held that position for nine seasons, from 1949 until 1957. His career coaching record at Carroll College was 37 wins, 31 losses, and 1 tie. This ranks him fourth at Carroll College in total wins and 11th at Carroll College in winning percentage. Carroll would be his last coaching position as he died in August 1958 before the season began, but the school would later induct him into their "Athletic Hall of Fame" for his contributions to the school and athletic programs. Highlights of his coaching at caroll included a strong offense in the 1951 season.
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. He felt that his most talented team was 1955, a team he called the best Carroll had in ten years. McCormick was selected to coach the "South" team for the 1951 Upper Peninsula All-Star Football exhibition game.
or punter. 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.
.
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 and coach. He served as the head football coach at St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Norbertine priest and educator, the school was named after Saint Norbert of Xanten. In 1952, the college became coeducational and today enrolls about 2,175...
from 1934 to 1942 and at Carroll College—now known as Carroll University—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...
from 1949 to 1957, 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 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
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...
rule change on "free substitution" in 1953.
Marquette
McCormick played college football and was a forward on the basketball team at Marquette UniversityMarquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
. The football teams won a victory over Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
by a score of 21–3 in 1924 and completed a 7–2 record in 1925 under 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...
head coach Frank Murray
Frank Murray
Frank J. Murray was an American football and basketball coach. He is one of the few head football coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same college or university. Murray was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-Marquette:Murray was the 13th head football at the...
.
Duluth Eskimos
After graduation at Marquette, McCormic went on to be a member of the Duluth Eskimos in the NFLNational 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...
.
St. Norbert
McCormick coached at St. Norbert CollegeSt. Norbert College
St. Norbert College is a private Catholic liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Norbertine priest and educator, the school was named after Saint Norbert of Xanten. In 1952, the college became coeducational and today enrolls about 2,175...
in De Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere, Wisconsin
De Pere is a city located in Brown County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 20,559 at the 2000 census. De Pere is a suburb of Green Bay and is part of the Green Bay Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Registered historic places:...
starting with the 1934 season until the conclusion of the 1942 season. His record with the Green Knights was a total of 32 wins, 26 losses, and 8 ties and included a 7–1 season in 1936. Also at St. Norbert, McCormick was the head basketball coach.
Carroll
McCormick the 20th head football coach for the Carroll College Pioneers (now called "Carroll University") located in Waukesha, WisconsinWaukesha, 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...
and he held that position for nine seasons, from 1949 until 1957. His career coaching record at Carroll College was 37 wins, 31 losses, and 1 tie. This ranks him fourth at Carroll College in total wins and 11th at Carroll College in winning percentage. Carroll would be his last coaching position as he died in August 1958 before the season began, but the school would later induct him into their "Athletic Hall of Fame" for his contributions to the school and athletic programs. Highlights of his coaching at caroll included a strong offense in the 1951 season.
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. He felt that his most talented team was 1955, a team he called the best Carroll had in ten years. McCormick was selected to coach the "South" team for the 1951 Upper Peninsula All-Star Football exhibition game.
Free substitution
In 1953, McCormick was outspoken among the small-college football coaches against the idea of free substitution in college football. 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 quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
or punter. 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.
Personal life
McCormick was a 1929 graduate of Antigo High School in his hometown of Antigo, WisconsinAntigo, Wisconsin
Antigo is a city in and the county seat of Langlade County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 8,560 at the 2000 census. Antigo is the center of a farming and lumbering district, and its manufactures consist principally of lumber, chairs, furniture, sashes, doors and blinds, hubs and...
.