George Munger (American football)
Encyclopedia
George Almond Munger was an American athlete, coach and athletic director. He played college football and competed in track and field at the University of Pennsylvania
from 1930 to 1933. He returned to Penn as head coach of the football team from 1938 to 1953 and as director of physical education from 1954 to 1974. His 1945 and 1947 teams finished ranked among the top ten college football teams in the United States, and he coached five players who were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
and three who received the Maxwell Award
as the best player in college football. Munger was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976. The George Munger Award
was presented each year from 1989 to 2010 to the national collegiate football coach of the year. In March 2010, the Maxwell Football Club announced that the award would be renamed the Joseph V. Paterno Award
.
in 1909. His father, Herbert N. Munger, was the co-owner of the Munger & Long department store in Camden, New Jersey
. Munger received his early education at the Friends School in Camden. He received his preparatory education at The Hill School
in Pottstown, Pennsylvania
and the Episcopal Academy in the Overbrook
section of Philadelphia. He was the captain of the football team at Episcopal Academy in 1928 and 1929. He led Episcopal to two undefeated seasons in football and once scored eight touchdowns in a game. He also helped lead Episcopal to two basketball championships and a baseball championship. He also set school records in the pole vault, high jump, discus and javelin.
for the Penn Quakers football
team from 1930 to 1932. He also competed for Penn in track and field and won the decathlon at the 1932 Penn Relays
. With the Penn Relays being comparable to the Olympic Trials, Munger should have been a lock for the 1932 Olympics. But citing a lack of depth in the 1932 Relays field, another Olympics Trials were held in Chicago. Munger failed to clear a starting 12 foot height in the pole vault, finished 9th, and was named an alternate to the squad.
and Cornell
by identical scores of 21–0, and its only setback was a 7–7 tie with Army.
Munger coached 16 All-American football players at Penn, and three of his players, Robert H. Odell (1943), Chuck Bednarik
(1948) and Reds Bagnell
(1950), won the Maxwell Award
as the best college football player in the United States. Five of his players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
: Odell, Bednarik, Bagnell, Skip Minisi
, and George Savitsky
.
During the Munger era, Penn regularly drew crowds of 75,000 to home games at Franklin Field
. Munger's teams led the nation in attendance between 1938 and 1942 with 1.78 million fans. The Daily Pennsylvanian later wrote, "The Munger era represented the heyday of Quaker football."
After resigning as the football coach, Munger served as the director of physical education at Penn from 1954 to 1974. He was also a vice-president of the National Football Foundation and the Maxwell Club, president of the American Football Coaches Association
, and a member of the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Committee and physical fitness committees under Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy
. During the summers from 1952 to 1976, he was Director of Camp Tecumseh, a boy's camp in Center Harbor, N.H. founded by three former Olympians in 1903.
in 1976. Munger's biography at the Hall of Fame describes him as "a superb, relaxed athlete, an innovative coach, and a meticulous administrator." The University of Pennsylvania also named its football training complex, the George Munger Training Complex, after him, and the Munger Award is given each year to the most valuable player on the Penn football team.
In 1989, the Maxwell Football Club
began awarding the George Munger Award
to the college football coach of the year. In its description of the award, the Maxwell Club says of Munger, "His devotion to ethics in athletics, and his commitment to education is the standard for which all college coaches should strive." Recipients of the award include Bo Schembechler
, Joe Paterno
, Lloyd Carr
, Bob Stoops
, Pete Carroll
, and Urban Meyer
. In March 2010, the club announced that the award would be renamed the Joseph V. Paterno Award
.
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
from 1930 to 1933. He returned to Penn as head coach of the football team from 1938 to 1953 and as director of physical education from 1954 to 1974. His 1945 and 1947 teams finished ranked among the top ten college football teams in the United States, and he coached five players who were 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...
and three who received the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
as the best player in college football. Munger was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1976. The George Munger Award
George Munger Award
The George Munger Award was presented to the NCAA Division I college football coach of the year by the Maxwell Football Club from 1989 to 2009. The award was named after former University of Pennsylvania head coach George Munger...
was presented each year from 1989 to 2010 to the national collegiate football coach of the year. In March 2010, the Maxwell Football Club announced that the award would be renamed the Joseph V. Paterno Award
Joseph V. Paterno Award
The Joseph V. Paterno Award is an award that was established in 2010 and is given annually to the college football head coach who best exemplifies Penn State head coach Joe Paterno’s dedication to the development of student-athletes and the advancement of the university beyond just athletics.The...
.
Early years
Munger was born in Elkins Park, PennsylvaniaElkins Park, Pennsylvania
Elkins Park is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is split between Cheltenham and Abington Townships in the suburbs of Philadelphia, roughly from Center City, Philadelphia.-Points of interest:...
in 1909. His father, Herbert N. Munger, was the co-owner of the Munger & Long department store in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
. Munger received his early education at the Friends School in Camden. He received his preparatory education at The Hill School
The Hill School
The Hill School is a preparatory boarding school for boys and girls located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia....
in Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States northwest of Philadelphia and southeast of Reading, on the Schuylkill River. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the...
and the Episcopal Academy in the Overbrook
Overbrook, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Overbrook is a neighborhood northwest of West Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The area contains an assortment of housing from large, old homes to row homes to 3-4 story apartment buildings.-Physical setting:...
section of Philadelphia. He was the captain of the football team at Episcopal Academy in 1928 and 1929. He led Episcopal to two undefeated seasons in football and once scored eight touchdowns in a game. He also helped lead Episcopal to two basketball championships and a baseball championship. He also set school records in the pole vault, high jump, discus and javelin.
Athlete at Penn
He later attended the University of Pennsylvania where he played at the halfbackHalfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
for the Penn Quakers football
Penn Quakers football
The Penn Quakers football team is the college football team at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA. The Penn Quakers have competed in the Ivy League since its inaugural season of 1956, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
team from 1930 to 1932. He also competed for Penn in track and field and won the decathlon at the 1932 Penn Relays
Penn Relays
The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
. With the Penn Relays being comparable to the Olympic Trials, Munger should have been a lock for the 1932 Olympics. But citing a lack of depth in the 1932 Relays field, another Olympics Trials were held in Chicago. Munger failed to clear a starting 12 foot height in the pole vault, finished 9th, and was named an alternate to the squad.
Teacher and coach at Episcopal Academy
After graduating from Penn in 1933, Munger taught mathematics and religion and coached football at the Episcopal Academy. In September 1935, he married Louise Laycock Smith in the Chapel of the Episcopal Academy.Coach and administrator at Penn
Munger was hired by Penn as the freshman football and track coach in 1936 and held that position during the 1936 and 1937 football seasons. In January 1938, the 28-year old Munger took over as the head coach of the Penn football team. He also became an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Education effective July 1, 1938. He served as the head football coach at Penn for 16 years from 1938 to 1953, compiling a record of 82–42–10 for a .649 winning percentage. His Penn teams finished ranked among the top ten college football teams in the United States on three occasions, including a No. 7 ranking in 1947 and a No. 8 ranking in 1945. Munger's 1947 team finished with an undefeated 7–0–1 record and outscored opponents 219 to 35. The 1947 team shut out both NavyNavy 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...
and Cornell
Cornell Big Red football
The Cornell Big Red football team represents Cornell University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Championship Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Ivy League. It is one of the oldest and most storied football programs in the nation...
by identical scores of 21–0, and its only setback was a 7–7 tie with Army.
Munger coached 16 All-American football players at Penn, and three of his players, Robert H. Odell (1943), Chuck Bednarik
Chuck Bednarik
Charles Philip Bednarik is a former professional American football player, known as one of the most devastating tacklers in the history of football and the last two-way player in the National Football League...
(1948) and Reds Bagnell
Reds Bagnell
Francis "Reds" Bagnell was an American football halfback in college. He was an All-American tailback for the University of Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1951. He won the Maxwell Award, was runner-up for Heisman Trophy, and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.-External links:...
(1950), won the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
as the best college football player in the United States. Five of his players have been 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...
: Odell, Bednarik, Bagnell, Skip Minisi
Skip Minisi
Anthony Salvatore "Skip" Minisi was an American football halfback in the National Football League for the New York Giants. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985 based on his college career at the University of Pennsylvania and the United States Naval Academy.-External links:...
, and George Savitsky
George Savitsky
George Michael Savitsky is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at the University of Pennsylvania and was drafted in the fifth round of the 1947 NFL Draft. Savitsky was inducted into the College...
.
During the Munger era, Penn regularly drew crowds of 75,000 to home games at Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
. Munger's teams led the nation in attendance between 1938 and 1942 with 1.78 million fans. The Daily Pennsylvanian later wrote, "The Munger era represented the heyday of Quaker football."
After resigning as the football coach, Munger served as the director of physical education at Penn from 1954 to 1974. He was also a vice-president of the National Football Foundation and the Maxwell Club, president of the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
, and a member of the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Committee and physical fitness committees under Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, and John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. During the summers from 1952 to 1976, he was Director of Camp Tecumseh, a boy's camp in Center Harbor, N.H. founded by three former Olympians in 1903.
Honors and awards
Munger was inducted into the College Football Hall of FameCollege 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...
in 1976. Munger's biography at the Hall of Fame describes him as "a superb, relaxed athlete, an innovative coach, and a meticulous administrator." The University of Pennsylvania also named its football training complex, the George Munger Training Complex, after him, and the Munger Award is given each year to the most valuable player on the Penn football team.
In 1989, the Maxwell Football Club
Maxwell Football Club
The Maxwell Football Club was established in 1935 to promote safety in the game of American football. Named in honor of the late Robert W...
began awarding the George Munger Award
George Munger Award
The George Munger Award was presented to the NCAA Division I college football coach of the year by the Maxwell Football Club from 1989 to 2009. The award was named after former University of Pennsylvania head coach George Munger...
to the college football coach of the year. In its description of the award, the Maxwell Club says of Munger, "His devotion to ethics in athletics, and his commitment to education is the standard for which all college coaches should strive." Recipients of the award include Bo Schembechler
Bo Schembechler
Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
, Joe Paterno
Joe Paterno
Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno is a former college football coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions for 46 years from 1966 through 2011. Paterno, nicknamed "JoePa," holds the record for the most victories by an NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision football coach with...
, Lloyd Carr
Lloyd Carr
Lloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
, Bob Stoops
Bob Stoops
Robert Anthony "Bob" Stoops is the head coach of the University of Oklahoma football team. During the 2000 season, Stoops led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl victory and a national championship....
, Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
, and Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
. In March 2010, the club announced that the award would be renamed the Joseph V. Paterno Award
Joseph V. Paterno Award
The Joseph V. Paterno Award is an award that was established in 2010 and is given annually to the college football head coach who best exemplifies Penn State head coach Joe Paterno’s dedication to the development of student-athletes and the advancement of the university beyond just athletics.The...
.