John Macklin
Encyclopedia
John Farrell "Big John" Macklin (c. 1884 – October 10, 1949) was an American football
player, coach of football, basketball
, baseball
and track and field, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University
from 1911 to 1915. With a five-year record of 29–5, he has the highest winning percentage of any football coach in Michigan State history. Macklin coached the Michigan State Spartans football
team to its first ever victories over Ohio State
, Michigan
, Wisconsin
, and Penn State
. He was also the athletic director
at Michigan Agricultural and coached the school's basketball, baseball, and track and field teams. Macklin tallied marks of 48–38 as head basketball coach (1910–1916) and 52–27 as head baseball coach (1911–1915).
and attended Worcester High School. He played high school football for four years and was also the captain of Worcester's crew. After graduating from Worcester High School, Macklin attended Exeter Academy
in Exeter, New Hampshire
and then St. Paul's School
in Concord, New Hampshire
, playing football at each school.
. Macklin grew to be a giant of a man for his time. He was 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 275 pounds. When Macklin arrived at Penn, one account indicates there were no uniforms large enough to fit him: "When the big husky appeared on the gridiron the first thing the coaches did was to send for the athletic outfitter, for there was not a suit on the campus that would encompass his frame." Macklin played two years at the tackle
position for Penn's football team. The Chicago Daily Tribune
later wrote: "For a big man he was remarkably agile and his tackling on the wings and his quickness in getting through to break up plays was the delight of the coaches."
. Macklin's success at Pawling brought him to the attention of Michigan Agricultural College
(now Michigan State University), which was in need of a new athletic director and coach. He was hired in January 1911 upon the recommendation of the renowned Penn athletic trainer Mike Murphy
. Macklin was the head coach
at Michigan State 1911 to 1915 and compiled a record of 29–5. His winning percentage of .853 is the highest in the history of the Michigan State Spartans football
program. Macklin's 1913 Michigan State team finished with an undefeated, untied record of 7–0 and outscored opponents by a combined score of 180 to 28. Macklin was the first Michigan State coach to lead the Spartans to football victories over Ohio State
(35–20 in 1912), Michigan
(12–7 in 1913), Wisconsin
(12–7 in 1913), and Penn State
(6–3 in 1914). Macklin's 1913 team was also the first racially integrated team in the school's history, as Gideon Smith became the first African-American player for the Spartans.
Macklin was also the athletic director and coach of the baseball, men's basketball, and track and field teams. He coached the basketball team from 1910 to 1916 and compiled a 48–38 (.558) record, including a 12–3 record for 1911–12 season. He coached the baseball team from 1911 to 1915, compiling a record of 52–27 (.658).
Macklin retired from coaching in March 1916 to enter the coal mining business in Pennsylvania.
in 1949 called Macklin "the founding father of the big time at Michigan State College." When he was hired in 1911, the school was putting on games for $200. When he left, the school received guarantees of $10,000 for games. As athletic director, he also led the effort to build new athletic buildings and a modern gymnasium. In 1935, Michigan State re-named its football stadium Macklin Field in his honor. At the time, Macklin was a coal mine operator living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The name was changed to Macklin Stadium in 1948, and in 1957, Macklin's name was dropped and replaced by the current name, Spartan Stadium
.
Macklin died at his home in the suburbs of Philadelphia at age 65.
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 of football, 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...
, baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and track and field, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University
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,...
from 1911 to 1915. With a five-year record of 29–5, he has the highest winning percentage of any football coach in Michigan State history. Macklin coached the Michigan State Spartans football
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
team to its first ever victories over Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
, and Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
. He 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 Michigan Agricultural and coached the school's basketball, baseball, and track and field teams. Macklin tallied marks of 48–38 as head basketball coach (1910–1916) and 52–27 as head baseball coach (1911–1915).
Early years
Macklin was born in Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
and attended Worcester High School. He played high school football for four years and was also the captain of Worcester's crew. After graduating from Worcester High School, Macklin attended Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
in Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
and then St. Paul's School
St. Paul's School (Concord, New Hampshire)
St. Paul's School is a highly selective college-preparatory, coeducational boarding school in Concord, New Hampshire affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The school is one of only six remaining 100% residential boarding schools in the U.S. The New Hampshire campus currently serves 533 students,...
in Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
, playing football at each school.
Penn
After completing his preparatory education, Macklin enrolled at the University of PennsylvaniaUniversity 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...
. Macklin grew to be a giant of a man for his time. He was 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 275 pounds. When Macklin arrived at Penn, one account indicates there were no uniforms large enough to fit him: "When the big husky appeared on the gridiron the first thing the coaches did was to send for the athletic outfitter, for there was not a suit on the campus that would encompass his frame." Macklin played two years at the 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....
position for Penn's football team. The Chicago Daily Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
later wrote: "For a big man he was remarkably agile and his tackling on the wings and his quickness in getting through to break up plays was the delight of the coaches."
Coaching career
In 1910, Macklin coached football at a boys' school at Pawling, New YorkPawling (village), New York
Pawling is a village in Dutchess County, New York, USA. The population was 2,233 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area...
. Macklin's success at Pawling brought him to the attention of Michigan Agricultural College
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,...
(now Michigan State University), which was in need of a new athletic director and coach. He was hired in January 1911 upon the recommendation of the renowned Penn athletic trainer Mike Murphy
Mike Murphy (trainer and coach)
Michael Charles "Mike" Murphy was an athletic trainer and coach at Yale University , the Detroit Athletic Club , the University of Michigan , the University of Pennsylvania , and the New York Athletic Club...
. Macklin was the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
at Michigan State 1911 to 1915 and compiled a record of 29–5. His winning percentage of .853 is the highest in the history of the Michigan State Spartans football
Michigan State Spartans football
The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level...
program. Macklin's 1913 Michigan State team finished with an undefeated, untied record of 7–0 and outscored opponents by a combined score of 180 to 28. Macklin was the first Michigan State coach to lead the Spartans to football victories over Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
(35–20 in 1912), Michigan
1913 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1913 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1913 college football season. The team's head football coach was Fielding H. Yost. The Wolverines played their home games at Ferry Field.-Schedule:...
(12–7 in 1913), Wisconsin
Wisconsin Badgers football
The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
(12–7 in 1913), and Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
(6–3 in 1914). Macklin's 1913 team was also the first racially integrated team in the school's history, as Gideon Smith became the first African-American player for the Spartans.
Macklin was also the athletic director and coach of the baseball, men's basketball, and track and field teams. He coached the basketball team from 1910 to 1916 and compiled a 48–38 (.558) record, including a 12–3 record for 1911–12 season. He coached the baseball team from 1911 to 1915, compiling a record of 52–27 (.658).
Macklin retired from coaching in March 1916 to enter the coal mining business in Pennsylvania.
Later years and honors
The Associated PressAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
in 1949 called Macklin "the founding father of the big time at Michigan State College." When he was hired in 1911, the school was putting on games for $200. When he left, the school received guarantees of $10,000 for games. As athletic director, he also led the effort to build new athletic buildings and a modern gymnasium. In 1935, Michigan State re-named its football stadium Macklin Field in his honor. At the time, Macklin was a coal mine operator living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. The name was changed to Macklin Stadium in 1948, and in 1957, Macklin's name was dropped and replaced by the current name, Spartan Stadium
Spartan Stadium (East Lansing)
Spartan Stadium opened in 1923 in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Michigan State University Spartans...
.
Macklin died at his home in the suburbs of Philadelphia at age 65.
Football
External links
- John Macklin at College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com