John Michelosen
Encyclopedia
John Michelosen was a highly successful American football
coach with both college and professional teams, and an inductee into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
.
suburb of Ambridge, Pennsylvania
. Michelosen graduated from the University of Pittsburgh
and joined the Panthers coaching staff in the 1940s before making NFL history in 1948 as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers
and coaching in the NFL until 1951. He made his biggest impact as the head coach of the Pitt Panthers in the 1950s and 1960s.
hired Lane Kiffin
in 2007.
His tenure as Steelers head coach lasted until 1951 and he compiled a 20-26-2 record. In 1949 Michelosen guided the Steelers to a 2nd place finish in their conference, however at the time only conference champions (based on regular season records) were allowed playoff berths.
. Michelosen played on Pitt's National Championship teams in 1936 and 1937.
In 1955, Michelosen returned to Pitt after coaching the Steelers and served as head football coach for another 11 seasons until after the 1965 campaign. In that time he led Pitt to back-to-back major bowl games in the 1950s and became the best team ever not to make a bowl after a 9-1 1963 season which saw national-title contender Pitt excluded from a major bowl due to the assassination of President Kennedy in the fall of that year. Overall he put together a 56-49-7 over 11 seasons, with only 4 losing campaigns. Pitt was ranked as high as #3 in the nation during the height of his coaching career and was ranked among the top ten programs 6 seasons and the top 25 for 7 seasons with Michelosen at the helm.
and Marty Schottenheimer
both of whom were born and raised near Pittsburgh and developed into football minds and talents playing for Pitt in the 1950s. Michelosen also has a place in the civil rights history of the country, guiding the first team to break the color barrier in the southern bowls. In the 1956 Sugar Bowl
Pitt became the first sports team ever to field an African American player in the deep south.
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...
coach with both college and professional teams, and an inductee into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame
The Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization established in 1962. It is the only community-based hall of fame in the United States...
.
Biography
A native of the PittsburghPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
suburb of Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge is a borough in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1905 and named after the American Bridge Company. Ambridge is located 16 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, alongside the Ohio River. In 1910, 5,205 people lived in Ambridge; in 1920, 12,730 people lived there, and in...
. Michelosen graduated from the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and joined the Panthers coaching staff in the 1940s before making NFL history in 1948 as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and coaching in the NFL until 1951. He made his biggest impact as the head coach of the Pitt Panthers in the 1950s and 1960s.
Steelers
In 1948 he became the youngest ever head coach of any NFL team in the league's "modern era" (loosely defined as since 1946) when he took command of the Steelers. At the age of 32 years and 2 months he would remain the youngest head coach in NFL history until 1962 when Harland Svare would beat him out by 4 months in mid-season. Michelosen held on to the distinction of being the youngest coach ever to start an NFL season until the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
hired Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin
Lane Monte Kiffin is the current head coach of the University of Southern California Trojans college football team. He was previously the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers college football team, the Oakland Raiders of the NFL, and the offensive coordinator for the Trojans...
in 2007.
His tenure as Steelers head coach lasted until 1951 and he compiled a 20-26-2 record. In 1949 Michelosen guided the Steelers to a 2nd place finish in their conference, however at the time only conference champions (based on regular season records) were allowed playoff berths.
Pitt Panthers
Michelosen got his start in football by playing quarterback at Ambridge High School, under legendary coach Maurice "Moe" Rubenstein. As quarterback at the University of Pittsburgh, he played for yet another legendary coach, Jock SutherlandJock Sutherland
Dr. John Bain "Jock" Sutherland, D.D.S., was an American football coach. He coached college football at Lafayette College and the University of Pittsburgh and professional football for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Steelers...
. Michelosen played on Pitt's National Championship teams in 1936 and 1937.
In 1955, Michelosen returned to Pitt after coaching the Steelers and served as head football coach for another 11 seasons until after the 1965 campaign. In that time he led Pitt to back-to-back major bowl games in the 1950s and became the best team ever not to make a bowl after a 9-1 1963 season which saw national-title contender Pitt excluded from a major bowl due to the assassination of President Kennedy in the fall of that year. Overall he put together a 56-49-7 over 11 seasons, with only 4 losing campaigns. Pitt was ranked as high as #3 in the nation during the height of his coaching career and was ranked among the top ten programs 6 seasons and the top 25 for 7 seasons with Michelosen at the helm.
University legacy
Besides coaching the best collegiate team to miss a bowl championship, Michelosen also was the major coaching influence on such modern day NFL greats as Mike DitkaMike Ditka
Michael Keller Ditka, Jr. is a former American football NFL player, television commentator, and coach. Ditka coached the Chicago Bears for 11 years and New Orleans Saints for three years. Ditka and Tom Flores are the only two people to win Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach, and a head...
and Marty Schottenheimer
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
both of whom were born and raised near Pittsburgh and developed into football minds and talents playing for Pitt in the 1950s. Michelosen also has a place in the civil rights history of the country, guiding the first team to break the color barrier in the southern bowls. In the 1956 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
Pitt became the first sports team ever to field an African American player in the deep south.