John Gagliardi (/ɡəˈlɑːrdi/ gə-LAR-dee; November 1, 1926 – October 7, 2018) was an American football coach. He was the head football coach at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, from 1953 until 2012. From 1949 to 1952, he was the head football coach at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. With a career record of 489–138–11, Gagliardi has the most wins of any coach in college football history. His Saint John's Johnnies teams won four national titles: the NAIA Football National Championship in 1963 and 1965, and the NCAA Division III Football Championship in 1976 and 2003. Gagliardi was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.[1]
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 1, 1926 Trinidad, Colorado, U.S. |
| Died | October 7, 2018 (aged 91) Collegeville, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Colorado College |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1943–1944 | Trinidad Catholic HS (CO) |
| 1945–1948 | St. Mary's HS (CO) |
| 1949–1952 | Carroll (MT) |
| 1953–2012 | Saint John's (MN) |
| Ice hockey | |
| 1954–1959 | Saint John's (MN) |
| Basketball | |
| 1949–1953 | Carroll (MT) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 489–138–11 (college football) 42–25–1 (college ice hockey) |
| Bowls | 1–0 |
| Tournaments | 4–1 (NAIA playoffs) 34–18 (NCAA D-III playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 NAIA (1963, 1965) 2 NCAA Division III (1976, 2003) 3 MCC (1950–1952) 27 MIAC (1953, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1971, 1974–1977, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1993–1996, 1998, 1999, 2001–2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009) | |
| Awards | |
| NAIA Coach of the Year (1965) AFCA NCAA Division III COY (2003) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (2009) 9× MIAC Coach of the Year (1982, 1985, 1994, 1998–1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009) | |
| Records | |
| Most wins in college football history (489) | |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2006 (profile) | |
Early life edit
John Gagliardi was born to Ventura and Antonietta Gagliardi in Trinidad, Colorado, in 1926.[2] He began coaching football at Trinidad Catholic High School in 1943, at the age of 16, when his high school coach was called into service during World War II.[3] He was a player-coach his senior year of high school and continued to coach high school football at St. Mary's High School while obtaining his college degree at Colorado College in Colorado Springs.[4]
College coaching career edit
At the age of 22, with six years of high school coaching, Gagliardi was hired at Carroll College in Helena, Montana. In four seasons as head coach at Carroll, Gagliardi compiled a 24–6–1 record, winning three Montana Collegiate Conference championships. After the 1952 season, Gagliardi left Carroll for Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota.[1]
Pro Football Hall of Fame player Johnny "Blood" McNally coached football at St. John's from 1950 to 1952. On leaving the job he said "Nobody can win at St. John's."[5]
In 60 seasons coaching the Saint John's Johnnies, Gagliardi won a school and conference record 27 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) titles and four national championships: in 1963 (at the Camellia Bowl),[6] 1965, 1976, and 2003. His record at Saint John's was 465–132–10, bringing his career college football mark to 489–138–11.[7]
On November 8, 2003, Gagliardi broke the record for career coaching wins with his 409th victory, passing Grambling State's Eddie Robinson. The 13,107 fans who witnessed the victory over Bethel at Saint John's Clemens Stadium were the largest crowd in NCAA Division III history. The win also gave Saint John's its 23rd MIAC championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III playoffs.[8] The Johnnies went on to win the national championship with a 24–6 victory over Mount Union.[9]
In 1993, Jostens and the J Club of St. John's University began awarding the Gagliardi Trophy annually to the most outstanding player in NCAA Division III. On August 11, 2006, Gagliardi and Florida State's Bobby Bowden became the first active head coaches to be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.[1] (Nevada's Chris Ault had been inducted in 2002 and returned to coaching two years later.)
Gagliardi was known for his unique coaching approach, which he called "Winning with No's." He instructed his players not to call him "coach", did not use a whistle or blocking sleds, prohibited tackling in practices, did not require his players to lift weights, and limited his team practices to 90 minutes.[10][11]
Gagliardi announced his retirement from coaching on November 19, 2012.[12] Gagliardi died on October 7, 2018, at the age of 91.[1][13]
Awards edit
In 2003, Gagliardi received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award from the United States Sports Academy. He won the 2007 Liberty Mutual Division III Coach of the Year. In 2009, Gagliardi won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award from the American Football Coaches Association. Gagliardi received the National College Football Awards Association's (NCFAA) Contributions to College Football Award in 2013. He was inducted into the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2015, and Saint John's University's J-Club Hall of Honor in 2018.[14]
Head coaching record edit
College football edit
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll Fighting Saints (Montana Collegiate Conference) (1949–1952) | |||||||||
| 1949 | Carroll | 5–1 | |||||||
| 1950 | Carroll | 5–2 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1951 | Carroll | 6–1–1 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1952 | Carroll | 8–2 | 4–0 | 1st | |||||
| Carroll: | 24–6–1 | ||||||||
| Saint John's Johnnies[15] (Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference[16]) (1953–2012) | |||||||||
| 1953 | Saint John's | 6–2 | 5–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1954 | Saint John's | 6–2 | 4–2 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1955 | Saint John's | 7–2 | 4–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1956 | Saint John's | 3–4–1 | 2–4–1 | T–6th | |||||
| 1957 | Saint John's | 5–3 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1958 | Saint John's | 6–2 | 5–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1959 | Saint John's | 5–3 | 4–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1960 | Saint John's | 4–3–1 | 3–3–1 | T–5th | |||||
| 1961 | Saint John's | 6–2 | 5–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 1962 | Saint John's | 9–0 | 7–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1963 | Saint John's | 10–0 | 7–0 | 1st | W NAIA Championship (Camellia) | ||||
| 1964 | Saint John's | 4–3 | 4–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1965 | Saint John's | 11–0 | 7–0 | 1st | W NAIA Championship | ||||
| 1966 | Saint John's | 4–3–1 | 3–3–1 | 5th | |||||
| 1967 | Saint John's | 3–5 | 3–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1968 | Saint John's | 6–4 | 4–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1969 | Saint John's | 8–1–1 | 5–1–1 | 2nd | W Mineral Water | ||||
| 1970 | Saint John's | 6–3 | 5–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1971 | Saint John's | 8–1 | 6–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1972 | Saint John's | 7–2 | 5–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 1973 | Saint John's | 4–4 | 3–4 | T–5th | |||||
| 1974 | Saint John's | 7–2 | 5–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 1975 | Saint John's | 8–1–1 | 6–0–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1976 | Saint John's | 10–0–1 | 7–0 | 1st | W NCAA Division III Championship | ||||
| 1977 | Saint John's | 7–2 | 7–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal | ||||
| 1978 | Saint John's | 6–3 | 5–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1979 | Saint John's | 7–2 | 6–2 | T–1st | |||||
| 1980 | Saint John's | 5–3 | 5–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1981 | Saint John's | 7–2 | 6–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1982 | Saint John's | 9–1 | 8–0 | 1st | L NAIA Division II Quarterfinal | ||||
| 1983 | Saint John's | 7–4 | 7–2 | 2nd | |||||
| 1984 | Saint John's | 6–3 | 6–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1985 | Saint John's | 8–2 | 8–1 | 1st | L NCAA Division III First Round | ||||
| 1986 | Saint John's | 4–4–1 | 4–4–1 | 5th | |||||
| 1987 | Saint John's | 8–3 | 7–2 | T–2nd | L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal | ||||
| 1988 | Saint John's | 7–2 | 7–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1989 | Saint John's | 10–1–1 | 8–0–1 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | ||||
| 1990 | Saint John's | 7–3 | 6–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1991 | Saint John's | 11–1 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | ||||
| 1992 | Saint John's | 8–1–1 | 7–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1993 | Saint John's | 12–1 | 9–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | ||||
| 1994 | Saint John's | 11–2 | 8–1 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | ||||
| 1995 | Saint John's | 8–1–1 | 7–1–1 | T–1st | |||||
| 1996 | Saint John's | 11–1 | 9–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal | ||||
| 1997 | Saint John's | 6–4 | 6–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1998 | Saint John's | 11–1 | 9–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal | ||||
| 1999 | Saint John's | 11–2 | 8–1 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal | ||||
| 2000 | Saint John's | 13–2 | 8–1 | 2nd | L NCAA Division III Championship | ||||
| 2001 | Saint John's | 11–3 | 8–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | ||||
| 2002 | Saint John's | 12–2 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Semifinal | ||||
| 2003 | Saint John's | 14–0 | 8–0 | 1st | W NCAA Division III Championship | ||||
| 2004 | Saint John's | 7–3 | 6–2 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2005 | Saint John's | 11–1 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III Second Round | ||||
| 2006 | Saint John's | 11–2 | 7–1 | T–1st | L NCAA Division III Quarterfinal | ||||
| 2007 | Saint John's | 10–2 | 7–1 | 2nd | L NCAA Division III Second Round | ||||
| 2008 | Saint John's | 8–3 | 6–2 | 1st | L NCAA Division III First Round | ||||
| 2009 | Saint John's | 10–1 | 8–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division III First Round | ||||
| 2010 | Saint John's | 7–3 | 6–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 2011 | Saint John's | 6–4 | 5–3 | 4th | |||||
| 2012 | Saint John's | 5–5 | 3–5 | 6th | |||||
| Saint John's: | 465–132–10 | 362–99–9 | |||||||
| Total: | 489–138–11 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
See also edit
Further reading edit
- Gagliardi, John.; Riley, Don. (1984). Gagliardi of St. John's: the coach, the man, the legend. Wayzata, Minn.: J. Montpetit and R. Turtinen Pub. Co.
- Murphy, Austin (2001). The Sweet Season: A Sportswriter Rediscovers Football, Family, and a Bit of Faith at Minnesota's St. John's University. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-019547-2.
- Collison, Jim (2001). No-How Coaching: Strategies for Winning in Sports and Business from the Coach Who Says "No!". Capital Books. ISBN 978-1-892123-72-5.
- Rajkowski, Frank. (2003). Gagliardi: road to the record. [St. Cloud, Minn.]: St. Cloud Times.
- Bostrom, Boz (2016). A legacy unrivaled: the story of John Gagliardi. Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society Press. ISBN 978-1-68134-016-6.
References edit
- ^ a b c d "John Gagliardi, Winningest College Football Coach, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 8, 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "John Gagliardi's legendary college football career throughout the years". St. Cloud Times. October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ John Feinstein (October 8, 2018). "John Gagliardi was nothing like a college football coach, and won more than any". Washington Post. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "John Gagliardi through the years: A football timeline - StarTribune.com". October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ Bob Sansevere (October 7, 2018). "Bob Sansevere: John Gagliardi loved football; he loved people even more". Twin Cities. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ Reusse, Patrick. "Mike Grant on John Gagliardi, 'the smartest man I've ever known'". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ Wells, Adam. "Winningest Coach in College Football History John Gagliardi Dies at 91". Bleacher Report. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "Johnnies get Gagliardi record 409th career win - D3football". November 8, 2003. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ Finley, Bill (December 21, 2003). "COLLEGE FOOTBALL; St. John's Completes Mission Improbable". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "Inductees - Football Players & Coaches - College Football Hall of Fame". Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "FTW Explains: Who was John Gagliardi and why was he so important?". For The Win. October 7, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ Dennis Brackin (November 19, 2012). "St. John's coach John Gagliardi retires". Star Tribune. Retrieved November 19, 2012.
- ^ "Relive John Gagliardi's Hall of Fame days". St. Cloud Times. Retrieved October 8, 2018.
- ^ "Saint John's Mourns the Passing of Football Coaching Legend John Gagliardi". Saint John's University. October 7, 2018. Retrieved October 8, 2018..
- ^ "John Gagliardi - 2011 Football Coaching Staff - Saint John's University". The Official Athletics Site of St. John's University. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ "John Gagliardi - Staff Directory - Saint John's University". Saint John's University. Retrieved October 9, 2018.