Dave McClain (American football)

American football player and coach (1938–1986)

Dave McClain

Biographical details
Born| (1938-01-28)January 28, 1938
Upper Sandusky, Ohio, U.S.
Died| April 28, 1986(1986-04-28) (aged 48)
Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Playing career
1959| Bowling Green
Position(s)| Quarterback, safety
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1960| Crestline HS (OH)
1961| Bowling Green (GA)
1962| Cornell (assistant)
1963–1966| Miami (OH) (assistant)
1967–1968| Kansas (assistant)
1969–1970| Ohio State (assistant)
1971–1977| Ball State
1978–1985| Wisconsin
Head coaching record
Overall| 92–67–6 (college)
8–1 (high school)
Bowls| 1–2
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1 MAC (1976)
Awards
MAC Coach of the Year (1975)

Dave McClain (January 28, 1938 – April 28, 1986) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Ball State University from 1971 to 1977 and University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1978 to 1985, compiling a career college football record of 92–67–6.

## Playing career

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A native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, McClain was a 1956 graduate of Upper Sandusky High School and a 1960 graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he played both quarterback and safety. As a basketball player for Upper Sandusky, McClain held the career-scoring record from 1956 through 1982 with 1079 points.

## Coaching career

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McClain started his coaching career at Crestline High School in Ohio with an 8–1 record and then returned to Bowling Green as a graduate assistant in 1961, where he served as freshmen offensive coach. He then served as an assistant coach at Cornell University under Tom Harp in 1962; at Miami University under Bo Schembechler, 1963–1966; at the University of Kansas under Pepper Rodgers, 1967–1968; and at Ohio State University under Woody Hayes in 1969–1970 before accepting the head coaching job at Ball State.

During his seven seasons at Ball State, McClain compiled a 46–25–3 (.642) record. During his tenure, Ball State joined Division I and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). He was the MAC Coach of the Year in 1975.[1] The 1976, team captured the school's first MAC title in only its second year in the conference.

Following his successful run at Ball State, McClain was hired as the head football coach at Wisconsin, where he served from 1978 to 1985. During his tenure he compiled a 46–42–3 (.522) record, including a 1–2 record in post-season bowl games. He led the Badgers to back to back seven-win seasons in 1981 and 1982. McClain was the first coach in Badger football history to win the first four games of his head coaching tenure at Wisconsin.[2] He also recorded Wisconsin football's first post-season bowl victory, a 14–3 win over the Kansas State Wildcats in the 1982 Independence Bowl.

## Death and honors

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McClain's coaching career was cut short when he died on April 28, 1986, of cardiac arrest. He was 48 years of age.

Following his death, he was inducted into the Bowling Green State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1986. He was inducted into the Ball State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. Also, the Dave McClain Athletic Facility at the University of Wisconsin–Madison was named in his memory. In 1986, the Big Ten Conference dedicated its football Coach of the Year award in honor of McClain. In 2011, McClain was inducted into UW's Athletic Hall of Fame.

## Head coaching record

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### College

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Year  | Team  | Overall  | Conference | Standing  | Bowl/playoffs

|
|
|
|
|

Ball State Cardinals (NCAA College Division / Division II independent) (1971–1974)
1971 | Ball State | 4–5–1 |  |  |
1972 | Ball State | 5–4–1 |  |  |
1973 | Ball State | 5–5–1 |  |  |
1974 | Ball State | 6–4 |  |  |
Ball State Cardinals (Mid-American Conference) (1975–1977)
1975 | Ball State | 9–2 | 4–2 | T–3rd |
1976 | Ball State | 8–3 | 4–1 | 1st |
1977 | Ball State | 9–2 | 5–1 | 3rd |
Ball State: | 46–25–3 | 13–4 |
Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten Conference) (1978–1985)
1978 | Wisconsin | 5–4–2 | 3–4–2 | 6th |
1979 | Wisconsin | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–7th |
1980 | Wisconsin | 4–7 | 3–5 | T–6th |
1981 | Wisconsin | 7–5 | 6–3 | T–3rd | L Garden State
1982 | Wisconsin | 7–5 | 5–4 | 5th | W Independence
1983 | Wisconsin | 7–4 | 5–4 | T–4th |
1984 | Wisconsin | 7–4–1 | 5–3–1 | T–4th | L Hall of Fame Classic
1985 | Wisconsin | 5–6 | 2–6 | 8th |
Wisconsin: | 46–42–3 | 32–34–3 |
Total: | 92–67–6 |
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth

## References

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1. ^ Administrator. "BGSUsports.com - Dave McClain".
2. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on March 13, 2007. Retrieved September 21, 2006.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

## External links

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* Dave McClain at Find a Grave

* v
* t
* e

Ball State Cardinals head football coaches

* Billy Williams (1924–1925)
* Norman G. Wann (1926–1927)
* Paul B. Parker (1928–1929)
* Lawrence McPhee (1930–1934)
* John Magnabosco (1935–1942)
* No team (1943)
* John Magnabosco (1944–1952)
* George Serdula (1953–1955)
* Jim Freeman (1956–1961)
* Ray Louthen (1962–1967)
* Wave Myers (1968–1970)
* Dave McClain (1971–1977)
* Dwight Wallace (1978–1984)
* Paul Schudel (1985–1994)
* Bill Lynch (1995–2002)
* Brady Hoke (2003–2008)
* Stan Parrish (2008–2010)
* Pete Lembo (2011–2015)
* Mike Neu (2016–2024)
* Colin Johnson # (2024)
* Mike Uremovich (2025– )

# denotes interim head coach

* v
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* e

Wisconsin Badgers head football coaches

* Alvin Kletsch (1889)
* Ted Mestre (1890)
* Herb Alward (1891)
* Billy Crawford (1892)
* Parke H. Davis (1893)
* Hiland Orlando Stickney (1894–1895)
* Philip King (1896–1902)
* Arthur Hale Curtis (1903–1904)
* Philip King (1905)
* Charles P. Hutchins (1906–1907)
* Thomas A. Barry (1908–1910)
* John R. Richards (1911)
* William Juneau (1912–1915)
* Paul Withington (1916)
* John R. Richards (1917)
* Guy Lowman (1918)
* John R. Richards (1919–1922)
* John J. Ryan (1923–1924)
* George Little (1925–1926)
* Glenn Thistlethwaite (1927–1931)
* Clarence Spears (1932–1935)
* Harry Stuhldreher (1936–1948)
* Ivy Williamson (1949–1955)
* Milt Bruhn (1956–1966)
* John Coatta (1967–1969)
* John Jardine (1970–1977)
* Dave McClain (1978–1985)
* Jim Hilles # (1986)
* Don Morton (1987–1989)
* Barry Alvarez (1990–2005)
* Bret Bielema (2006–2012)
* Barry Alvarez # (2012)
* Gary Andersen (2013–2014)
* Barry Alvarez # (2014)
* Paul Chryst (2015–2022)
* Jim Leonhard # (2022)
* Luke Fickell (2023– )

# denotes interim head coach

* v
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* e

1970 Ohio State Buckeyes football—NFF co-national champions

* Doug Adams
* Tim Anderson
* John Brockington
* Tom Campana
* Tom DeLeone
* Rick Galbos
* George Hasenohrl
* Leo Hayden
* John Hicks
* Harry Howard
* Bruce Jankowski
* Rex Kern
* Glen Mason
* Mike Sensibaugh
* Jim Stillwagon
* Jack Tatum
* Jan White
* Stan White

Head coach
Woody Hayes

Assistant coaches
Earle Bruce
George Chaump
Rudy Hubbard
Dave McClain
Esco Sarkkinen
Ralph Staub
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