Frank Coughlin

American football player and coach (1896–1951)

Frank CoughlinBorn:| (1896-02-28)February 28, 1896
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

|

Died:| September 8, 1951(1951-09-08) (aged 55)[1]
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Career information
Position(s)| Tackle
Height| 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight| 220 lb (100 kg)
College| Notre Dame
Career history
As coach
1921| Rock Island Independents
As player
1921| Rock Island Independents
1921| Detroit Tigers
1921| Green Bay Packers
Career highlights and awards

* Second-team All-American (1920)

Career stats

* Coaching stats at Pro Football Reference

Military career
Allegiance|  United States
Service / branch|  U.S. Navy
Years of service| 1917–1919
Battles / wars| World War I

Francis Edward Coughlin (February 28, 1896 - September 8, 1951) was an American football player and coach.

## Biography

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### War and college football

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During World War I, Coughlin served in the United States Navy aboard a minesweeper.[2] After the war, he played at the collegiate level at the University of Notre Dame. He was named captain of the 1920 football squad[3] after the team's current captain, George Gipp withdrew from the University.

### NFL career

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For the 1921 season, Coughlin was named as a player-coach for the Rock Island Independents of the American Professional Football Association, which was renamed the National Football League in 1922.

On October 16, 1921, down 7-0 to the Chicago Cardinals, Coughlin scored two touchdowns to help give the Independents a 14-7 lead in the second quarter. Team owner Walter Flanigan ordered tackle Ed Healey to relieve Coughlin. Once Coughlin was safely on his way toward the sideline, Healey delivered a message to Jimmy Conzelman from Flanigan, it read: "Coughlin was fired! The new coach was Conzelman!" This act marked the first and only time an owner hired a new coach in the middle of a game.[4] Coughlin then spent the rest of the 1921 season playing for the Detroit Tigers and the Green Bay Packers.

### After football

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In 1923, Coughlin became a prosecutor in St. Joseph County, Indiana. From 1945–1949, he served as the assistant Attorney General of Indiana, under Governors Ralph Gates and Henry Schricker.[2]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 5, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2012.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. ^ a b Maxymuk, John (August 2, 2012). NFL Head Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary, 1920–2011. McFarland Press. p. 364\. ISBN 978-0786465576.
3. ^ "Coughlin to Lead Notre Dame". The New York Times. March 10, 1920.
4. ^ Braunwart, Bob; Carroll, Bob (1983). "The Rock Island Independents" (PDF). Coffin Corner. 5 (3). Pro Football Researchers Association: 1–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 22, 2012.

* v
* t
* e

Rock Island Independents head coaches

* Rube Ursella (1920)
* Frank Coughlin (1921)
* Jimmy Conzelman (1921–1922)
* Herb Sies (1923)
* Johnny Armstrong (1924)
* Rube Ursella (1925)
* Johnny Armstrong (1926)

* v
* t
* e

1919 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football--national champions

* 21 Hunk Anderson
* 66 George Gipp
* Eddie Anderson
* Leonard Bahan
* Norman Barry
* Dutch Bergman
* Joe Brandy
* Fod Cotton
* Frank Coughlin
* Cy Kasper
* Roger Kiley
* Bernard Kirk
* Slip Madigan
* Grover Malone
* Harry Mehre
* John Mohardt
* Buck Shaw
* Maurice J. "Clipper" Smith
* Fritz Slackford
* George Trafton
* Earl Walsh
* Chet A. Wynne

* Head coach: Knute Rockne
* Assistant coach: Gus Dorais

*selected national champion by NCF

* v
* t
* e

1920 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football--national champions

* 21 Hunk Anderson
* 66 George Gipp
* Eddie Anderson
* Norman Barry
* Joe Brandy
* Fod Cotton
* Frank Coughlin
* Chet Grant
* Cy Kasper
* Roger Kiley
* Harry Mehre
* John Mohardt
* Eugene Oberst
* Bob Phelan
* Buck Shaw
* Maurice J. "Clipper" Smith
* Earl Walsh
* Chet A. Wynne

* Head coach: Knute Rockne

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