Jim Mackenzie (American football)

American football player and coach (1930–1967)

Jim Mackenzie

Biographical details
Born| (1930-01-15)January 15, 1930
Gary, Indiana, U.S.
Died| April 28, 1967(1967-04-28) (aged 37)
Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.
Playing career
1949–1951| Kentucky
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1953–1954| Jenkins HS (KY) (assistant)
1955–1956| Allen Academy (TX)
1957| Missouri (assistant)
1958–1965| Arkansas (assistant)
1966| Oklahoma
Head coaching record
Overall| 6–4 (college)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards

* Big Eight Coach of the Year (1966)[1]
* Second-team All-SEC (1951)

James Alexander Mackenzie (January 15, 1930 – April 28, 1967) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma for one season in 1966 before his sudden death the following spring.

## Early years

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A native of Gary, Indiana, Mackenzie played college football at the University of Kentucky for head coach Bear Bryant, and was an assistant coach under Frank Broyles for nine years, one at the University of Missouri and eight at the University of Arkansas.[2]

## Oklahoma

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After the 1965 season, Mackenzie was hired as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma in December. He succeeded Gomer Jones, a longtime Sooner assistant who had failed to match the success of the legendary Bud Wilkinson, but remained as athletic director.[2] The Sooners' 3–7 record under Jones in 1965 was the worst in program history (until 1996).[3]

In his first season in 1966, Mackenzie led the Sooners to a 6–4 record, defeated rival Texas for the first time in nine years, upset undefeated rival Nebraska on Thanksgiving,[4][5] and was named the Coach of the Year in the Big Eight Conference.[6]

## Death

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Entering his second season, Mackenzie died at age 37 of a heart attack in late April. He collapsed at his Norman home after returning from a brief recruiting trip to north Texas during a break in spring practice.[7][8][9] He was survived by his wife, Sue Newell, and two children, Katheryn and James, Jr.[10]

Recently departed assistant Homer Rice, the first-year head coach at Cincinnati, turned down the chance to take over for Mackenzie.[11] Assistant coach Chuck Fairbanks, age 33, was promoted to head coach in early May.[12][13]

## Head coaching record

[edit]

### College

[edit]

Year  | Team  | Overall  | Conference | Standing

|
|
|
|

Oklahoma Sooners (Big Eight Conference) (1966)
1966 | Oklahoma | 6–4 | 4–3 | 5th
Oklahoma: | 6–4 | 4–3 |
Total: | 6–4 |

## References

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1. ^ University of Oklahoma. "Oklahoma Sooners head football coaches". University of Oklahoma. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
2. ^ a b "Mackenzie faces two big problems". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. December 23, 1965. p. 10.
3. ^ "Coaching 'musical chairs' on". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. December 7, 1965. p. 14.
4. ^ "Sooners upset Nebraska, 10-9". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. November 25, 1966. p. 13.
5. ^ "Nebraska loses bid for college crown". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. November 25, 1967. p. 10.
6. ^ Van Valkenberg, Jim (December 1, 1966). "Nebraskans lead All-Big 8 team". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. p. 15.
7. ^ "Sooner coach dies at 37". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. April 28, 1967. p. 3B.
8. ^ "OU grid coach dies at age 37 of heart attack". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. April 28, 1967. p. 13.
9. ^ "OU to name grid coach soon". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. May 1, 1967. p. 15.
10. ^ "Jim Mackenzie, Football Coach At U. of Oklahoma, Dead at 37". The New York Times. United Press International. April 29, 1967. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
11. ^ Homer Rice (2000). Lessons for Leaders Building a Winning Team From the Ground Up. Longstreet Press.
12. ^ "Fairbanks hired as Sooner coach". Lawrence Daily Journal-World. (Kansas). Associated Press. May 2, 1967. p. 10.
13. ^ "Bill Haisten: On 50th anniversary of Jim Mackenzie's death, documentary examines his impact on OU football | OU Sports Extra | tulsaworld.com".

* v
* t
* e

Oklahoma Sooners head football coaches

* John A. Harts (1895)
* No coach (1896)
* Vernon Louis Parrington (1897–1900)
* Fred Roberts (1901)
* Mark McMahon (1902–1903)
* Fred Ewing (1904)
* Bennie Owen (1905–1926)
* Adrian Lindsey (1927–1931)
* Lewie Hardage (1932–1934)
* Biff Jones (1935–1936)
* Thomas E. Stidham (1937–1940)
* Dewey Luster (1941–1945)
* Jim Tatum (1946)
* Bud Wilkinson (1947–1963)
* Gomer Jones (1964–1965)
* Jim Mackenzie (1966)
* Chuck Fairbanks (1967–1972)
* Barry Switzer (1973–1988)
* Gary Gibbs (1989–1994)
* Howard Schnellenberger (1995)
* John Blake (1996–1998)
* Bob Stoops (1999–2016)
* Lincoln Riley (2017–2021)
* Bob Stoops # (2021)
* Brent Venables (2022– )

# denotes interim head coach

* v
* t
* e

1950 Kentucky Wildcats football—Sagarin national champions

* Al Bruno
* Bob Fry
* Dom Fucci
* Frank Fuller
* Bob Gain
* Jim Mackenzie
* Charles McClendon
* Babe Parilli
* Walt Yowarsky

* Head coach: Bear Bryant

* Assistant coaches: Frank Moseley

* v
* t
* e

New York Giants 1952 NFL draft selections

* Frank Gifford
* Ray Beck
* Don Heinrich
* Merwin Hodel
* Don Menasco
* Jack Jorgenson
* Mel Sinquefield
* Robert Patton
* Dave Cianelli
* Jim MacKenzie
* Val Joe Walker
* Billy Shipp
* John Kastan
* Jim Hammond
* Pat Knight
* Charlie Harris
* Dick Ochoa
* Bill Ward
* Pat Brady
* Paul Williams
* Hal Mitchell
* Paul Bischoff
* Vince Kaseta
* Paul Burns
* Bob Karpe
* Les Molnar
* Gene Little
* Frank Cahill
* John Adams
* Rex Boggan
* Jim Creamer
* Dean Schneider
* Bob Raley
* Chet Freeman
* Bob Bickel
* Bob Ward
* Wes Mitchell
* Jim Monahan
* Bill Kelley
* George Young
* Tom Lavery
* Gil Bartosh
* Duane Morrison
* Doug Moseley
* Alton Patterson
* Russ Hudeck
* Jim Dillon
* Ray Suchy
* Joe Arnold

* v
* t
* e

1964 Arkansas Razorbacks football—FWAA national champions

* Martine Bercher
* Bobby Burnett
* Ronnie Caveness
* Bobby Crockett
* Ken Hatfield
* Glen Ray Hines
* Jimmy Johnson
* Harry Jones
* Jerry Jones
* Jim Lindsey
* Loyd Phillips

* Head coach: Frank Broyles

* Assistant coaches: Merv Johnson
* Jim MacKenzie
* Johnny Majors
* Wilson Matthews
* Barry Switzer
* Gary Howard

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