Daniel Earle McGUGIN

MCGUGIN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 12/17/2008 at 18:13:37

DANIEL EARLE McGUGIN

Hall of Fame College Football Coach Daniel Earle McGUGIN led Vanderbilt University's team recording a record of 197 wins, 55 loses and 19 ties, acquiring a .762 winning percentage over a period of thirty years. Born in Tingley, Ringgold County, Iowa, McGUGIN played his college ball at Drake University and the University of Michigan where he played guard in the first Rose Bowl game. He graduated from Michigan with a law degree. He coached the Commodores from 1904 to 1934 achieving three undefeated seasons and five seasons with only one loss, winning ten conference titles. He is credited with being the first coach to use the onside kick, and the first to use "pulling guards "to run interference on plays. He was known as a master motivator. His most memorable pre-game speech came in 1922 when his team was preparing to play heavily favored Michigan in the Commodores new stadium. Referring to a nearby military cemetery he said, "In that cemetery are your grandfathers, and on that football field are the grandsons of the Yankees who put them there." It is assumed that his players did not know that the coach's father was an officer for the Union Army. The game ended in a scoreless tie. He served as President of the American Football Coaches Association and was inducted into the National College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.

NOTE: Daniel Earle McGUGIN was interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Nashville, Tennessee. He was born 29 Jul 1879 and died 19 Jan 1936.