Francis J. "Mickey" McCormick (1903 – August 13, 1958) was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at St. Norbert College from 1934 to 1942 and at Carroll College—now known as Carroll University—in Waukesha, Wisconsin from 1949 to 1957, compiling a career college football record of 69–57–9. McCormick was also the head basketball coach at St. Norbert from 1934 to 1943 and again during the 1944–45 season, tallying a mark of 62–74. He was one of the more outspoken coaches against the NCAA rule change on "free substitution" in 1953.
Early life McCormick was a 1929 graduate of Antigo High School< in his hometown of Antigo, Wisconsin.1929 Antigo High School Graduates
Playing career Marquette McCormick played college footballMarquette University Special Collections and Archives – Athletics Archives and was a forward on the basketball team at Marquette University.GoMarquette "All-Time Men's Basketball Letter Winners" The football teams won a victory over Navy by a score of 21–3 in 1924College Football Data Warehouse 1924 Marquette University football results and completed a 7–2 record in 1925College Football Data Warehouse 1925 Marquette University football results under College Football Hall of Fame head coach Frank Murray.College Football Data Warehouse Frank J. Murray coaching results
Duluth Eskimos After graduation at Marquette, McCormic went on to be a member of the Duluth Eskimos in the National Football League (NFL).
Coaching career St. Norbert McCormick coached at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin starting with the 1934 season until the conclusion of the 1942 season. His record with the Green Knights was a total of 32–26–8 and included a 7–1 season in 1936.St. Norbert College 2008 Football Yearbook Also at St. Norbert, McCormick was the head basketball coach.The Argus "St. Norbert Meets Titans Here Tonight" December 17, 1941Antigo Daily Journal "Phil Kafka, 90, local military figure, dies" November 18, 2008
Carroll McCormick the 20th head football coach at Carroll College, serving for nine seasons, from 1949 to 1957.2007 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (now called "Carroll University") located in Waukesha, WisconsinWaukesha Daily Freeman "St. Norbert final Carroll Grid Foe" November 11, 1955Chicago Daily Tribune "Mickey McCormick Appointed Football Coach at Carroll" July 9, 1949 His record at Carroll College was 37–31–1.Carroll College/University Football coaching records Carroll was his last coaching position as he died in August 1958 before the season began,Carroll College Pioneer "Guest Commentary" by Kathleen (McCormick) Ley, Winter 2008 but the school later inducted him into their "Athletic Hall of Fame" for his contributions to the school and athletic programs.Carroll University Athletic Hall of Fame Highlights of his coaching at Carroll included a strong offense in the 1951 season.Cedar Rapids Gazette "Strong Carroll Offense Too Much for Rams" October 28, 1951
McCormick began the 1949 season with twenty eager players that were considered "strong on talent but weak on depth" with team drills beginning in early September 1949.Waukesha Daily Freeman "Carroll Team Weak in Depth as Grid Drills Start Monday" September 2, 1949 He felt that his most talented team was 1955, a team he called the best Carroll had in ten years.The Argus "Titans Face Powerful Carroll College Eleven" by Jay Mercer, October 5, 1955 McCormick was selected to coach the "South" team for the 1951 Upper Peninsula All-Star Football exhibition game.The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI) "Players on All-Star Grid Announced" July 26, 1951
Free substitution In 1953, McCormick was outspoken among the small-college football coaches against the idea of free substitution in college football.St. Petersburg Times "Time For Sports-Belatedly, Friends of Free Substitution Cite Sobering Facts" by Bill Beck, January 18, 1953 Becoming more common in professional football, the idea paved the way of the "specialist athlete" in college football where one person could focus on one position such as quarterback or punter.Football Historian "Free Substitution Rule 1950" For large colleges and professional teams, the idea of free substitution worked well. McCormick pointed out that smaller colleges would suffer under this rule. Free substitution generally prevented a player from returning to gameplay in the same quarter after he was taken out for a substitute and it required either a very large squad that could handle all the substitutions or a highly talented small squad that would not need to substitute. "Lost Platoon-Free substitution had its points, but football is a better game without it" by Herman Hickman, October 18, 1954
Death McCormick died on August 13, 1958, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Head coaching record Football
References