John Francis "Chick" Meehan (September 5, 1893 – November 9, 1972) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Syracuse University (1920–1924), New York University (1925–1931), and Manhattan College (1932–1937), compiling a career coaching record of 115–44–14. Meehan played quarterback at Syracuse from 1915 to 1917.
 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 5, 1893 |
| Died | November 9, 1972 (aged 79) Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1915–1917 | Syracuse |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1920–1924 | Syracuse |
| 1925–1931 | NYU |
| 1932–1937 | Manhattan |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 115–44–14 |
Meehan stated, "We learn practically nothing from a victory. All our information comes from a defeat. A winner forgets most of his mistakes."[1]
Coaching career
editSyracuse
editFrom 1920 to 1924, Meehan served as the head coach at Syracuse and compiled a 35–8–4 record. This total included back-to-back eight-win seasons in 1923 and 1924.[2]
NYU
editMeehan was the 19th head football coach at New York University (NYU), serving for seven seasons, from 1925 to 1931, and compiling a record of 49–15–4.[3] This ranks him first at NYU in total wins and first at NYU in winning percentage.[4] Meehan was awarded a place in NYU's athletic hall of fame for his coaching efforts.[5]
Manhattan
editMeehan's last head coaching job was as at Manhattan College. He held that position for six seasons, from 1932 until 1937. His career coaching record at Manhattan was 31–21–6. This ranks him first at Manhattan in total wins and second at Manhattan in winning percentage.[6]
Death
editMeehan died at the age of 79 on November 9, 1972, at a hospital in Syracuse, New York.[7]
Head coaching record
editFootball
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse Orangemen (Independent) (1920–1924) | |||||||||
| 1920 | Syracuse | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1921 | Syracuse | 7–2 | |||||||
| 1922 | Syracuse | 6–1–2 | |||||||
| 1923 | Syracuse | 8–1 | |||||||
| 1924 | Syracuse | 8–2–1 | |||||||
| Syracuse: | 35–8–4 | ||||||||
| NYU Violets (Independent) (1925–1931) | |||||||||
| 1925 | NYU | 6–2–1 | |||||||
| 1926 | NYU | 8–1 | |||||||
| 1927 | NYU | 7–1–2 | |||||||
| 1928 | NYU | 8–2 | |||||||
| 1929 | NYU | 7–3 | |||||||
| 1930 | NYU | 7–3 | |||||||
| 1931 | NYU | 6–3–1 | |||||||
| NYU: | 49–15–4 | ||||||||
| Manhattan Jaspers (Independent) (1932–1937) | |||||||||
| 1932 | Manhattan | 5–3–2 | L Palm Festival | ||||||
| 1933 | Manhattan | 6–3–1 | |||||||
| 1934 | Manhattan | 3–5–1 | |||||||
| 1935 | Manhattan | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| 1936 | Manhattan | 6–4 | |||||||
| 1937 | Manhattan | 6–3–1 | |||||||
| Manhattan: | 31–21–6 | ||||||||
| Total: | 115–44–14 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ Danforth, William H. (1963). I Dare You (19th ed.). The Danforth Foundation. pp. 89–90. ISBN 9789561001596.
Don't be discouraged if you fail in your first efforts. Coach Meehan of New York University says, 'We learn practically nothing from a victory. All our information comes from a defeat. A winner forgets most of his mistakes.'"
- ^ "John Meehan year-by-year coaching results". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved November 4, 2006.
- ^ The Ultimate Guide to College Football, James Quirk, 2004
- ^ New York University Violets coaching records Archived December 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ New York University Athletics Hall of Fame
- ^ Manhattan College coaching records Archived May 16, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Chick Meehan, Football Coach Of N.Y.U. and Syracuse, Dead" (PDF). The New York Times. November 10, 1972. Retrieved November 21, 2011.
External links
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