James Phelan (American football)

James Phelan

Phelan from 1927 Purdue yearbook
Sport(s) Football, basketball
Biographical details
Born (1892-12-05)December 5, 1892
Sacramento, California
Died November 14, 1974(1974-11-14) (aged 81)
Honolulu, Hawaii
Playing career
Football
1915–1917 Notre Dame
Position(s) Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1919 Missouri (assistant)
1920–1921 Missouri
1922–1929 Purdue
1930–1941 Washington
1942–1947 Saint Mary's (CA)
1948–1949 Los Angeles Dons
1951 New York Yanks
1952 Dallas Texans (NFL)
Basketball
1943–1945 St. Mary's (CA)
Head coaching record
Overall 137–87–14 (college football)
12–26 (AAFC/NFL)
10–11 (college basketball)
Bowls 0–3
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
1 Big Ten (1929)
1 PCC (1936)
College Football Hall of Fame
Inducted in 1973 (profile)

James Michael "Jimmy" Phelan (December 5, 1892 – November 14, 1974) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Missouri (1920–1921), Purdue University (1922–1929), the University of Washington (1930–1941), and Saint Mary's College of California (1942–1947), compiling a career college football record of 137–87–14. Phelan also coached the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1948 to 1949 and the Dallas Texans of the National Football League (NFL) in 1952, tallying a professional football coaching record of 12–26. In addition, he was the head basketball coach at Saint Mary's for two seasons during World War II (1943–1945), where he amassed a record 10–11. Phelan played football as a quarterback at the University of Notre Dame from 1915 to 1917. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1973.

Playing career

After growing up in Portland, Oregon, Phelan went to Notre Dame in 1915. In his first game as a reserve quarterback and placekicker for the football team, he threw for a touchdown and ran for another in a 32–0 victory over Alma College. This earned him the starting job, and he would go on to complete a 7–1 season, the lone defeat a 20–19 loss at Nebraska.

The 1916 team was a defensive juggernaut, shutting out every team it played except for its meeting with Army, which it lost 30–10, thus finishing the season 8–1. The 1917 campaign began with a 55–0 victory over Kalamazoo, followed by a 0–0 tie at Wisconsin, in which Phelan attempted to win the game by kicking a 61-yard field goal. The ball bounced off the crossbar. A 7–0 loss at Nebraska the following week was the last game of his career, as he was drafted into military service for World War I and sent to Camp Taylor, Louisville.

Coaching career

Following the war, Phelan entered the college coaching ranks. From 1920 to 1921, he coached at Missouri, and compiled a 13–3 record. From 1922 to 1929, he coached at Purdue, and compiled a 35–22–4 record there. From 1930 to 1941, he coached at Washington, and compiled a 65–37–9 record there.

Following a six-year stint as head coach of Saint Mary's (CA) that included two bowl appearances, Phelan joined the coaching staff of three professional football franchises, including a two-year stint as the head coach of the Los Angeles Dons and one season as head coach of the NFL's Dallas Texans in 1952.[1]

Phelan was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

Head coaching record

College football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs AP#
Missouri Tigers (Missouri Valley Conference) (1920–1921)
1920 Missouri 7–1 5–1 2nd
1921 Missouri 6–2 4–2 T–2nd
Missouri: 13–3 9–3
Purdue Boilermakers (Big Ten Conference) (1922–1929)
1922 Purdue 1–5–1 0–3–1 10th
1923 Purdue 2–5–1 1–4 T–8th
1924 Purdue 5–2 2–2 5th
1925 Purdue 3–4–1 0–3–1 T–9th
1926 Purdue 5–2–1 2–1–1 4th
1927 Purdue 6–2 2–2 T–4th
1928 Purdue 5–2–1 2–2–1 6th
1929 Purdue 8–0 5–0 1st
Purdue: 35–22–5 14–17–4
Washington Huskies (Pacific Coast Conference) (1930–1941)
1930 Washington 5–4 3–4 5th
1931 Washington 5–3–1 3–3–1 5th
1932 Washington 6–2–2 3–2–2 4th
1933 Washington 5–4 3–4 7th
1934 Washington 6–1–1 5–1–1 3rd
1935 Washington 5–3 4–3 6th
1936 Washington 7–2–1 7–0–1 1st L Rose 5
1937 Washington 7–2–2 4–2–2 3rd
1938 Washington 3–5–1 3–4–1 6th
1939 Washington 4–5 4–4 4th
1940 Washington 7–2 7–1 2nd 10
1941 Washington 5–4 5–3 T–2nd
Washington: 65–37–8 51–31–8
Saint Mary's Gaels (Independent) (1942–1947)
1942 Saint Mary's 6–3–1
1943 Saint Mary's 2–5
1944 Saint Mary's 0–5
1945 Saint Mary's 7–2 L Sugar
1946 Saint Mary's 6–3 L Oil
1947 Saint Mary's 3–7
Saint Mary's: 24–25–1
Total: 137–87–14
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title

References

  1. ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/PhelJi0.htm
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