Dick MacPherson: Difference between revisions
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MacPherson died surrounded by his family at the Crouse Hospital in [[Syracuse, New York]], on August 8, 2017, at the age of 86.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2017/08/former_syracuse_football_coach_dick_macpherson_dies_at_86_years_old.html|title=Former Syracuse football coach Dick MacPherson dies at 86 years old|publisher=Syracuse.com|access-date=August 8, 2017|date=August 8, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808234354/http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2017/08/former_syracuse_football_coach_dick_macpherson_dies_at_86_years_old.html|archive-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> |
MacPherson died surrounded by his family at the Crouse Hospital in [[Syracuse, New York]], on August 8, 2017, at the age of 86.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2017/08/former_syracuse_football_coach_dick_macpherson_dies_at_86_years_old.html|title=Former Syracuse football coach Dick MacPherson dies at 86 years old|publisher=Syracuse.com|access-date=August 8, 2017|date=August 8, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808234354/http://www.syracuse.com/orangefootball/index.ssf/2017/08/former_syracuse_football_coach_dick_macpherson_dies_at_86_years_old.html|archive-date=August 8, 2017}}</ref> |
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At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Sandra, his daughters, Maureen and Janet, and four grandchildren ( |
At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Sandra, his daughters, Maureen and Janet, and four grandchildren (Macky, Cameron and Susanne MacPherson and Molly Sweeney). His grandsons, Macky and Cameron, were both semifinalists for the NFF William V. Campbell Trophy while playing football at Syracuse, and Macky was a graduate assistant coach with the Orange.<ref>https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2251</ref> |
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==Head coaching record== |
==Head coaching record== |
Revision as of 21:07, 14 November 2022
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Old Town, Maine | November 4, 1930
Died | August 8, 2017 Syracuse, New York | (aged 86)
Alma mater | Springfield College |
Playing career | |
1950s | Springfield (MA) |
Position(s) | Center, linebacker |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1958 | Illinois (GA) |
1959–1960 | UMass (assistant) |
1961–1965 | Cincinnati (assistant) |
1966 | Maryland (DB) |
1967–1970 | Denver Broncos (LB/DB) |
1971–1977 | UMass |
1978–1980 | Cleveland Browns (LB) |
1981–1990 | Syracuse |
1991–1992 | New England Patriots |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 111–73–5 (college) 8–24 (NFL) |
Bowls | 4–1–1 |
Tournaments | 0–1 (NCAA Division II playoffs) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
4 Yankee (1971–1972, 1974, 1977) | |
Awards | |
AFCA Coach of the Year (1987) Paul "Bear" Bryant Award (1987) Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award (1987) Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year (1987) Sporting News College Football COY (1987) Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award (1987) | |
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 2009 (profile) |
Richard F. MacPherson (November 4, 1930 – August 8, 2017) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1971 to 1977 and at Syracuse University from 1981 to 1990, compiling a career college football record of 111–73–5. MacPherson was the head coach of the National Football League's New England Patriots from 1991 to 1992, tallying a mark of 8–24. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 2009.
Early life
MacPherson was born on Nov. 4, 1930, in Old Town, Maine, the second youngest of 12 children. At Old Town High School, he played high school football, basketball and baseball and graduated in 1948. He enrolled at Maine Maritime Academy and then served in the U.S. Air Force from 1950-54 during the Korean War.[1]
MacPherson returned to school at Springfield College (Mass.), where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1958. He was a center and linebacker on the football team, a member of the Chiefs’ undefeated 1956 squad and served as team captain as a senior. It was at Springfield that he met his future wife, the former Sandra Jean Moffitt, when both were sophomores. His alma mater awarded him with induction into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988, and he earned entry into the State of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.[2]
Coaching career
MacPherson’s first coaching stop was at University of Illinois where he was a graduate assistant coach with the freshman team while working on his master’s degree. He moved on to University of Massachusetts as freshman coach for two years and then took an assistant’s post at Cincinnati under Coach Chuck Studley.[3]
Lou Saban hired MacPherson at Maryland in 1966 and then, when the Denver Broncos selected Saban as head coach, he brought MacPherson with him. [4]
Named head coach at University of Massachusetts in 1971, MacPherson led the Minutemen to four Yankee Conference titles in seven years. During that span, he twice claimed New England Football Coach of the Year honors. His 45 victories at Massachusetts rank him third all-time in school history, and his 28-8-1 mark in Yankee Conference games notches a .778 winning percentage, which places him fifth in league history. The first UMass coach to win eight or more games in three different seasons, his nine-win campaign in 1972 tied the school record for single- season victories first set in 1901. [5]
He returned to the NFL as an assistant coach on the staff of Sam Rutigliano with the Cleveland Browns from 1978-80 before his hiring as the 25th head coach at Syracuse University by then-athletics director Jake Crouthamel. Syracuse had made just one bowl appearance in the previous 14 years when Crouthamel turned to MacPherson, who he had worked against while the head coach at Dartmouth. [6]
MacPherson's record at Syracuse was 66–46–4 and included an undefeated season in 1987, when his team finished 11–0–1 and tied Auburn in the 1988 Sugar Bowl. After the 1990 season he left Syracuse to become head coach of the New England Patriots and was replaced by assistant Paul Pasqualoni. MacPherson coached the New England Patriots from 1991 to 1992 and received strong consideration for Coach of the Year honors in 1991, turning around a team that went 1–15 in 1990 and leading them to a 6–10 record in his first season. However, in his second season the team started four different quarterbacks and went 2–14. MacPherson was subsequently fired at the end of the season.[7]
MacPherson also served as an assistant coach with the Denver Broncos and the Cleveland Browns.[8]
Later life
MacPherson provided commentary during radio coverage of Syracuse football games for several seasons.[8] He was honored as the Grand Marshal at the 28th Annual Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade[9] in 2010.
MacPherson died surrounded by his family at the Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, New York, on August 8, 2017, at the age of 86.[10]
At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, Sandra, his daughters, Maureen and Janet, and four grandchildren (Macky, Cameron and Susanne MacPherson and Molly Sweeney). His grandsons, Macky and Cameron, were both semifinalists for the NFF William V. Campbell Trophy while playing football at Syracuse, and Macky was a graduate assistant coach with the Orange.[11]
Head coaching record
College
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UMass Redmen/Minutemen (Yankee Conference) (1971–1977) | |||||||||
1971 | UMass | 4–4–1 | 3–1–1 | T–1st | |||||
1972 | UMass | 9–2 | 5–0 | 1st | W Boardwalk | ||||
1973 | UMass | 6–5 | 4–2 | 3rd | |||||
1974 | UMass | 5–6 | 4–2 | T–1st | |||||
1975 | UMass | 8–2 | 4–1 | 2nd | |||||
1976 | UMass | 5–5 | 3–2 | 2nd | |||||
1977 | UMass | 8–3 | 5–0 | 1st | L NCAA Division II Quarterfinal | ||||
UMass: | 45–27–1 | 27–8–1 | |||||||
Syracuse Orangemen (NCAA Division I-A Independent) (1981–1990) | |||||||||
1981 | Syracuse | 4–6–1 | |||||||
1982 | Syracuse | 2–9 | |||||||
1983 | Syracuse | 6–5 | |||||||
1984 | Syracuse | 6–5 | |||||||
1985 | Syracuse | 7–5 | L Cherry | ||||||
1986 | Syracuse | 5–6 | |||||||
1987 | Syracuse | 11–0–1 | T Sugar | 4 | 4 | ||||
1988 | Syracuse | 10–2 | W Hall of Fame | 12 | 13 | ||||
1989 | Syracuse | 8–4 | W Peach | ||||||
1990 | Syracuse | 7–4–2 | W Aloha | 21 | |||||
Syracuse: | 66–46–4 | ||||||||
Total: | 111–73–5 | ||||||||
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
|
NFL
Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
NE | 1991 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
NE | 1992 | 2 | 14 | 0 | .125 | 5th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
NE Total | 8 | 24 | 0 | .250 | – | – | – | – | ||
Total | 8 | 24 | 0 | .250 | – | – | – | – |
References
- ^ https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2251
- ^ https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2251
- ^ https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2251
- ^ https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2251
- ^ https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2251
- ^ https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2251
- ^ "Dick MacPherson: I made a huge mistake in going to New England". syracuse.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ a b "Dick MacPherson, who'll be celebrated Saturday, took this town on terrific football ride". syracuse.com. Archived from the original on August 9, 2017. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ "Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade - Grand Marshal". syracusestpatricksparade.org. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2015.
- ^ "Former Syracuse football coach Dick MacPherson dies at 86 years old". Syracuse.com. August 8, 2017. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- ^ https://footballfoundation.org/hof_search.aspx?hof=2251
External links
- Dick MacPherson at the College Football Hall of Fame
- Dick MacPherson at Pro-Football-Reference.com
- Dick MacPherson at Find a Grave
- 1930 births
- 2017 deaths
- American football centers
- American football linebackers
- Cincinnati Bearcats football coaches
- Illinois Fighting Illini football coaches
- Maryland Terrapins football coaches
- Syracuse Orange football coaches
- UMass Minutemen football coaches
- Cleveland Browns coaches
- Denver Broncos coaches
- New England Patriots head coaches
- New England Patriots coaches
- Springfield Pride football players
- College Football Hall of Fame inductees
- People from Old Town, Maine
- Coaches of American football from Maine
- Players of American football from Maine