Dick MacPherson facts for kids
MacPherson at Syracuse
|
|
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 4, 1930 Old Town, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | August 8, 2017 (aged 86) Syracuse, New York, U.S. |
| 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 a famous American football coach. Many people called him Coach Mac. He led college teams like the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Syracuse University. He also coached the National Football League's New England Patriots. Coach Mac was honored in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
Contents
Early Life and College Days
Dick MacPherson was born on November 4, 1930. He grew up in Old Town, Maine. He was one of 12 children in his family. In high school, he was a great athlete. He played football, basketball, and baseball. He graduated in 1948.
After high school, he went to Maine Maritime Academy. Then, he served in the U.S. Air Force. This was during the Korean War, from 1950 to 1954.
After his military service, MacPherson went to Springfield College in Massachusetts. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1958. He played football there as a center and linebacker. His team had a perfect season in 1956. He was also the team captain in his final year. At Springfield, he met his future wife, Sandra Jean Moffitt. He was later inducted into the Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1988. He also joined the State of Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.
Starting His Coaching Journey
Coach MacPherson began his coaching career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a graduate assistant coach there. He helped coach the freshman team. He was also working on his master's degree.
Next, he moved to the University of Massachusetts. He coached the freshman team for two years. After that, he became an assistant coach at the University of Cincinnati. He worked under Coach Chuck Studley.
In 1966, Lou Saban hired MacPherson at the University of Maryland. When Saban became the head coach for the Denver Broncos, he brought MacPherson with him. There, MacPherson coached the defense.
Leading the Minutemen
In 1971, Dick MacPherson became the head coach at UMass. He led the Minutemen to great success. They won four Yankee Conference titles in just seven years. He was named the New England Football Coach of the Year twice.
He won 45 games at UMass. This makes him one of the top coaches in the school's history. His team's winning percentage in Yankee Conference games was very high. In 1972, his team won nine games. This tied the school record for most wins in a single season.
After his time at UMass, he returned to the NFL. He was an assistant coach for the Cleveland Browns. He worked there from 1978 to 1980.
Syracuse Success Story
In 1981, MacPherson became the 25th head coach at Syracuse University. Before he arrived, Syracuse had only been to one bowl game in 14 years. He was brought in to turn the team around.
Coach MacPherson had a great record at Syracuse: 66 wins, 46 losses, and 4 ties. His most famous season was in 1987. His team went undefeated with 11 wins and 1 tie. They tied Auburn in the 1988 Sugar Bowl.
After the 1990 season, he left Syracuse. He became the head coach for the New England Patriots. His assistant, Paul Pasqualoni, took over at Syracuse.
During his time at Syracuse, MacPherson had many talented coaches on his staff. Some of them later became head coaches themselves. These included Randy Edsall and George O’Leary. He also coached two future Hall of Famers: defensive tackle Tim Green and quarterback Don McPherson.
NFL Challenge and Later Life
Coach MacPherson coached the New England Patriots from 1991 to 1992. In his first year (1991), he helped turn the team around. They had only won one game in 1990. Under him, they improved to a 6–10 record. He was even considered for Coach of the Year. However, in his second season, the team struggled. They went 2–14, and he was fired at the end of the season.
After he stopped coaching, MacPherson worked in sports broadcasting. He worked for BIG EAST TV. He was also a radio analyst for Syracuse football games. He worked with famous sports announcers like Dave Pasch and Matt Park.
In 2010, he was honored as the Grand Marshal. This was for the 28th Annual Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade.
Dick MacPherson passed away on August 8, 2017. He was 86 years old. He died in Syracuse, New York, surrounded by his family. He was survived by his wife, Sandra, his daughters, Maureen and Janet, and four grandchildren. His grandsons, Macky and Cameron, both played football at Syracuse.
