John Gagliardi has done something no other human
being has ever done. He has coached college football teams to 449 wins
in 59 collegiate seasons.
John has only coached at two places in
his 59-year college football-coaching career. John's first assignment
was at Carroll College in Helena, Montana during the 1949 to 1952
seasons, winning three conference championships in those four seasons.
John Gagliardi's next venture would bring him east to take on the head
coaching position at Saint John's University in Collegeville,
Minnesota. The Johnnies had not won a conference title in 15 years when
John Gagliardi arrived to take over the program from legendary coach
and charter member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame, Johnny
"Blood" McNally. John Gagliardi has remained at Saint John's for the
balance of his career. During his time at Saint John's Gagliardi has
coached the Johnnies to 28 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference championships and 4 National Championships.
Along the
way Gagliardi's teams have a combined record of 449-120-11 during his
59 seasons. His 1993 Saint John's squad was know as "The Point a Minute
Team" setting a national record by averaging 61.5 points per game that
season, establishing a scoring record that may never be equaled in
college football.
John Gagliardi and the Saint John's University
Johnnies football team has been the subject of many national
publications over the years such as USA Today, The Wall Street Journal
and Sports Illustrated. The Today Show and CBS News Sunday Morning have
also done featured pieces on Gagliardi and the Johnnies for their
television shows.
During the 1999 season, Sports Illustrated
feature writer Austin Murphy moved his wife and two young children to
Collegeville from the San Francisco Bay Area to spend the season with
the Johnnies. The result of his time in Stearns County living with and
writing about the team was a book named The Sweet Season published by
Harper Collins.
One of the main subjects of interest that
visiting reporters have when covering Gagliardi and the Johnnies are
the principles of "Winning With Nos" · No blocking sleds or dummies ·
No Scholarships · No compulsory weightlifting program · No whistles ·
No "coach"- the players call him John · No tackling in practice- the
players wear shorts and sweats
Gagliardi has realized a long time
ago that having a different outlook at the way football is coached is
not for everybody, but it has worked out well for him, something his 59
year .783 winning percentage is proof of.
Another in a long line
of accomplishments for John Gagliardi came during the summer of 2006 as
John was the first active coach inducted in the College Football Hall
of Fame.
John Gagliardi will turn 81 years young on November
1,2007 with no signs of slowing down. Gagliardi has repeatedly stated
that he has no intentions of retiring as long as he is in good health
and he is still enjoying coaching football.
Nothing typifies John
Gagliardi and the Saint John's University Johnnies better than the
often-heard mantra of, "ordinary people doing ordinary things
extraordinarily well." There is nothing ordinary about this bunch!
Dana
Buttenhoff is an avid college football fan and loves to spend Saturday
afternoons in the autumn cheering for the St. John's University
Johnnies. The Johnnies are coached by College Football Hall of Fame
Coach John Gagliardi. John Gagliardi has more career college football
victories than any other coach on the planet. Learn more about St.
John's University Football at http://www.JohnnieFootball.com
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