On November 8, 2003, Saint John’s University football coach John Gagliardi became America’s winningest collegiate coach. St. John’s of Collegeville, MN defeated Bethel College, 29-26, giving the Johnnies the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title and Gagliardi his 409th career victory. The win broke the record of 408 by Grambling’s Hall of Fame Coach Eddie Robinson.
Now, fast forward. Seven years later—heading into the 2010 season—Gagliardi has a career record of 471-126-11, 27 MIAC Championships, four national championships and 42 years without a losing season (1968-present). Gagliardi’s 61 years of collegiate coaching is the most in college football history, surpassing the old record of 57 held by former University of Chicago and Pacific coach Amos Alonzo Stagg. He is the first active head coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2006).
Gagliardi’s coaching career began when his high school coach at Trinidad Catholic (CO) was drafted into World War II. Captain of the team, Gagliardi took over the reins at 16 in 1943. His teams won four conference titles in six years of coaching high school football. After graduation from Colorado College in 1949, his first collegiate coaching position was at Carroll College in Helena (MT). He arrived at Saint John’s in 1953 and they won their first MIAC conference title in 15 years that season. This fall he enters his 58th campaign in Collegeville.
Gagliardi’s success is attributable to more than football strategy and tactics. His coaching methods have been distilled into a series of ‘Winning With Nos’ which include:
· No blocking sleds or dummies.
· No scholarships.
· No compulsory weightlifting program.
· No whistles.
· No ‘coach’ (players call him ‘John’).
· No tackling in practice.
· No long practices (90 minutes or less).
Each year over 150 students turn out to be part of the Johnnies program. John Gagliardi has built a legacy that is unrivaled in college football, and, he’ll be 84 on November 1st.