View source for Fran Nagle

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1924–2014)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Fran Nagle
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1924|7|1}}
| birth_place = [[Lynn, Massachusetts]], U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|8|15|1924|7|1}}
| death_place = [[Madison, Wisconsin]], U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1947–1948
| player_team1 = UMass–Fort Devens
| player_years2 = 1949–1950
| player_team2 = [[Nebraska Cornhuskers football|Nebraska]]
| player_years3 = 1951
| player_team3 = [[Philadelphia Eagles]]
| player_years4 = 1952
| player_team4 = [[Montreal Alouettes]]
| player_positions = [[Quarterback]]
| coach_years1 = 1953–1954
| coach_team1 = [[Doane Tigers football|Doane]]
| overall_record = 6–10–2
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
'''Francis Joseph Nagle'''<ref>[https://archive.today/20130201203000/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/497568272.html?dids=497568272:497568272&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+09,+1951&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Nagle,+Football+Novice+in+'47,+Joins+All-Stars+in+'51&pqatl=google] </ref> (July 1, 1924 &ndash; August 15, 2014)<ref name="Obituary">[http://host.madison.com/news/local/obituaries/nagle-francis-joseph/article_76186aab-6b52-5e9c-a531-cbcfb213486a.html Fran Nagle's obituary]</ref> was an [[American football]] player, coach, and professor.
==Early life==
Nagle graduated from high school in [[West Lynn, Massachusetts]] and served in the [[United States Army Air Corps]] in [[World War II]]. A radio operator, Nagle's [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|B-24 bomber]] was shot down on his first mission and he became a [[prisoner of war]] during the last three months of the conflict.<ref name=madisonobit>{{cite web|url=https://madison.com/news/local/obituaries/nagle-francis-joseph/article_76186aab-6b52-5e9c-a531-cbcfb213486a.html|title=Nagle, Francis Joseph|website=Madison.com|date=August 16, 2014}}</ref>
==Playing career==
He initially attended [[University of Massachusetts]]-Fort Devans (a temporary two-year college and campus for military veterans)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lostumass.omeka.net/items/show/64#:~:text=Fort%20Devens%20was%20established%20in,for%20the%20University%20of%20Massachusetts.|title=Fort Devens|website=Lost UMass}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lostcolleges.com/massachusetts-fort-devens|website=lostcolleges.com|title=Massachusetts State College-Fort Devens: Ayer, Massachusetts (1946-1949)}}</ref> from 1947 to 1948 and became the school's starting [[quarterback]] despite never having playing football before.<ref name=madisonobit/> In 1949, Nagle followed his coach, Bob Davis, to the [[University of Nebraska-Lincoln]].<ref name=madisonobit/><ref name="LJSobit">{{cite news|url=https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/football/ex-husker-quarterback-fran-nagle-dies/article_0c86178b-eacb-5f1e-8b05-0af6aa002d9a.html|title=Ex-Husker quarterback Fran Nagle dies|first=Steven M.|last=Sipple|date=August 18, 2014|work=Lincoln Journal-Star}}</ref> As a quarterback at Nebraska, Nagle was the statistical leader for passing yards from 1949 and 1950.<ref name="huskerpedia">[http://www.huskerpedia.com/records/2003/2003records.pdf Nebraska NCAA Record Holders]</ref> He holds a career Nebraska top 25 passing record at 1,289 yards in 190 attempts with 41.6% completions and 13 touchdowns.<ref name="huskerpedia" /> Nagle was the 43rd pick in the fourth round [[National Football League]] draft pick as a [[Running back (American football)|back]] for the [[Philadelphia Eagles]] in 1951.<ref>[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1951.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com, 1951 NFL Draft]</ref> In 1952, he was signed by the [[Montreal Alouettes]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] but a training camp injury ended his career.<ref name=madisonobit/><ref name="LJSobit"/>
===Honors===
In 1950, Nagle was chosen as a [[Big Eight Conference|Big Seven Conference]] All-Conference selection.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.huskersnside.com/pdf1/2235.pdf |title=Nebraska Media Guide |access-date=November 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110712232349/https://www.huskersnside.com/pdf1/2235.pdf |archive-date=July 12, 2011 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> In 1951, Nagle played in the Senior Bowl, the College All-Star game, and the East-West Shrine Game.  Nagle was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=942138 |title=Nebraska Football Hall of Fame |access-date=2008-11-11 |archive-date=2010-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100910035020/http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=942138 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Coaching career==
Nagle was the 25th head football coach at [[Doane College]] in [[Crete, Nebraska]] and he held that position for two seasons, from 1953 and 1954.  His coaching record at Doane was 6–10–2.<ref>[http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/naia/gpac/doane/coaching_records.php Doane College coaching records] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525204024/http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/naia/gpac/doane/coaching_records.php |date=May 25, 2011 }}</ref>
===Head coaching record===
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name      = [[Doane Tigers football|Doane Tigers]]
| conf      = [[Nebraska College Conference]]
| startyear = 1953
| endyear   = 1954
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year         = [[1953 college football season|1953]]
| name         = Doane
| overall      = 4–3–2
| conference   = 3–2–2
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname     =
| bowloutcome  =
| bcsbowl      =
| ranking      = no
| ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year         = [[1954 college football season|1954]]
| name         = Doane
| overall      = 2–7
| conference   = 2–5
| confstanding = 6th
| bowlname     =
| bowloutcome  =
| bcsbowl      =
| ranking      = no
| ranking2     = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name       = Doane
| overall    = 6–10–2
| confrecord = 5–7–2
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall  = 6–10–2
| bowls    = no
| poll     = no
| polltype =
| legend   = no
}}
==Later life==
Nagle would go on to receive his PhD in [[physiology]] at the [[University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center]] in 1966 and would teach physiology at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]].<ref>{{cite thesis|url=http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/24855820|first=Francis Joseph|last=Nagle|type=PhD|date=1966|title=Local responses of skeletal muscle and skin vascular beds in exercise in the dog hindlimb|publisher=University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center|oclc=24855820}}</ref><ref name=madisonobit/><ref name="LJSobit"/> Nagle died on August 15, 2014, at the age of 90.<ref name=madisonobit/><ref name="LJSobit"/>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback navbox}}
{{Doane Tigers football coach navbox}}
{{Eagles1951DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nagle, Fran}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:2014 deaths]]
[[Category:American football quarterbacks]]
[[Category:Doane Tigers football coaches]]
[[Category:Nebraska Cornhuskers football players]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Shot-down aviators]]
[[Category:American prisoners of war in World War II]]
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany]]
[[Category:University of Massachusetts alumni]]
[[Category:Philadelphia Eagles players]]
[[Category:Montreal Alouettes players]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Lynn, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Essex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:University of Oklahoma alumni]]
[[Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty]]