: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
| player_years3 = 1951
| player_team3 = Philadelphia Eagles
| player_years4 = 1952
| player_team4 = Montreal Alouettes
| player_positions = Quarterback
| coach_years1 = 1953–1954
| coach_team1 = Doane
| overall_record = 6–10–2
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Francis Joseph Nagle[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] (July 1, 1924 – August 15, 2014)[http://host.madison.com/news/local/obituaries/nagle-francis-joseph/article_76186aab-6b52-5e9c-a531-cbcfb213486a.html Fran Nagle's obituary] 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 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.{{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}}
Playing career
He initially attended University of Massachusetts-Fort Devans (a temporary two-year college and campus for military veterans){{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}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lostcolleges.com/massachusetts-fort-devens|website=lostcolleges.com|title=Massachusetts State College-Fort Devens: Ayer, Massachusetts (1946-1949)}} from 1947 to 1948 and became the school's starting quarterback despite never having playing football before. In 1949, Nagle followed his coach, Bob Davis, to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.{{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}} As a quarterback at Nebraska, Nagle was the statistical leader for passing yards from 1949 and 1950.[http://www.huskerpedia.com/records/2003/2003records.pdf Nebraska NCAA Record Holders] He holds a career Nebraska top 25 passing record at 1,289 yards in 190 attempts with 41.6% completions and 13 touchdowns. Nagle was the 43rd pick in the fourth round National Football League draft pick as a back for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1951.[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/draft/1951.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com, 1951 NFL Draft] In 1952, he was signed by the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League but a training camp injury ended his career.
=Honors=
In 1950, Nagle was chosen as a Big Seven Conference All-Conference selection.{{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 }} 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.{{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 }}
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.[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 }}
=Head coaching record=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Doane Tigers
| conf = Nebraska College Conference
| startyear = 1953
| endyear = 1954
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 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
| 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.{{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}} Nagle died on August 15, 2014, at the age of 90.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback navbox}}
{{Doane Tigers football coach navbox}}
{{Eagles1951DraftPicks}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nagle, Fran}}
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: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:Players of American football from Lynn, Massachusetts