Frank Gnup

{{Short description|Canadian football player (1917–1976)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox gridiron football person

| name = Frank Gnup

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1917|4|5}}

| birth_place = Aliquippa, Pennsylvania

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1976|9|27|1917|4|5}}

| death_place = Vancouver, British Columbia

| team =

| number =

| status =

| position1 = Halfback & Quarterback

| height_ft =

| height_in =

| weight_lb =

| college = Manhattan College

| coaching_years1 = 1955–73

| coaching_team1 = UBC Thunderbirds

| playing_years1 = 1946–49

| playing_team1 = Hamilton Wildcats

| playing_years2 = 1950

| playing_team2 = Toronto Argonauts

| playing_years3 = 1952

| playing_team3 = Brantford Redskins

| career_highlights =

• Grey Cup champion (1950)
• Imperial Oil Trophy (1946)

| CFLAllStar = 1946

| awards =

}}

Frank Theodore Gnup (April 5, 1917 – September 27, 1976) was an American quarterback, halfback and coach who played Canadian football from 1946 to 1952.

A native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania who was a star player at Manhattan College,Local boy makes good, by Havey Boyle Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, October 25, 1940 Gnup took the Ontario Rugby Football Union by storm in 1946 as a player-coach, leading his Hamilton Wildcats to the league championship game, was named an all-star, and won the Imperial Oil Trophy as ORFU most valuable player.O.R.F.U. Honors Coach Frank Gnup Edmonton Journal, November 14, 1946 He played in Hamilton for 3 more seasons,{{Cite web|url=http://www.htcaa.ca/history-rosters.asp?roster=HWC|title=Hamilton Tiger-Cats Alumni Association|website=www.htcaa.ca}}Frank Gnup Plans Precision Plays Calgary Herald, October 15, 1947 but had a falling-out,Frank Gnup is Suing Hamilton Calgary Herald, May 20, 1950 and played the 1950 season with the Toronto Argonauts (6 regular season games.)2008 Toronto Argonauts Media Guide He finished his playing days in 1952 with the Brantford Redskins of the ORFU.

After his playing days Gnup took up coaching in 1955 with the UBC Thunderbirds.Frank Gnup New Coach at UBC The Leader-Post, June 30, 1955 His 18 years at the University of British Columbia are legendary, and in 1999 he was enshrined in the UBC Sports Hall of Fame.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ubcsportshalloffame.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?person_id=52&searchall=1|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415093414/http://www.ubcsportshalloffame.com/cgi-bin/search.cgi?person_id=52&searchall=1|url-status= dead|title=UBC Sports Hall of Fame: Frank Gnup|archivedate=April 15, 2012}} He has since been honoured by having the AAA Provincial Championships and the CWUAA Frank Gnup Memorial Trophy as Player of the Year named after him. The ever cigar chomping Gnup died of a heart attack September 27, 1976, aged 59.{{cite news |title=Frank Gnup |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/29/archives/frank-gnup.html |accessdate=September 26, 2020 |work=The New York Times |agency=Associated Press |date=September 29, 1976 |location=Vancouver, B.C.}}