Gib Holgate

{{Short description|American football player, coach, and administrator (1920–2011)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Gib Holgate

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|8|13}}

| birth_place = Gary, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2011|11|7|1920|8|13}}

| death_place = Southbury, Connecticut, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1943

| player_team1 = Michigan

| player_positions = Halfback

| coach_years1 = 1947

| coach_team1 = Michigan (GA)

| coach_years2 = 1948

| coach_team2 = Hillsdale

| coach_years3 = 1949–1950

| coach_team3 = Yale (assistant)

| coach_years4 = 1951–1964

| coach_team4 = Yale (freshmen)

| admin_years1 = 1961–1967

| admin_team1 = Yale (assistant AD)

| admin_years2 = 1967–1984

| admin_team2 = Yale (associate AD)

| overall_record = 6–2–1

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

James Gibson Holgate (August 13, 1920 – November 7, 2011) was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Hillsdale College in 1948, compiling a record of 6–2–1. Holgate was later an assistant football coach and an administrator in the athletic department at Yale University.

Early years

Holgate was born in Gary, Indiana, in 1920 and spent his youth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.{{cite news|title=James Gibson Holgate|newspaper=New Haven Register|date=November 13, 2011|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nhregister/obituary.aspx?pid=154573664#fbLoggedOut}} His father, Clarence G. Holgate, was an engineer with a steel construction company. At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Holgate was living with his parents, four sisters, and a brother in Shorewood, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.Census entry for Clarence G. Holgate and family. Son James G. Holgate, age 9 (as of April 1930), born in Indiana. Year: 1930; Census Place: Shorewood, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Roll: 2600; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 364; Image: 253.0; FHL microfilm: 2342334. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. At the time of the 1940 United States Census, Holgate was living in McGill, White Pine County, Nevada, where he was living in a men's dormitory and working as a "surveyor helper" at a copper smelter.Census entry for Gibson Holgage, age 19 (as of April 1940), born in Indiana, resident of Milwaukee in 1935. Year: 1940; Census Place: Ely, White Pine, Nevada; Roll: T627_2282; Page: 8A; Enumeration District: 17-5. Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

Wisconsin and Michigan

Holgate enrolled at the University of Wisconsin where he played freshman football. After the United States entered World War II, Holgate enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. In 1943, he was transferred to the University of Michigan as part of the V-12 Navy College Training Program. While at Michigan, he played at the halfback position for the 1943 Michigan Wolverines football team that tied for the Big Ten Conference championship and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll.

In October 1943, Holgate and several Michigan players who were part of the V-12 program received orders transferring them to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, effective immediately after the homecoming game against Minnesota on October 23, 1943.{{cite news|author=Edward Burns|title=Minnesota Battles Michigan: Last Game for White, Captain of the Wolverines; Gets Service Call; So Does Daley|newspaper=Chicago Daily Tribune|date=October 23, 1943|page=19|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/471951602.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+23%2C+1943&author=EDWARD+BURNS&pub=Chicago+Daily+Tribune+(1923-1963)&edition=&startpage=19&desc=MINNESOTA+BATTLES+MICHIGAN%3B+N.+U.+AT+OHIO|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131170934/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/471951602.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+23,+1943&author=EDWARD+BURNS&pub=Chicago+Daily+Tribune+(1923-1963)&edition=&startpage=19&desc=MINNESOTA+BATTLES+MICHIGAN;+N.+U.+AT+OHIO|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2013}} Holgate served on an assault transport in the Pacific Theater of Operations and attained the rank of a lieutenant colonel.

In 1946, after concluding his military service, Holgate returned to the University of Michigan where he received both bachelor's and master's degrees. He served as a graduate assistant to Fritz Crisler on the undefeated 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team.

Coaching/administrative career

In 1948, he was hired as the head football coach and athletic director at Hillsdale College. He compiled a 6–2–1 record in his one season as the football coach at Hillsdale.

In March 1949, he was hired as an assistant football coach at Yale University.{{cite news|title=Holgate Appointed To Yale Grid Staff|newspaper=Hartford Courant|date=March 30, 1949|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/561160940}} He became the coach of the freshman football team in 1951. He served as the freshman coach for 14 years, compiling a record of 52–26–7.{{cite news|title=Gib Holgate Will Speak at Sports Dinner|newspaper=Hartford Courant |date=December 7, 1960|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/551721502}} He became Yale's assistant athletic director in 1961,{{cite news|title=Holgate Given Yale Promotion|newspaper=Hartford Courant |date=June 15, 1961|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/551453559}} and associate athletic director in 1967. He was also a fellow at Yale's Morse College. He remained at Yale until 1984. Gibson also served on the executive committee of the New England Athletic Conference and the executive council of the Eastern College Athletic Council (ECAC). He was also the author of "Fundamental Football" published in 1959.

Family

Holgate was married to Marjorie Koch Holgate in approximately 1945. They had three children, Randy Lowe Holgate, Chris Ann Pearce, John Gibson Holgate. Holgate died at age 91 on November 7, 2011, in Southbury, Connecticut.{{cite news |title=James "Gib" Holgate Retired Yale coach |newspaper=Waterbury Republican-American |date=November 2011 }}