Gordon McEachron
{{short description|American football coach}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Gordon McEachron
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1919|1|19}}
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1993|4|23|1919|1|19}}
| death_place = Apple Valley, California, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| coach_years1 = 1952
| coach_team1 = Pepperdine (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1953–1954
| coach_team2 = Pepperdine
| coach_years3 = 1955–1958
| coach_team3 = Nevada
| overall_record = 15–31–1
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record =
| championships =
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
Gordon Townsand McEachron (January 19, 1919 – April 23, 1993) was an American college football coach and United States Army Air Forces officer. He served as the head football coach at Pepperdine University from 1953 to 1954 and the University of Nevada 1955 to 1958, compiling a career coaching record of 15–31–1.
Biography
A native of Los Angeles, Mac was born on January 19, 1919, and served in the United States Army Air Forces. The Los Angeles Times described him as "tall, blondish, personable, and a convincing speaker."[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/524824742.html?dids=524824742:524824742&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+16%2C+1955&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=BAY+AREA+BANTER&pqatl=google Bay Area Banter; U. of Nevada Fights to Keep Own Athletes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107174651/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/524824742.html?dids=524824742:524824742&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Aug+16,+1955&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=BAY+AREA+BANTER&pqatl=google |date=2012-11-07 }}, The Los Angeles Times, August 16, 1955. In 1945, at the rank of captain, he was held as a prisoner of war in Nazi Germany.[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/412278511.html?dids=412278511:412278511&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+12%2C+1945&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=39+SOUTHLANDERS+HELD+IN+NAZI+PRISON+CAMPS&pqatl=google 39 SOUTHLANDERS HELD IN NAZI PRISON CAMPS] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107174726/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/412278511.html?dids=412278511:412278511&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Mar+12,+1945&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=39+SOUTHLANDERS+HELD+IN+NAZI+PRISON+CAMPS&pqatl=google |date=2012-11-07 }}, The Los Angeles Times, March 12, 1945. He attended Pepperdine College in Malibu, California and graduated in 1948.[https://archive.today/20130125205629/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ns40AAAAIBAJ&sjid=EYYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4496,4102085&dq=gordon-mceachron&hl=en Dowell Is Happy], The Modesto Bee, January 22, 1953.
McEachron then joined the athletic staff at his alma mater as a trainer. In 1952, he was an assistant coach to Robert "Duck" Dowell, the Pepperdine basketball coach who had temporarily also taken over responsibilities for the football team.[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/426071841.html?dids=426071841:426071841&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+20%2C+1953&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=CIF+Cagers+Clash+Today&pqatl=google CIF Cagers Clash Today] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107174710/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/426071841.html?dids=426071841:426071841&FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+20,+1953&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=CIF+Cagers+Clash+Today&pqatl=google |date=2012-11-07 }}, The Los Angeles Times, January 20, 1953. McEachron succeeded Dowell the following season. He served as the head football coach from 1953 to 1954 and compiled a 9–8 record.
He accepted the same position at Nevada in 1955 for a $7,300 salary.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=z5spAAAAIBAJ&sjid=buYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5931,2597247 McEachron Gets Nevada Grid Job], The Spokesman-Review, June 7, 1955. The university had demoted its football program from major college football status in 1951 due to a budget deficit, and had struggled to remain competitive. In 1956, the Nevada alumni association raised $4,500 for a part-time work program for football players.[https://archive.today/20120717122446/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5F4hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OYYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=854,4072300&dq=gordon-mceachron&hl=en Nevada Alumni Raise $4,500 For Gridders], The Modesto Bee, September 27, 1956. The initiative, however, failed, and in October 1957, McEachron supported the players in their petition for a renewal of free room and board for the team during the season. They offered to work part-time campus jobs in exchange. McEachron said, "We're not trying to go big-time again, just to compete on an equal basis."[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m_NVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eOIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6877,2709345&dq=gordon-mceachron&hl=en Nevada Gridders Win; Seek Free Room and Board], Eugene Register-Guard, October 16, 1957.
McEachron offered his resignation on October 30, 1957, which reportedly "came as a complete surprise" to the athletic director. Art Broten said, "But I am totally indifferent—Mac took the job with the understanding we gave no aid to athletes."[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TKpfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jzIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2444,7337194&dq=gordon-mceachron&hl=en Nevada Coach Offers to Quit], Lewiston Morning Tribune, October 30, 1957. McEachron remained on for one more year,[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=13ERAAAAIBAJ&sjid=teIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5078,691572&dq=gordon-mceachron&hl=en Nevada's Grid Fortunes Near Folding Point], Eugene Register-Guard, September 6, 1958. and resigned for good in 1959. He had compiled a 6–23–1 record at Nevada.[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0D11F73A5C1A7B93C0A8178FD85F4D8585F9 Trachok New Coach of Nevada's Eleven], The New York Times, April 12, 1959.
Head coaching record
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Pepperdine Waves
| conf = California Collegiate Athletic Association
| startyear = 1953
| endyear = 1954
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1953
| name = Pepperdine
| overall = 3–6
| conference = 2–3
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1954
| name = Pepperdine
| overall = 6–2
| conference = 0–0
| confstanding = NA
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Pepperdine
| overall = 9–8
| confrecord = 2–3
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Nevada Wolf Pack
| conf = Far Western Conference
| startyear = 1955
| endyear = 1958
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1955
| name = Nevada
| overall = 2–5
| conference = 1–4
| confstanding = 5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1956
| name = Nevada
| overall = 0–7–1
| conference = 0–4–1
| confstanding = 6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1957
| name = Nevada
| overall = 1–8
| conference = 1–4
| confstanding = 5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1958
| name = Nevada
| overall = 3–3
| conference = 2–3
| confstanding = T–4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Nevada
| overall = 6–23–1
| confrecord = 4–15–1
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 15–31–1
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Pepperdine Waves football coach navbox}}
{{Nevada Wolf Pack football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McEachron, Gordon}}
Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
Category:American prisoners of war in World War II
Category:Nevada Wolf Pack football coaches
Category:Pepperdine University alumni
Category:Pepperdine Waves football coaches
Category:Sports coaches from Los Angeles
Category:United States Army Air Forces officers