Jim Mackenzie (American football)

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1930–1967)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Jim Mackenzie

| image = Jim Mackenzie (American football).jpeg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1930|1|15}}

| birth_place = Gary, Indiana, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1967|4|28|1930|1|15}}

| death_place = Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1949–1951

| player_team1 = Kentucky

| player_positions =

| coach_years1 = 1953–1954

| coach_team1 = Jenkins HS (KY) (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1955–1956

| coach_team2 = Allen Academy (TX)

| coach_years3 = 1957

| coach_team3 = Missouri (assistant)

| coach_years4 = 1958–1965

| coach_team4 = Arkansas (assistant)

| coach_years5 = 1966

| coach_team5 = Oklahoma

| overall_record = 6–4 (college)

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

Big Eight Coach of the Year (1966){{cite web|url=http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/media_guide.html|title=Oklahoma Sooners head football coaches|last=University of Oklahoma|publisher=University of Oklahoma|accessdate=March 10, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318192758/http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/media_guide.html|archivedate=March 18, 2012}}
Second-team All-SEC (1951)

| coaching_records =

}}

James Alexander Mackenzie (January 15, 1930 – April 28, 1967) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma for one season in 1966 before his sudden death the following spring.

Early years

A native of Gary, Indiana, Mackenzie played college football at the University of Kentucky for head coach Bear Bryant, and was an assistant coach under Frank Broyles for nine years, one at the University of Missouri and eight at the University of Arkansas.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=s04yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UOYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7332%2C2819055 |work=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |title=Mackenzie faces two big problems |date=December 23, 1965 |page=10}}

Oklahoma

After the 1965 season, Mackenzie was hired as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma in December. He succeeded Gomer Jones, a longtime Sooner assistant who had failed to match the success of the legendary Bud Wilkinson, but remained as athletic director. The Sooners' 3–7 record under Jones in 1965 was the worst in program history (until 1996).{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=p04yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UOYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=7290%2C755366 |work=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |title=Coaching 'musical chairs' on |date=December 7, 1965 |page=14}}

In his first season in 1966, Mackenzie led the Sooners to a 6–4 record, defeated rival Texas for the first time in nine years, upset undefeated rival Nebraska on Thanksgiving,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YtBTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sDgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7238%2C2822987 |work=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |title=Sooners upset Nebraska, 10-9 |date=November 25, 1966 |page=13}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SP5XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=A_cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1215%2C1386805 |work=The Bulletin |location=(Bend, Oregon) |agency=UPI |title=Nebraska loses bid for college crown |date=November 25, 1967 |page=10}} and was named the Coach of the Year in the Big Eight Conference.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z9BTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sDgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6070%2C3464934 |work=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |last=Van Valkenberg |first=Jim |title=Nebraskans lead All-Big 8 team |date=December 1, 1966 |page=15}}

Death

Entering his second season, Mackenzie died at age 37 of a heart attack in late April. He collapsed at his Norman home after returning from a brief recruiting trip to north Texas during a break in spring practice.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JeVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4-ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=4033%2C5843745|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=(Oregon)|title=Sooner coach dies at 37|agency=Associated Press|date=April 28, 1967|page=3B}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ocxTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zTgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7036%2C6382214 |work=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |title=OU grid coach dies at age 37 of heart attack |date=April 28, 1967 |page=13}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o8xTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yDgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=7257%2C91064 |work=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |title=OU to name grid coach soon |date=May 1, 1967 |page=15}} He was survived by his wife, Sue Newell, and two children, Katheryn and James, Jr.{{cite news |title=Jim Mackenzie, Football Coach At U. of Oklahoma, Dead at 37 |newspaper=The New York Times |agency=United Press International |date=April 29, 1967 |url=https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F40F14F73C5C107B93CBAB178FD85F438685F9 |accessdate=June 23, 2010 }}

Recently departed assistant Homer Rice, the first-year head coach at Cincinnati, turned down the chance to take over for Mackenzie.Homer Rice (2000). Lessons for Leaders Building a Winning Team From the Ground Up. Longstreet Press. Assistant coach Chuck Fairbanks, age 33, was promoted to head coach in early May.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pMxTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=yDgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6254%2C181643 |work=Lawrence Daily Journal-World |location=(Kansas) |agency=Associated Press |title=Fairbanks hired as Sooner coach |date=May 2, 1967 |page=10}}{{cite web| url = https://www.tulsaworld.com/sports/college/ou/bill-haisten-on-th-anniversary-of-jim-mackenzie-s-death/article_3fba96f4-6703-599c-8ba6-52cc33c96aab.html| title = Bill Haisten: On 50th anniversary of Jim Mackenzie’s death, documentary examines his impact on OU football {{!}} OU Sports Extra {{!}} tulsaworld.com}}