John Potsklan
{{Short description|American football player and coach of football and basketball}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = John Potsklan
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|9|24}}
| birth_place = Hiller, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1990|6|22|1920|9|24}}
| death_place = Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_sport1 = Football
| player_years2 = 1941
| player_team2 = Penn State
| player_years3 = 1946–1947
| player_team3 = Penn State
| player_positions = End
| coach_sport1 = Football
| coach_years2 = 1953–1954
| coach_team2 = Albright (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1955–1984
| coach_team3 = Albright
| coach_sport4 = Basketball
| coach_years5 = 1966–1967
| coach_team5 = Albright
| coach_years6 = 1968–1974
| coach_team6 = Albright
| coach_years7 = 1980–1985
| coach_team7 = Albright
| overall_record = 144–122–5 (football)
79–113 (basketball)
| bowl_record =
| tournament_record = 0–2 (NCAA D-III playoffs)
| championships = 7 MAC Northern College / Northern Division (1959–1960, 1968, 1972, 1975–1977)
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
John Anthony Potsklan Jr. (September 24, 1920 – June 22, 1990) was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania from 1955 to 1984, compiling a record of 144–122–5. Potsklan also had three stints also the head men's basketball coach at Albright, in 1966–67, from 1968 to 1974, and 1980 to 1985, tallying a mark of 79–113.
Early years, military service, and playing career
Potsklan was born in 1920 in Hiller, Pennsylvania. He attended Brownsville High School in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, where he played three sports. He then played college football as an end for the Penn State Nittany Lions in 1941, 1946, and 1947.{{cite web|title=John Potsklan|publisher=Pro Football Archives|accessdate=February 10, 2023|url=https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerp/pots00200.html}}
Potsklan's college career was interrupted by military service with a bomber squadron in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. He was shot down over Germany and was held in a German prisoner of war camp.
Potsklan also served for a time with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.{{cite news|title=Name Potsklan Albright Coach|newspaper=Courier-Post|date=May 26, 1955|page=35|url=}}
Coaching career
Potsklan was an assistant coach at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1953 and 1954. He took over as head coach in 1955. He remained as head coach for 30 years. He led the 1960 Albright team to a perfect 9–0 record and followed that with a 7–0–1 record in 1961. He led Albright's football team to seven Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) North Division championships (1959, 1960, 1968, 1972, 1975, 1976, and 1977) and was named MAC coach of the year six times. He retired at the end of the 1984 season with a 144–122–5 record.{{cite news|title=Column|author=Steve Snyder|newspaper=The Daily News|date=November 19, 1984|page=15|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118394382/potsklan/|via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=Former football coach at Albright College dies; earned 9 titles in 29 years|newspaper=The Morning Call|date=June 23, 1990|page=B30|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118397004/potsklan/|via=Newspapers.com}} He also coached the Albright basketball team.
Later years
Head coaching record
=Football=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Albright Lions
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1955
| endyear = 1957
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1955
| name = Albright
| overall = 2–7
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1956
| name = Albright
| overall = 2–7
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1957
| name = Albright
| overall = 1–7–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Albright Lions
| conf = Middle Atlantic Conference
| startyear = 1958
| endyear = 1984
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1958
| name = Albright
| overall = 2–6–1
| conference = 2–4–1
| confstanding = 8th (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 1959
| name = Albright
| overall = 7–3
| conference = 6–1
| confstanding = 1st (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 1960
| name = Albright
| overall = 9–0
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = T–1st (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1961
| name = Albright
| overall = 7–0–1
| conference = 4–0–1
| confstanding = 2nd (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1962
| name = Albright
| overall = 3–5
| conference = 2–3
| confstanding = T–5th (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1963
| name = Albright
| overall = 3–5
| conference = 2–3
| confstanding = 3rd (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1964
| name = Albright
| overall = 8–1
| conference = 6–1
| confstanding = 2nd (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1965
| name = Albright
| overall = 4–5
| conference = 3–4
| confstanding = 6th (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1966
| name = Albright
| overall = 4–5
| conference = 4–4
| confstanding = T–5th (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1967
| name = Albright
| overall = 5–4
| conference = 4–3
| confstanding = 5th (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 1968
| name = Albright
| overall = 8–1
| conference = 7–0
| confstanding = T–1st (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1969
| name = Albright
| overall = 3–6
| conference = 3–4
| confstanding = 6th (Northern College)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1970
| name = Albright
| overall = 4–5
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = 2nd (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1971
| name = Albright
| overall = 3–5–1
| conference = 3–3–1
| confstanding = 2nd (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 1972
| name = Albright
| overall = 8–1
| conference = 7–0
| confstanding = 2nd (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1973
| name = Albright
| overall = 5–5
| conference = 5–3
| confstanding = 3rd (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1974
| name = Albright
| overall = 6–3
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = 3rd (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 1975
| name = Albright
| overall = 8–2
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = 1st (Northern)
| bowlname = NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 1976
| name = Albright
| overall = 8–2
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = 1st (Northern)
| bowlname = NCAA Division III Quarterfinal
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = division
| year = 1977
| name = Albright
| overall = 7–2
| conference = 5–1
| confstanding = T–1st (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1978
| name = Albright
| overall = 3–6
| conference = 3–3
| confstanding = T–4th (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1979
| name = Albright
| overall = 3–6
| conference = 3–4
| confstanding = T–5th (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1980
| name = Albright
| overall = 5–4
| conference = 4–3
| confstanding = T–3rd (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1981
| name = Albright
| overall = 5–3–1
| conference = 4–2–1
| confstanding = T–3rd (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1982
| name = Albright
| overall = 3–6
| conference = 2–5
| confstanding = 6th (Northern)
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1983
| name = Albright
| overall = 5–4
| conference = 4–4
| confstanding = T–5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1984
| name = Albright
| overall = 3–6
| conference = 2–6
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Albright
| overall = 144–122–5
| confrecord = 111–65–4
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 144–122–5
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Albright Lions football coach navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Potsklan}}
Category:American football ends
Category:Albright Lions football coaches
Category:Albright Lions men's basketball coaches
Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football players
Category:American prisoners of war in World War II
Category:United States Army personnel of World War II
Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
Category:People from Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Category:Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania
Category:Players of American football from Pennsylvania