Ralph Thacker

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Ralph Thacker

| image = Ralph W Thacker.png

| alt =

| caption = Thacker pictured in The Forester 1917, Lake Forest yearbook

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1880|9|13}}

| birth_place = Michigan, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1962|4|12|1880|9|13}}

| death_place = Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.

| alma_mater = Olivet College (B.A., 1909)

| player_sport1 = Football

| player_years2 = 1903–1906

| player_team2 = Olivet

| player_positions = Fullback

| coach_sport1 = Football

| coach_years2 = 1907

| coach_team2 = Central Michigan

| coach_years3 = {{Circa|1910}}

| coach_team3 = Traverse City HS (MI)

| coach_years4 = 1911–1912

| coach_team4 = Peru Normal

| coach_years5 = 1913–1914

| coach_team5 = Wyoming

| coach_years6 = 1915

| coach_team6 = Lake Forest

| coach_years7 = 1922–1924

| coach_team7 = Macalester

| coach_sport8 = Basketball

| coach_years9 = 1911–1913

| coach_team9 = Peru Normal

| coach_years10 = 1913–1915

| coach_team10 = Wyoming

| coach_years11 = 1915–1916

| coach_team11 = Lake Forest

| coach_years12 = 1916–1917

| coach_team12 = Macalester

| admin_years1 = 1922–1926

| admin_team1 = Macalester

| overall_record = 17–33–6 (college football)

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Ralph William Thacker (September 13, 1880 – April 12, 1962) was an American college football and college basketball coach and athletic administrator. He served as the head football coach at Central Michigan Normal School—now known as Central Michigan University—in 1907, Nebraska State Normal School—now known as Peru State College—from 1911 to 1912, the University of Wyoming from 1913 to 1914, Lake Forest College in 1915, and Macalester College from 1922 to 1924, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 17–33–6. Thacker was also the head basketball coach at Peru Normal from 1911 to 1913, Wyoming from 1913 to 1915, and Lake Forest for the 1915–16 season, and Macalester for the 1916–1917 season. He was the athletic director at Macalester from 1922 to 1926.{{cite news |author= |title=Thacker To Head Macalester Athletics |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-minneapolis-star/143259700/ |newspaper=Minneapolis Daily Star |location=Minneapolis, Minnesota |date=August 14, 1922 |page=8 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Getchell |first=John S. |title=Frank Mayer To Remain As Grid Mentor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-minneapolis-star/143259601/ |newspaper=Minneapolis Daily Star |location=Minneapolis, Minnesota |date=June 23, 1926 |page=11 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

Thacker coached at Traverse City High School in Traverse City, Michigan before he was hired in 1911 at Peru Normal as director of physical training and football coach.{{cite news |author= |title=Peru Normal Reopens September 11 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-world-herald/143264189/ |newspaper=Sunday World-Herald |location=Omaha, Nebraska |date=September 10, 1911 |page=9 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |author= |title=Foot Ball Men At Peru Work Hard Under New Coach |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/omaha-daily-bee/143264231/ |newspaper=The Omaha Sunday Bee |location=Omaha, Nebraska |date=September 10, 1911 |page=9 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

Thacker was born in Michigan. He died on April 12, 1962, in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he had resided for 25 years.{{cite news |author= |title=Ralph Thacker, Ex-Coach, Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5264410/the_lincoln_star/ |newspaper=The Lincoln Star |location=Lincoln, Nebraska |date=April 13, 1962 |page=3 |access-date=May 14, 2016 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |author= |title=Former Coach Dies |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lincoln-star/143263689/ |newspaper=The Lincoln Star |location=Lincoln, Nebraska |date=April 14, 1962 |page=16 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}

Head coaching record

=College football=

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Central Michigan Normalites

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1907

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1907

| name = Central Michigan

| overall = 2–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Central Michigan

| overall = 2–4

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Peru Normal

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1911

| endyear = 1912

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1911

| name = Peru Normal

| overall = 4–2

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1912

| name = Peru Normal

| overall = 2–4–2

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Peru Normal

| overall = 6–6–2

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Wyoming Cowboys

| conf = Rocky Mountain Conference

| startyear = 1913

| endyear = 1914

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1913

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 0–5

| conference = 0–5

| confstanding = 7th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1914

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 1–5

| conference = 0–5

| confstanding = 8th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 1–10

| confrecord = 0–10

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Lake Forest Foresters

| conf = Little Five Conference

| startyear = 1915

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1915

| name = Lake Forest

| overall = 2–4

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Lake Forest

| overall = 2–4

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Macalester Macs

| conf = Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

| startyear = 1922

| endyear = 1924

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1922

| name = Macalester

| overall = 2–3–1

| conference = 2–3–1

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1923

| name = Macalester

| overall = 3–3–1

| conference = 2–3

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1924

| name = Macalester

| overall = 1–3–2

| conference = 1–2–2

| confstanding = T–5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Macalester

| overall = 6–9–4

| confrecord = 5–8–3

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 17–33–6

| bowls = no

| poll = no

| polltype =

| legend = no

}}

References

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Category:1880 births

Category:1962 deaths

Category:American football fullbacks

Category:Central Michigan Chippewas football coaches

Category:Macalester Scots athletic directors

Category:Macalester Scots football coaches

Category:Macalester Scots men's basketball coaches

Category:Lake Forest Foresters football coaches

Category:Lake Forest Foresters men's basketball coaches

Category:Olivet Comets football players

Category:Peru State Bobcats football coaches

Category:Peru State Bobcats men's basketball coaches

Category:Wyoming Cowboys basketball coaches

Category:Wyoming Cowboys football coaches

Category:College men's basketball head coaches in the United States

Category:High school football coaches in Michigan

Category:Sportspeople from Lincoln, Nebraska

Category:Coaches of American football from Michigan

Category:Players of American football from Michigan

Category:Basketball coaches from Michigan