Donald Minnegan (August 26, 1902 – August 10, 2002), more commonly known by his nickname ''Doc'', was a

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

and athletic director at Towson University. He coached two championship

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teams at Towson.

Career

Minnegan received his teaching degree at a teachers college in Illinois in 1923 and graduated in 1927 from Springfield YMCA College. He came to the Maryland State Normal School in 1927 as the men's soccer coach, but was also the athletic director and coach for baseball,

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

, and basketball. He was instrumental in developing Baltimore County's recreation program. Minnegan coached through one name change (Maryland State Normal School became Maryland State Teachers College) and two presidents (

Lida Lee Tall Lida Lee Tall (1873–1942) was the sixth principal/president of State Teachers College at Towson (now Towson University). Early life and education Tall was born on November 17, 1873 in Fishing Creek, Maryland to Sarah E. and Washington Tall a ...

and M. Theresa Wiedefeld) until 1941, when World War II began. Even though the war shipped off most of his team, he still found ways to coach them while overseas. Because of this, the

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and U.S. Army recognized his ''"strong philosophy toward

physical fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of Outline of sports, sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate ...

and his proven expertise in the field"'' and sent him to Europe to establish a physical fitness program, with an emphasis on soccer, for American servicemen. Minnegan won 152 games during his 29-year tenure as the Tigers' coach.

Recognition and awards

*Minnegan was inducted into Towson's Athletic Hall of Fame as a coach in 1992. *His plaque is displayed in the

National Soccer Hall of Fame The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 and currently located in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The Hall of Fame honors soccer achievements in the United States. Induction ...

Oneonta, New York Oneonta ( ) is a city in southern Otsego County, New York, United States. It is one of the northernmost cities of the Appalachian Region. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Oneonta had a population of 13,079. Its nickname is "City of the Hil ...

. *Towson renamed their mascot "Doc" in his honor, along with their

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

field at Johnny Unitas Stadium.

References

*Memories of Minnegan – Kristi Funderburk – "The Towerlight" 10/25/0

1902 births 2002 deaths Towson Tigers athletic directors Towson Tigers men's soccer coaches Springfield College (Massachusetts) alumni People from DeKalb County, Illinois American soccer coaches United States Army personnel of World War II {{US-footy-bio-stub