James Gibson Holgate (August 13, 1920 – November 7, 2011) was an
American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College is a Private university, private Conservatism in the United States, conservative Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was founded in 1844 by Abolitionism, abolitionists known as Free Will Baptists.
Its missio ...
in 1948, compiling a record of 6–2–1. Holgate was later an assistant football coach and an administrator in the athletic department at
Yale University.
Early years
Holgate was born in
Gary, Indiana, in 1920 and spent his youth in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
His father, Clarence G. Holgate, was an engineer with a steel construction company. At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Holgate was living with his parents, four sisters, and a brother in
Shorewood,
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. At the time of the 1940 United States Census, Holgate was living in McGill,
White Pine County, Nevada, where he was living in a men's dormitory and working as a "surveyor helper" at a copper smelter.
Wisconsin and Michigan
Holgate enrolled at the
University of Wisconsin where he played freshman football. After the United States entered
World War II, Holgate enlisted in the
United States Marine Corps. In 1943, he was transferred to the
University of Michigan as part of the
V-12 Navy College Training Program. While at Michigan, he played at the halfback position for the
1943 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1943 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1943 Big Ten Conference football season. Fritz Crisler, in his sixth year as head coach, led the team to an 8–1 record and a tie with Purdue for the W ...
that tied for the
Big Ten Conference championship and was ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll.
[
In October 1943, Holgate and several Michigan players who were part of the V-12 program received orders transferring them to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, effective immediately after the homecoming game against Minnesota on October 23, 1943. Holgate served on an assault transport in the Pacific Theater of Operations and attained the rank of a lieutenant colonel.][
In 1946, after concluding his military service, Holgate returned to the University of Michigan where he received both bachelor's and master's degrees. He served as a graduate assistant to Fritz Crisler on the undefeated ]1947 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1947 Big Nine Conference football season. In its tenth year under head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan compiled a perfect 10–0 record, won the Big Ten C ...
.[
]
Coaching/administrative career
In 1948, he was hired as the head football coach and athletic director at Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College is a Private university, private Conservatism in the United States, conservative Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan. It was founded in 1844 by Abolitionism, abolitionists known as Free Will Baptists.
Its missio ...
. He compiled a 6–2–1 record in his one season as the football coach at Hillsdale.[
In March 1949, he was hired as an assistant football coach at Yale University. He became the coach of the freshman football team in 1951. He served as the freshman coach for 14 years, compiling a record of 52–26–7.][ He became Yale's assistant athletic director in 1961,] and associate athletic director in 1967. He was also a fellow at Yale's Morse College
Morse College is one of the fourteen residential colleges at Yale University, built in 1961 and designed by Eero Saarinen. It is adjacent to Ezra Stiles College and the two colleges share many facilities. The current Head of College is Catherine ...
. He remained at Yale until 1984. Gibson also served on the executive committee of the New England Athletic Conference and the executive council of the Eastern College Athletic Council (ECAC). He was also the author of "Fundamental Football" published in 1959.[
]
Family
Holgate was married to Marjorie Koch Holgate in approximately 1945. They had three children, Randy Lowe Holgate, Chris Ann Pearce, John Gibson Holgate. Holgate died at age 91 on November 7, 2011, in Southbury, Connecticut.
Head coaching record
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holgate, Gib
1920 births
2011 deaths
American football halfbacks
Hillsdale Chargers football coaches
Michigan Wolverines football coaches
Michigan Wolverines football players
Yale Bulldogs football coaches
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II
United States Marine Corps officers
Sportspeople from Gary, Indiana
Sportspeople from Milwaukee
Players of American football from Milwaukee
Players of American football from Gary, Indiana