James Patrick Moran (September 27, 1912 – August 18, 1983) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player and coach. A standout

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison ...

in high school and college, he played professionally for a total of 17 games with the

Boston Redskins The Washington Commanders, an American football team belonging to the National Football League (NFL), have also played as the Boston Braves, Boston Redskins, Washington Redskins, and Washington Football Team. Founded in 1932, the team has won five ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) in 1935 and 1936. While stationed there with the Navy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Moran was head football coach at the University of South Carolina for the 1943 season. Later, he was head coach at

Niagara University Niagara University (NU) is a private Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition in Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. It is run by the Congregation of the Mission and has 3,300 undergraduate students in 50 academic programs. Appro ...

from 1946 to 1948, compiling a career

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

coaching record of 15–17–2.

Early life and education

Moran was born on September 27, 1912, in the

South Boston South Boston is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay. South Boston, colloquially known as Southie, has undergone several demographic transformati ...

neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. He was the third child of

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

immigrants John Francis Xavier Moran and Agnes Moran (née Dowd). The two met on a ship, immigrating to the United States. He attended

Boston College High School , motto_translation = ''So they may know You.'' , address = 150 Morrissey Boulevard , city = Boston , state = Massachusetts , zipcode = 02125 , country ...

, an all-male

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

secondary school.

Football career

Holy Cross

Moran entered the

College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest ...

in 1931 and played

there. He was a three-year starter for the team; during those three years, it had a 21–6–2 record. Moran earned All East and All American honors. He graduated in 1935 and was inducted into the Holy Cross Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.

South Carolina

On September 2, 1943, Moran was hired to serve as the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks football program. The position opened up when his predecessor, Rex Enright, resigned in order to accept a Navy commission. During his one season with the Gamecocks, the team won five games and lost two.

Niagara

Moran was the head football coach at

from 1946 to 1946. His team employed a

T formation In American football, a T formation (frequently called the full house formation in modern usage, sometimes the Robust T) is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterba ...

offense and compiled a record of 10–15–2 in three seasons. Moran resigned from his post at Niagara in February 1949 to become line coach at his alma mater, Holy Cross.

Later life and family

Moran married the former Dorothy Dwyer; the couple had seven children. His eldest son, James P. Moran Jr., born in 1945, represented the of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

from 1991 to 2015. His youngest son, Brian J. Moran, born in 1959, was a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two parts of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

from 1996 until 2008 and was a candidate for

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

in the 2009 elections, losing in the Democratic primary. Outside of his football career, Moran worked as a sales representative and probation officer. He died in 1983.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moran, James Sr. 1912 births 1983 deaths American football guards Boston Redskins players Holy Cross Crusaders football coaches Holy Cross Crusaders football players Niagara Purple Eagles football coaches South Carolina Gamecocks football coaches United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy officers Boston College High School alumni Sportspeople from Boston Players of American football from Boston