John W. Hancock

John W. Hancock (April 13, 1901 – 1993) was an American football player, track and field athlete, coach of football, basketball, track, and wrestling, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Iowa.

For other people named John Hancock, see John Hancock (disambiguation).
John W. Hancock
Biographical details
Born(1901-04-13)April 13, 1901
Marshfield, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died1993
Playing career
Football
1922–1924Iowa
Position(s)Tackle, end
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1925–1926Colorado Teachers (assistant)
1927–1929Mississippi A&M
1930–1931Marquette (assistant)
1932–1953Colorado Teachers / Colorado State–Greeley
Ice hockey
1930–1932Marquette
Basketball
1943–1945Colorado State–Greeley
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1932–1966Colorado Teachers / Colorado State–Greeley
Head coaching record
Overall83–90–9 (football)
1–25 (basketball)
Bowls0–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
2 RMC (1934, 1948)

Playing career

Hancock played football at the University of Iowa from 1922 to 1924. He played a significant role on Iowa’s 1922 Big Ten Conference championship team.[1] As a senior, Hancock played both the tackle and end positions and kicked five field goals for the Hawkeyes.[2] He was named all-Big Ten and a second team All-American after the 1924 season. He also won three letters in track with the Hawkeyes, capturing a title in the discus event at the 1925 Big Ten championships.[3]

Coaching career

Hancock went into college coaching after graduation. He coached football at Mississippi State University for three years from 1927 to 1929. While working as an assistant at Marquette University, Hancock served as head coach of the ice hockey team for two seasons. He went to the University of Northern Colorado in 1932 and began a long coaching career. Hancock served as their athletic director for 34 years and coached football and track for decades as well.

Hancock was the head football coach at Northern Colorado for 20 seasons, from 1932 until 1953. His football coaching record at Northern Colorado was 75–78–5. In 1950, he led his team to the Bean Bowl.[4][5]

Hancock is best known as a college wrestling coach at Northern Colorado. He originated the Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association and proceeded to lead UNC to 30 consecutive conference championships. He served on the NCAA rules committee for 16 years and chaired it in 1962–63.[6]

Hancock has been nicknamed “the father of Colorado high school wrestling”.[7] He helped start the Colorado High School Wrestling Tournament in Greeley in 1936 by going door-to-door in the community to find families that could house the visiting high school wrestlers.[8] Two of his sons became well-known wrestling coaches as well.

Honors

Hancock was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1998. The Butler–Hancock Sports Pavilion at the University of Northern Colorado was named in honor of Hancock and Pete Butler, baseball coach.[9]

Head coaching record

Football
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Mississippi A&M Aggies (Southern Conference) (1927–1929)
1927 Mississippi A&M 5–32–3T–2nd
1928 Mississippi A&M 2–4–21–418th
1929 Mississippi A&M 1–5–20–3–120th
Mississippi A&M: 8–12–43–10–1
Colorado Teachers / Colorado State–Greeley Bears (Rocky Mountain Conference) (1932–1953)
1932 Colorado Teachers 4–2–12–2–1T–6th
1933 Colorado Teachers 4–33–37th
1934 Colorado Teachers 6–16–1T–1st
1935 Colorado State–Greeley 4–32–15th
1936 Colorado State–Greeley 5–44–35th
1937 Colorado State–Greeley 2–62–49th
1938 Colorado State–Greeley 3–4–11–1–1T–3rd
1939 Colorado State–Greeley 4–43–12nd
1940 Colorado State–Greeley 2–5–11–34th
1941 Colorado State–Greeley 3–53–12nd
1942 Colorado State–Greeley 4–51–12nd
1943 No team—World War II
1944 No team—World War II
1945 Colorado State–Greeley 4–3
1946 Colorado State–Greeley 6–33–12nd
1947 Colorado State–Greeley 4–4–12–1–13rd
1948 Colorado State–Greeley 4–43–01st
1949 Colorado State–Greeley 0–80–34th
1950 Colorado State–Greeley 5–3–13–2T–2ndL Bean
1951 Colorado State–Greeley 4–32–3T–4th
1952 Colorado State–Greeley 5–33–23rd
1953 Colorado State–Greeley 2–50–56th
Colorado Teachers / Colorado State–Greeley: 75–78–544–38–3
Total:83–90–9
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Ice hockey
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Marquette Hilltoppers (Independent) (1930–1932)
1930–31 Marquette 8–5–1
1931–32 Marquette 5–4–1
Total:13–9–2

References
  1. Hawkeye Greats, By the Numbers, by Lyle Hammes and Neal Rozendaal, Page 133 (ISBN 1-426-94303-2)
  2. Hawkeye Legends, Lists, & Lore, by Mike Finn & Chad Leistikow, Page 40 (ISBN 1-57167-178-1)
  3. Hawkeye Greats, By the Numbers, by Lyle Hammes and Neal Rozendaal, Page 133 (ISBN 1-426-94303-2)
  4. DeLassus, David. "Northern Colorado Bowl History". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  5. DeLassus, David. "Northern Colorado Bears Records By Year". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on January 8, 2014. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
  6. Wrestling Hall of Fame bio Archived February 9, 2013, at archive.today
  7. Hawkeye Greats, By the Numbers, by Lyle Hammes and Neal Rozendaal, Page 133 (ISBN 1-426-94303-2)
  8. Hancock bio Archived July 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  9. Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
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