American Coach - by Ivan Maisel (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When Frank Leahy retired from Notre Dame after the 1953 season, he had the second best record in the history of the game (107 13 9, .864), second only to Knute Rockne, his college coach and mentor. Seven decades later, he still does. Rockne created the image of Notre Dame, then a small Catholic university in a remote town in northern Indiana, as the premier college football program in the nation. But it was Leahy who secured that image, with six undefeated seasons and four national championships in an 11-season span. By achievement alone, Leahy should be as beloved as Rockne, who nearly a century after his tragic death remains a legend. Yet Leahy is virtually forgotten today, in many ways a victim of his own insatiable need to compete and win. The University of Notre Dame granted Ivan Maisel rare and complete access to its voluminous cache of historical material, and Maisel has the cooperation of Leahy's family, enabling him to tell the rich story of an archetypal coach who was a celebrity in his day. Leahy made the cover of Time magazine and befriended presidents and movie stars alike. Leahy brought innovation to a program reluctant to change anything Rockne had done. But Leahy rankled opposing coaches and clashed with the priests at Notre Dame who sought to make the university as elite in academia as it had become on the field. These conflicts, coupled with the toll that Leahy's innate drive demanded of his health, brought his career to a premature end, hampering his legacy in the years to come. And what a legacy: only Nick Saban and Bear Bryant have won more national titles. The records of iconic coaches such as Bobby Bowden, Woody Hayes, and Eddie Robinson pale in comparison. Not only the Notre Dame fanbase but all college football fans will be hungry to rediscover a man and an era, the story of how Frank Leahy cemented Notre Dame's status as the defining program of college football"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Award-winning sportswriter Ivan Maisel brings the forgotten legend of Notre Dame head football coach Frank Leahy back to life, based on rare and complete access to Fighting Irish football historical archives and the Leahy family.

When Frank Leahy retired from Notre Dame after the 1953 season, he had the second-best record in the history of the game (107-13-9, .864), second only to Knute Rockne, his college coach and mentor. Seven decades later, he still does. Rockne created the image of Notre Dame, then a small Catholic university in a remote town in northern Indiana, as the premier college football program in the nation. But it was Leahy who secured that image, with six undefeated seasons and four national championships in an 11-season span. By achievement alone, Leahy should be as beloved as Rockne, who nearly a century after his tragic death remains a legend. Yet Leahy is virtually forgotten today, in many ways a victim of his own insatiable need to compete and win.
The University of Notre Dame granted Ivan Maisel rare and complete access to its voluminous cache of historical material, and Maisel has the cooperation of Leahy's family, enabling him to tell the rich story of an archetypal coach who was a celebrity in his day. Leahy made the cover of Time magazine and befriended presidents and movie stars alike. Leahy brought innovation to a program reluctant to change anything Rockne had done. But Leahy rankled opposing coaches and clashed with the priests at Notre Dame who sought to make the university as elite in academia as it had become on the field. These conflicts, coupled with the toll that Leahy's innate drive demanded of his health, brought his career to a premature end, hampering his legacy in the years to come. And what a legacy: only Nick Saban and Bear Bryant have won more national titles. The records of iconic coaches such as Bobby Bowden, Woody Hayes, and Eddie Robinson pale in comparison. Not only the Notre Dame fanbase but all college football fans will be hungry to rediscover a man and an era, the story of how Frank Leahy cemented Notre Dame's status as the defining program of college football.

Review Quotes

"American Coach balances Leahy's personal struggles with an irrefutable, parable-packed resume of success. Maisel's evidence showcases how the court of college football public opinion should give Leahy a far better legacy, and a place alongside (Knute) Rockne, Bear Bryant and Nick Saban on the Mount Rushmore of college football coaches.''--Jay Sorgi, National Catholic Reporter

"A good old-timey college football read."--Dan Shaughnessy, Boston Globe

"In this lively biography, Mr. Maisel shares Frank Leahy in full. It is quite a package -- and quite a book."--David M. Shribman, The Wall Street Journal

"Maisel combines his virtuosity as a storyteller with unparalleled skills as a dogged fact-finder and researcher, and he tells a story in which Leahy comes off as both hero and antagonist, aggressor and victim, and yet, the hardscrabble Everyman we all want to root for."--John Hoover, Sports Illustrated

"Want a damn fine sports read? Ivan Maisel has a terrific new book out on the life of Notre Dame's forgotten (or at least criminally under-remembered) football legend Frank Leahy, American Coach."--Mike Vaccaro, New York Post

"Incredible read by Ivan Maisel on former Notre Dame coach Frank Leahy, who was as brash as he was successful. Leahy's 4 AP national titles trail only Nick Saban & Bear Bryant. A fascinating look at a remarkable coach who was ahead of his time."

--Brett McMurphy, ON3

"Read it. Loved it. Recommend it. Ivan Maisel's research and reporting is otherworldly, and his writing is honest and unsparing. A portrait of an extraordinary coach and a flawed man from a distant era."--Gene Wojciechowski, author of The Last Great Game, My Life on a Napkin, and more

"Maisel presents a thorough, multifaceted portrait of a legendary college coach and dedicated Notre Dame alum. This scores."--Publisher's Weekly

"American Coach--Ivan Maisel's masterpiece on Notre Dame football coach Frank Leahy--is one of the great sports books of our time. Years in the making, Maisel paints a portrait of Leahy that is honest, poignant, and riveting from cover to cover. Written in a warm, friendly style that feels as though Maisel is sitting on the next stool at your favorite Irish pub, American Coach reaches beyond X's and O's to reveal how Leahy became college football's second-winningest coach of all time (and the prices he paid to do so). Maisel paints a portrait of an intense, competitive coach adored by millions who struggled to connect with his peers. Leahy's countless triumphs were glorious, his few tragedies all-too-human. His legacy--and this book--will stay with you forever." --Patrick Creadon, director, Catholics v. Convicts and Hesburgh

"Sharing the seat that Coach Frank Leahy once sat in and knowing the responsibilities that come with being the Head Coach of the Notre Dame football program, I am amazed at all that he accomplished. Knowing that he briefly stepped away from football to serve his country, I have the utmost respect for Coach Leahy. Frank Leahy is an icon in the coaching community, often referred to as 'The Master, ' and nobody can master telling his story better than Ivan Maisel."--Marcus Freeman, Head Football Coach, University of Notre Dame

"All great coaches are gifted teachers. But the lessons from Leahy's own life transcend any field or score--in his drive for greatness, and the enormous price he paid to achieve it. Ivan Maisel's research and reporting create a deeply human portrait of a man, famous and flawed, who graced the cover of Time, built a sporting dynasty, yet ended up sidelined by history and overlooked in memory. Until now, thanks to this remarkable and compelling book."--Tom Rinaldi, Emmy award-winning Fox Sports reporter, NY Times bestselling author of The Red Bandanna

"Frank Leahy rarely gets his due in the pantheon of Irish immortals and college football legends. American Coach rectifies that brilliantly and in fascinating detail. As the sport navigates one of its most tumultuous periods, it's important to understand and appreciate figures like Leahy. His story is what modern college football is built on. Ivan Maisel is this generation's foremost student and historian of college football. American Coach is a must read for anyone who loves stories of uncommon competitors driven to the brink in the pursuit of excellence."--Rece Davis, host of ESPN College Football Gameday

"If not for Frank Leahy, there would be no echoes to wake up at Notre Dame, and no fall-time North Star for generations of Irish-Catholic kids like me to cherish. American Coach is a perfect marriage of all-time great college football coach and all-time great college football writer. Ivan Maisel delivers a classic that's just like Leahy's 1970 Hall-of-Fame induction--long overdue."--Ian O'Connor, author of The Captain, Belichick, and Coach K

About the Author

Ivan Maisel has covered college football for more than four decades, most prominently at ESPN from 2002-2021, where he wrote for ESPN.com, appeared on television, ESPN Radio and on podcasts. He also served as Editor-at-Large for ESPN College Football 150, the multi-platform history project that in 2019 commemorated the sesquicentennial of the sport. Prior to joining ESPN, Maisel covered national college football for Sports Illustrated, Newsday, and The Dallas Morning News. Most recently, he served as Vice-President, Editorial, and part-owner of On3, a new college football website/app. Maisel left the site in June 2023 to focus on writing books but retains his ownership. He has been honored nine times for Best Story by the Football Writers Association of America, and twice by The Associated Press Sports Editors, which in 2019 named him one of the 10 best sports columnists. He has written five books, including I Keep Trying to Catch His Eye, a memoir of dealing with grief after the death of his son in 2015. Maisel earned a bachelor's degree in American Studies at Stanford University in 1981.