Dave McClain (coach)

College coach infobox
Name = Dave McClain


Caption =
DateOfBirth = 1938
Birthplace =
DateOfDeath = April 28, 1986
Sport = Football
College =
Title = Head coach
CurrentRecord =
OverallRecord = 92-67-6
Awards =
Championships =
CFbDWID = 1501
Player =
Years =
Team =
Position =
Coach = Y
CoachYears = 1971-77
1978-85
CoachTeams = Ball State
Wisconsin
FootballHOF =

Dave McClain (1938 — April 28, 1986) was an American football coach. He was head coach at Ball State University from 1971 to 1977. During his seven seasons there, he compiled a 46-25-3 (.642) record [http://www.ballstatesports.com/media/pdf/media-guide.pdf] . During his tenure, Ball State joined Division I and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). He was the MAC Coach of the Year in 1975 [http://www.bgsusports.com/mambo/content/view/203/53/] . The 1976 team captured the school's first MAC title in only its second year in the conference.

A native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, McClain was a 1960 graduate of Bowling Green State University, where he played both quarterback and safety. He started his coaching career at Crestline, Ohio High School with an 8-1 record and then returned to Bowling Green as a graduate assistant in 1961, where he served as freshmen offensive coach. He then served as an assistant coach at Cornell University under Tom Harp in 1962; at Miami University under Bo Schembechler, 1963-66; at the University of Kansas under Pepper Rodgers, 1967-68; and at Ohio State University under Woody Hayes in 1969-70 before accepted the head coaching job at Ball State.

Following his successful run at Ball State, McClain was hired as the head football coach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he served from 1978 to 1985. During his tenure he compiled a 46-42-3 (.522) record, including a 1-2 record in post-season bowl games. He led the Badgers to back to back seven win seasons in 1981 and 1982.

He was the first coach in Badger football history to win the first four games of his head coaching tenure at Wisconsin. [http://uwbadgers.com/sport_news/fb/headlines/story.html?sportid=111&storyid=9148] He also recorded Wisconsin football's first post-season bowl victory, a 14-3 win over the Kansas State Wildcats in the 1982 Independence Bowl [http://www.uwbadgers.com/sport_news/fb/stat_poll/bowl%20games%20and%20bowl%20superlatives_3809.pdf] .

His coaching career was cut short when he died on April 28, 1986 of cardiac arrest. He was 48 years of age.

Following his death, he was inducted into the Bowling Green State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Also, the Dave McClain Athletic Facility was built at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in his memory. [http://uwbadgers.com/facilities/mcclain/index_83.html] In 1986, the Big Ten Conference dedicated its football Coach of the Year award in honor of McClain.

Head coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Ball State Cardinals
startyear = 1971
conf = Mid-American Conference
endyear = 1977CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1971
name = Ball State
overall = 4-5-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1972
name = Ball State
overall = 5–4-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1973
name = Ball State
overall = 5–5-1
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1974
name = Ball State
overall = 6-4
conference =
confstanding =
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1975
name = Ball State
overall = 9-2
conference = 4-2
confstanding = T-3rd
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship = conference
year = 1976
name = Ball State
overall = 8-3
conference = 4-1
confstanding = 1st
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1977
name = Ball State
overall = 9-2
conference = 5-1
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Ball State
overall = 46-25-3
confrecord = 13-4CFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Wisconsin Badgers
startyear = 1978
conf = Big Ten Conference
endyear = 1985CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1978
name = Wisconsin
overall = 5-4-2
conference = 3-4-2
confstanding = 6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1979
name = Wisconsin
overall = 4-7
conference = 3-5
confstanding = T-7th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1980
name = Wisconsin
overall = 4-7
conference = 3-5
confstanding = T-6th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1981
name = Wisconsin
overall = 7-5
conference = 6-3
confstanding = T-3rd
bowlname = Garden State Bowl
bowloutcome = L 21-28
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1982
name = Wisconsin
overall = 7-5
conference = 5-4
confstanding = 5th
bowlname = Independence Bowl
bowloutcome = W 14-3
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1983
name = Wisconsin
overall = 7-4
conference = 5-4
confstanding = T-4th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1984
name = Wisconsin
overall = 7-4-1
conference = 5-3-1
confstanding = T-4th
bowlname = All-American Bowl
bowloutcome = L 19-20
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1985
name = Wisconsin
overall = 5-6
conference = 2-6
confstanding = 8th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Wisconsin
overall = 46-42-3
confrecord = 32-34-3CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 92-67-6 (.576)
bcs =
poll = two
polltype =

External links

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