McCoy as Michigan basketball coach, c. 1949
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Sport(s) | Football, basketball, baseball |
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Biographical details | |
Born |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
June 5, 1905
Died | May 1983 |
Playing career | |
Basketball | |
1927–1929 | Michigan |
Position(s) | Guard, center |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
Football | |
1932–1933 | Montclair State |
1940–1942 | Michigan (assistant) |
1945–1951 | Michigan (assistant) |
Basketball | |
1932–1934 | Montclair State |
1947–1948 | Michigan (assistant) |
1948–1952 | Michigan |
Baseball | |
1933–1934 | Montclair State |
Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
1932–1934 | Montclair State |
1946–1952 | Michigan (assistant AD) |
1952–1970 | Penn State |
1971–1973 | Miami (FL) |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 1–8–2 (football) 56–65–1 (basketball) 3–11 (baseball) |
Ernest B. "Ernie" McCoy (June 5, 1905 – May 1983) was an All-American basketball player at the University of Michigan from 1927 to 1929. After graduating, he spent his entire professional career in college athletics, serving as the athletic director at Penn State (1952–1970), the athletic director at the University of Miami (1971–1973), and a basketball coach (1949–1952), assistant football coach, and assistant athletic director (1946–1952) at Michigan. He is most remembered as the athletic director who hired Joe Paterno as head football coach at Penn State in 1966.
Though born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, McCoy was raised in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Detroit's Northwestern High School and was the first Detroit public school student who went on to be named a college basketball All-American. He played three years as a varsity basketball player at Michigan from 1927 to 1929. As a sophomore in 1927, McCoy scored 80 points and played on a 14–3 Big Ten Conference championship team along with Bennie Oosterbaan (130 points) and Edward Harrigan (153 points). The 1928 team finished in fifth place but has the distinction of having three of the five starters (McCoy, Oosterbaan, and Bill Orwig) having gone on to be successful coaches and athletic directors at major college programs. McCoy was named captain of Michigan's 1929 basketball team, and as captain he and Bill Orwig led the Wolverines to the school's fourth Big Ten basketball championship. McCoy was also named Michigan's third All-American in basketball. Known more for his defense and playmaking, McCoy scored 208 points in three seasons of varsity basketball. He also earned two varsity letters in baseball and was awarded the Western Conference Medal of Honor for scholarship and athletics in 1929.