James Farragher
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|
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 10, 1873 Youngstown, Ohio |
| Died | February 22, 1949 (aged 75) Youngstown, Ohio |
| Playing career | |
| 1901 | Notre Dame |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1902–1903 | Notre Dame |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 14–2–2 |
James Francis Farragher (September 10, 1873 – February 22, 1949) was an American football player and coach. He played left tackle at the University of Notre Dame in the early 1900s. He is often identified in official university histories as the team's head coach for the 1902–1903 season. This claim remains controversial among sports historians, some of whom assign this honor to Farragher's teammate, All-American Louis "Red" Salmon, who served as team captain during the 1902–1903 season. Both men are routinely credited as acting coaches in official histories of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team.
Farragher was born in Youngstown, Ohio, a steel-production center near the Pennsylvania border. He was raised in the working-class district of Brier Hill, on the city's near west side, and his family belonged to St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church. One brother, Mike Farragher, gained a reputation as a bare-knuckle boxer. Little else is known about James Farragher's years in Ohio.
Before arriving at Notre Dame, Farragher played for a number of other college teams, including Nebraska, Duquesne, and West Virginia. During his stint with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, he played under coach Fielding H. Yost. At some point, he lost an eye as a result of an athletic injury.
Farragher, despite his disability, proved a standout on Notre Dame's football team and was widely praised for his versatility. In 1901, the Notre Dame Scholastic observed that Farragher "made possible many gains for our backs by his ready way of opening up a hole in the line". The yearbook added: "Farragher was one of the mainstays of the team both on offensive and defensive work. In his position as tackle he has but few equals in the West. Jim rarely failed to gain when given the ball, and was a hard man to down when once started".
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