John Macklin
"Big John" Macklin, as depicted in the Chicago Daily Tribune, Nov. 30, 1915
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| Sport(s) | Football, basketball, baseball, track & field |
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| Biographical details | |
| Born | c. 1884 Worcester, Massachusetts |
| Died | October 10, 1949 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1907–1908 | Penn |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1911–1915 | Michigan Agricultural |
| Basketball | |
| 1910–1916 | Michigan Agricultural |
| Baseball | |
| 1911–1915 | Michigan Agricultural |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 29–5 (football) 48–38 (basketball) 52–27 (baseball) |
John Farrell "Big John" Macklin (c. 1884 – October 10, 1949) was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, baseball and track and field, and a college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University from 1911 to 1915. With a five-year record of 29–5, he has the highest winning percentage of any football coach in Michigan State history. Macklin coached the Michigan State Spartans football team to its first ever victories over Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Penn State. He was also the athletic director at Michigan Agricultural and coached the school's basketball, baseball, and track and field teams. Macklin tallied marks of 48–38 as head basketball coach (1910–1916) and 52–27 as head baseball coach (1911–1915).
Macklin was born in Worcester, Massachusetts and attended Worcester High School. He played high school football for four years and was also the captain of Worcester's crew. After graduating from Worcester High School, Macklin attended Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire and then St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire, playing football at each school.
After completing his preparatory education, Macklin enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. Macklin grew to be a giant of a man for his time. He was 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighed 275 pounds. When Macklin arrived at Penn, one account indicates there were no uniforms large enough to fit him: "When the big husky appeared on the gridiron the first thing the coaches did was to send for the athletic outfitter, for there was not a suit on the campus that would encompass his frame." Macklin played two years at the tackle position for Penn's football team. The Chicago Daily Tribune later wrote: "For a big man he was remarkably agile and his tackling on the wings and his quickness in getting through to break up plays was the delight of the coaches."
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