Walter Scott "Mike" Milligan (May 27, 1904 – January 1, 1979)[3] was an American football player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 1947 to 1949 and for one season as the head basketball coach at the University of Tulsa (1942–43).
Mike Milligan
Milligan during his football head coaching tenure at Pittsburgh
Milligan played high school football at Aliquippa High School and Kiski School.[4] While at college at the University of Pittsburgh, Milligan played guard from 1929 to 1931 under the school's legendary coach Jock Sutherland. The lightest of Pitt guards in 1930, and listed at a height of 5 feet, 10 inches and weighing 168 pounds, Milligan broke into the lineup at left guard when Hart Morris was injured in an October 11 game at Western Reserve.[5] The teams on which Milligan played while at Pitt were regional powers and nationally regarded. The 1929 Pitt team went undefeated in the regular season and won the Eastern Championship[6] and appeared in the Rose Bowl losing to USC. The loss did not prevent football historian Parke H. Davis from naming Pitt as that season's national champion.[7] The following season, Milligan's first as a regular starter, saw the Panthers go 6–2–1. This was followed by an 8–1 finish in 1931 in which the Panthers recorded six shutouts, including a 40–0 dismantling of Nebraska. That season also saw Pitt defeat Penn State in State College, using only one first-string player, by a score of 41–6 en route to winning the Eastern Championship.[6][8] These accomplishments would prompt Parke Davis to again name the Panthers national champions.[7] During his summers in college, Milligan worked as a desk sergeant with the Aliquippa Police Department.[9]
Coaching careeredit
As a coach, Milligan held several assistant football coaching positions during his career, in which he typically specialized in coaching the lines. He had his only tenure as a head football coach for three seasons at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh. Milligan served one season as the head coach for the basketball team at Tulsa, where he also served as a football assistant.
Early yearsedit
Milligan became an assistant coach at Pitt under head coach Jock Sutherland in 1934. He remained a coach at the university, where he served as the coach of the football program's freshman squad,[10] until he quit shortly after the resignation of Sutherland in 1938. From there Milligan took an assistant coaching position at Florida which was followed by an assistant position at Tulsa where he served as the offensive line coach.[11]
Tulsa basketball head coachedit
While at Tulsa, Milligan took over head basketball coaching duties from Tex Ryon who left in 1942 after his second stint coaching the team. Milligan was winless in his basketball coaching tenure at Tulsa, where he went 0–10 during the 1942-43 season. Milligan was replaced as the Tulsa's basketball coach the following year by Woody West.[12]
Pitt football head coachedit
"[Milligan] is, in my lifetime, the least appreciated Pitt football coach."
Pitt football head coach "Mike" Milligan (right) congratulates Nick Bolkovac after a 7-0 shut out of undefeated Penn State on November 20, 1948. In the fourth quarter, Bolkovac scored the winning touchdown when he intercepted a pass and returned it from the 23 yard line. Bolkovac also prevented a tying score on the last play of the game by stopping Penn State fullbackFran Rogel at the Pitt one yard line.[13]
Milligan returned to his alma mater in 1946 as a top assistant for Pitt under head coach Wes Fesler, who left after his only season at Pitt to coach his alma mater Ohio State. Fesler's departure opened the door for Milligan's promotion to the head coaching position. Milligan's head coaching tenure at Pitt was underscored by one of the most satisfying wins in Pitt history when the Panthers defeated the Fesler-coached Ohio State team 12–0 for their only win of the 1947 season. Milligan brought Pitt back to winning records in 1948 and 1949, achieving consecutive 6–3 seasons that included appearances in the national rankings and back-to-back shutouts of Penn State, the first of which snapped Penn State's 17-game unbeaten streak. After Pitt, a twenty-point underdog,[14] defeated defending Rose Bowl champion Northwestern on the road on October 1, 1949, Milligan was named the United Press "Coach of the Week". At the end of the 1949 season, he was also nominated for the Scripps-Howard "Coach of the Year" award.[1] However, Milligan resigned on January 27, 1950,[15] due to a perceived snub by the university offering him only a one-year contract, and he never returned to a head coaching position.[3][9]
Later yearsedit
Following his stint as the Pitt head coach, Milligan took a series of assistant football coaching positions and was a highly regarded as a line coach. He spent a year as an assistant at USC in 1950, was an assistant at Purdue from 1951 to 1952, and then moved to an assistant position at Nebraska beginning from 1953 to 1955.[15][16]
^ ab. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. 1975. p. 54. Archived from the original on 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
^ ab. College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2009-04-08.
^Sciullo Jr., Sam (2008). University of Pittsburgh Football Vault: The History of the Panthers. Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, LLC. p. 47. ISBN978-0-7948-2653-6.
^ abcSciullo Jr., Sam (2004). Tales from the Pitt Panthers. Champaign, IL: Sports Publishing L.L.C. pp. 9–10. ISBN1-58261-198-X. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
^Sell, Jack (1937-03-23). "Alec Fox, Eddie Schultz Added To Panthers' Gridiron Staff". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-09-14. [dead link]
^"Southern California's Stock Rises With Return Of Several Injured Players". Hartford Courant. 1944-12-27.
^Bonham, Chad. Golden Hurricane Basketball at the University of Tulsa. Chicago: Arcadia, 2004, pg. 19
^"The Owl". Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. 1949. p. 253. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
^"The Owl". Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. 1950. p. 260. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
^ abSell, Jack (1953-10-08). "A Story of Three Coaches". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, PA. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
^"Assistant Football Coaches at Nebraska - 1926 to Present". Huskers.com - Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site. Retrieved 2009-09-14.
mike, milligan, coach, other, people, named, mike, milligan, mike, milligan, disambiguation, walter, scott, mike, milligan, 1904, january, 1979, american, football, player, coach, football, basketball, served, head, football, coach, university, pittsburgh, fro. For other people named Mike Milligan see Mike Milligan disambiguation Walter Scott Mike Milligan May 27 1904 January 1 1979 3 was an American football player and coach of football and basketball He served as the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 1947 to 1949 and for one season as the head basketball coach at the University of Tulsa 1942 43 Mike MilliganMilligan during his football head coaching tenure at PittsburghBiographical detailsBorn 1904 05 27 May 27 1904DiedJanuary 1 1979 1979 01 01 aged 74 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania U S Playing careerFootball1929 1931PittsburghPosition s GuardCoaching career HC unless noted Football1934 1938Pittsburgh freshmen 1939 1940Florida assistant 1941 1945Tulsa assistant 1946Pittsburgh line 1947 1949Pittsburgh1950USC assistant 1951 1952Purdue assistant 1953 1955Nebraska assistant Basketball1942 1943TulsaHead coaching recordOverall13 14 football 0 10 basketball Accomplishments and honorsAwardsUnited Press Coach of the Week 1 Aliquippa Sports Hall of Fame 2 Contents 1 Playing days 2 Coaching career 2 1 Early years 2 2 Tulsa basketball head coach 2 3 Pitt football head coach 2 4 Later years 3 Death 4 Head coaching record 4 1 Football 4 2 Men s basketball 5 References 6 External linksPlaying days editMilligan played high school football at Aliquippa High School and Kiski School 4 While at college at the University of Pittsburgh Milligan played guard from 1929 to 1931 under the school s legendary coach Jock Sutherland The lightest of Pitt guards in 1930 and listed at a height of 5 feet 10 inches and weighing 168 pounds Milligan broke into the lineup at left guard when Hart Morris was injured in an October 11 game at Western Reserve 5 The teams on which Milligan played while at Pitt were regional powers and nationally regarded The 1929 Pitt team went undefeated in the regular season and won the Eastern Championship 6 and appeared in the Rose Bowl losing to USC The loss did not prevent football historian Parke H Davis from naming Pitt as that season s national champion 7 The following season Milligan s first as a regular starter saw the Panthers go 6 2 1 This was followed by an 8 1 finish in 1931 in which the Panthers recorded six shutouts including a 40 0 dismantling of Nebraska That season also saw Pitt defeat Penn State in State College using only one first string player by a score of 41 6 en route to winning the Eastern Championship 6 8 These accomplishments would prompt Parke Davis to again name the Panthers national champions 7 During his summers in college Milligan worked as a desk sergeant with the Aliquippa Police Department 9 Coaching career editAs a coach Milligan held several assistant football coaching positions during his career in which he typically specialized in coaching the lines He had his only tenure as a head football coach for three seasons at his alma mater the University of Pittsburgh Milligan served one season as the head coach for the basketball team at Tulsa where he also served as a football assistant Early years edit Milligan became an assistant coach at Pitt under head coach Jock Sutherland in 1934 He remained a coach at the university where he served as the coach of the football program s freshman squad 10 until he quit shortly after the resignation of Sutherland in 1938 From there Milligan took an assistant coaching position at Florida which was followed by an assistant position at Tulsa where he served as the offensive line coach 11 Tulsa basketball head coach edit While at Tulsa Milligan took over head basketball coaching duties from Tex Ryon who left in 1942 after his second stint coaching the team Milligan was winless in his basketball coaching tenure at Tulsa where he went 0 10 during the 1942 43 season Milligan was replaced as the Tulsa s basketball coach the following year by Woody West 12 Pitt football head coach edit Milligan is in my lifetime the least appreciated Pitt football coach Alex Kramer Pitt football historian 9 nbsp Pitt football head coach Mike Milligan right congratulates Nick Bolkovac after a 7 0 shut out of undefeated Penn State on November 20 1948 In the fourth quarter Bolkovac scored the winning touchdown when he intercepted a pass and returned it from the 23 yard line Bolkovac also prevented a tying score on the last play of the game by stopping Penn State fullback Fran Rogel at the Pitt one yard line 13 Milligan returned to his alma mater in 1946 as a top assistant for Pitt under head coach Wes Fesler who left after his only season at Pitt to coach his alma mater Ohio State Fesler s departure opened the door for Milligan s promotion to the head coaching position Milligan s head coaching tenure at Pitt was underscored by one of the most satisfying wins in Pitt history when the Panthers defeated the Fesler coached Ohio State team 12 0 for their only win of the 1947 season Milligan brought Pitt back to winning records in 1948 and 1949 achieving consecutive 6 3 seasons that included appearances in the national rankings and back to back shutouts of Penn State the first of which snapped Penn State s 17 game unbeaten streak After Pitt a twenty point underdog 14 defeated defending Rose Bowl champion Northwestern on the road on October 1 1949 Milligan was named the United Press Coach of the Week At the end of the 1949 season he was also nominated for the Scripps Howard Coach of the Year award 1 However Milligan resigned on January 27 1950 15 due to a perceived snub by the university offering him only a one year contract and he never returned to a head coaching position 3 9 Later years edit Following his stint as the Pitt head coach Milligan took a series of assistant football coaching positions and was a highly regarded as a line coach He spent a year as an assistant at USC in 1950 was an assistant at Purdue from 1951 to 1952 and then moved to an assistant position at Nebraska beginning from 1953 to 1955 15 16 Death editMilligan died on January 1 1979 at a hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 17 Head coaching record editFootball edit Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl playoffs Pittsburgh Panthers NCAA independent 1947 1949 1947 Pittsburgh 1 8 1948 Pittsburgh 6 3 1949 Pittsburgh 6 3 Pittsburgh 13 14 Total 13 14 Men s basketball edit Statistics overview Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason Tulsa Golden Hurricane Missouri Valley Conference 1942 1943 1942 43 Tulsa 0 10 0 10 6th Tulsa 0 10 000 Total 0 10 000 18 References edit a b The Owl Pittsburgh PA University of Pittsburgh 1950 p 256 Retrieved 2009 09 14 Quip Hall to Induct 6 Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pittsburgh PA 1974 01 10 Retrieved 2009 09 13 a b Sell Jack 1950 01 28 Year to Year Pact Unsatisfactory So Job Is Now Open Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pittsburgh PA Sell Jack 1950 08 30 Milligan Accepts Coaching Job with Coast School Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pittsburgh PA Retrieved 2009 09 13 Pitt Tech Comparisons Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pittsburgh PA 1930 11 06 Retrieved 2009 09 14 dead link a b University of Pittsburgh 1975 football media guide Pittsburgh PA University of Pittsburgh 1975 p 54 Archived from the original on 2011 05 20 Retrieved 2008 08 26 a b Pittsburgh All National Championships Pittsburgh Total National Championships College Football Data Warehouse Archived from the original on 2008 07 04 Retrieved 2009 04 08 Sciullo Jr Sam 2008 University of Pittsburgh Football Vault The History of the Panthers Atlanta GA Whitman Publishing LLC p 47 ISBN 978 0 7948 2653 6 a b c Sciullo Jr Sam 2004 Tales from the Pitt Panthers Champaign IL Sports Publishing L L C pp 9 10 ISBN 1 58261 198 X Retrieved 2009 09 13 Sell Jack 1937 03 23 Alec Fox Eddie Schultz Added To Panthers Gridiron Staff Pittsburgh Post Gazette Retrieved 2009 09 14 dead link Southern California s Stock Rises With Return Of Several Injured Players Hartford Courant 1944 12 27 Bonham Chad Golden Hurricane Basketball at the University of Tulsa Chicago Arcadia 2004 pg 19 The Owl Pittsburgh PA University of Pittsburgh 1949 p 253 Retrieved 2009 09 14 The Owl Pittsburgh PA University of Pittsburgh 1950 p 260 Retrieved 2009 09 14 a b Sell Jack 1953 10 08 A Story of Three Coaches Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pittsburgh PA Retrieved 2009 09 14 Assistant Football Coaches at Nebraska 1926 to Present Huskers com Nebraska Athletics Official Web Site Retrieved 2009 09 14 Former Pitt Coach Dies Latrobe Bulletin Latrobe Pennsylvania United Press International January 3 1979 p 14 Retrieved June 8 2019 via Newspapers com nbsp Mike Milligan NCAA statistics Retrieved January 15 2024 External links editMike Milligan at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mike Milligan coach amp oldid 1195854207, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
