Frosty Ferzacca | |
Birth Date: | 29 January 1908 |
Birth Place: | Iron Mountain, Michigan, U.S. |
Death Place: | Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Player Sport1: | Football |
Player Years2: | 1927–1930 |
Player Team2: | Lake Forest |
Player Sport3: | Basketball |
Player Years4: | 1929–1931 |
Player Team4: | Lake Forest |
Player Sport5: | Baseball |
Player Team6: | Lake Forest |
Player Years7: | 1933 |
Player Team7: | Superior Blues |
Player Years8: | 1940 |
Player Team8: | Green Bay Bluejays |
Player Positions: | Quarterback (football) |
Coach Sport1: | Football |
Coach Years2: | 1937–1944 |
Coach Team2: | Green Bay West HS (WI) (assistant) |
Coach Years3: | 1945–1953 |
Coach Team3: | Green Bay West HS (WI) |
Coach Years4: | 1954–1955 |
Coach Team4: | Marquette |
Coach Years5: | 1957–1965 |
Coach Team5: | Northern Michigan |
Coach Sport6: | Basketball |
Coach Years7: | 1937–1945 |
Coach Team7: | Green Bay West HS (WI) |
Admin Years1: | 1956–1957 |
Admin Team1: | Green Bay Packers (dir. ticket sales) |
Admin Years2: | 1957–1966 |
Admin Team2: | Northern Michigan |
Admin Years3: | 1966–1973 |
Admin Team3: | Eastern Michigan |
Admin Years4: | 1974–1975 |
Admin Team4: | FIU |
Admin Years5: | 1982–1988 |
Admin Team5: | Mid-Continent Conference (commissioner) |
Overall Record: | 58–36–4 (college football) |
Tournament Record: | 0–0–1 (NAIA playoffs) |
Faust L. "Frosty" Ferzacca (January 29, 1908 – August 13, 2004) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Marquette University from 1954 to 1955 and at Northern Michigan University from 1957 to 1965, compiling a career college football record of 58–36–4. He was also the athletic director at Northern Michigan from 1957 to 1966, Eastern Michigan University from 1966 to 1973, and Florida International University from 1974 to 1975 before serving as the commissioner of the Mid-Continent Conference—now known as the Summit League—from 1982 to 1988.
Ferazza was a native of Iron Mountain, Michigan and attended Iron Mountain High School.[1] He moved on to Lake Forest College in 1927, where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball.[2] Ferazza played minor league baseball for the Superior Blues of the Northern League in 1933.
Ferzacca starting his coaching career at Iron Mountain High School.[1] He also coached in Montreal, Wisconsin before moving to Green Bay West High School in 1937 as an assistant football coach and head basketball coach. In 1945, Ferzacca became head football coach at Green Bay West when illness forced his predecessor, Lars Thune, to retire. At this point, Ferzacca gave up his responsibilities as basketball coach but also served at the school's athletic director and track coach. Ferzacca remained as the head football coach at Green Bay West for nine seasons, through 1953, leading his team to five Fox River Valley championships and an overall record of 62–16–3.
In January 1954, Ferzacca was named the head football coach at Marquette University, succeeding Lisle Blackbourn, who had taken the head coaching job with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. Ferzacca signed a three-year contract with Marquette that paid him an annual salary of $10,000. In 1950, Ferzacca had been offered a position as backfield coach at Marquette under Blackbourn, but remained at Green Bay West when he signed a new contract with the high school that reportedly gave him "substantial benefits".[3]
Ferzacca died on August 13, 2004, at a nursing home in Green Bay, Wisconsin.[1]