Frosty Ferzacca Explained

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.

Early life and playing career

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.

Coaching career

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]

Death

Ferzacca died on August 13, 2004, at a nursing home in Green Bay, Wisconsin.[1]

Head coaching record

College football

Notes and References

  1. News: Christl . Cliff . Cliff Christl . August 18, 2004 . Ferzacca, former MU head football coach, dies at 96 . . May 24, 2014 .
  2. Web site: Faust Ferzacca . . Forester Athletics . . May 24, 2014.
  3. News: . January 27, 1954 . Ferzacca of Green Bay West is Named Marquette Coach . . May 24, 2014 .