| M. B. Banks | |
| Birth Date: | 5 June 1883 |
| Birth Place: | Breesport, New York, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Parkersburg, West Virginia, U.S. |
| Player Sport1: | Football |
| Player Years2: | 1905–1908 |
| Player Team2: | Syracuse |
| Player Sport3: | Basketball |
| Player Years4: | 1908–1909 |
| Player Team4: | Syracuse |
| Player Sport5: | Baseball |
| Player Years6: | 1909 |
| Player Team6: | Syracuse |
| Player Positions: | Quarterback (football) |
| Coach Sport1: | Football |
| Coach Years2: | 1909–1911 |
| Coach Team2: | Central University |
| Coach Years3: | 1912 |
| Coach Team3: | Ohio Wesleyan |
| Coach Years4: | 1913–1917 |
| Coach Team4: | Ohio |
| Coach Years5: | 1918–1920 |
| Coach Team5: | Drake |
| Coach Years6: | 1921–1925 |
| Coach Team6: | Tennessee |
| Coach Years7: | 1941–1948 |
| Coach Team7: | Hartwick |
| Coach Sport8: | Basketball |
| Coach Years9: | 1912–1913 |
| Coach Team9: | Ohio Wesleyan |
| Coach Years10: | 1913–1918 |
| Coach Team10: | Ohio |
| Coach Years11: | 1918–1921 |
| Coach Team11: | Drake |
| Coach Years12: | 1921–1926 |
| Coach Team12: | Tennessee |
| Coach Years13: | 1941–1946 |
| Coach Team13: | Hartwick |
| Coach Sport14: | Baseball |
| Coach Years15: | 1913 |
| Coach Team15: | Ohio Wesleyan |
| Coach Years16: | 1913–1918 |
| Coach Team16: | Ohio |
| Coach Years17: | 1919–1920 |
| Coach Team17: | Drake |
| Coach Years18: | 1921–1926 |
| Coach Team18: | Tennessee |
| Admin Years1: | 1941–1950 |
| Admin Team1: | Hartwick |
| Overall Record: | 100–73–10 (football) 146–137–1 (basketball) 100–78–4 (baseball) |
Mark Beal Banks (June 5, 1883 – January 12, 1970) was an American football, basketball and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Central University of Kentucky—now known as Centre College—in Danville, Kentucky (1909–1911), Ohio Wesleyan University (1912), Ohio University (1913–1917), Drake University (1918–1920), the University of Tennessee (1921–1925), and Hartwick College (1941–1948), compiling a career college football record of 100–73–10. Banks was also the head basketball and head baseball coach at Ohio Wesleyan, Ohio, Drake, and Tennessee. He played football, basketball, and baseball at Syracuse University.[1]
Banks graduated from Syracuse University in 1909. There he lettered in football (1905–1908), basketball (1908–1909), and baseball (1909). Banks was an Honorable Mention All-American quarterback in 1908.
Banks started his coaching career at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, in 1909. In 1912, Banks was head football coach at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, compiling a record of 3–6 in his only season there. Banks then move to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, in 1913 and coached football five seasons there, going 21–18–2.
Banks became the 12th head football coach at Drake University located in Des Moines, Iowa, and he held that position for three seasons, from 1918 until 1920. His overall coaching record at Drake was 11–10–1. During his time at Drake, he was also the meet director for the (track and field) Drake Relays.
After coaching at Drake, Banks led the Tennessee Volunteers football team to a 27–15–3 record from 1921 to 1925. He was the football coach at Tennessee when the iconic orange became the main color for Tennessee's athletic teams. Banks also coached baseball and basketball at Tennessee. In 1927, Banks left for Central High School in Knoxville.[2] Banks coached at Knoxville Central from 1927 to 1930.
In 1941, Banks became the athletic director, basketball, football, and baseball coach at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. Under Banks, Hartwick's football team had their first two winning seasons. Banks coached at Hartwick until 1948 and remained athletic director at the school until his retirement in 1950. In 1996, Banks was inducted into the Hartwick College Athletic Hall of Fame.[3] The M. Beal (Pops) Banks Award at Hartwick is awarded annually to "individuals, male and female, who have best pursued excellence in their sport to the best of their ability and have enthused others with their dedication and commitment".[4]
Banks was born on June 5, 1883, in Breesport, New York, to parents David Thomas Banks (December 6, 1851, in Veteran, New York – December 3, 1930 in Elmira, New York) and Emeline H. Parsons (December 25, 1852, in Catlin, New York – May 3, 1938, in Elmira, New York). Before attending Syracuse, Beal Banks graduated high school from the Elmira Free Academy in Elmira, New York. He married Gladys King (March 1888 – 1966) daughter of Rufus Everson King (July 15, 1859 – November 7, 1921) and Clara E. Ingersoll (June 1860 – ?) on October 29, 1910. Beal and Gladys had four children. Banks died January 12, 1970, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, of a heart attack.[5]