Pat Hanley Explained

Pat Hanley
Birth Date:21 August 1896
Birth Place:Cloquet, Minnesota, U.S.
Death Place:Berkeley, California, U.S.
Player Years1:1916–1917
1918
Player Team1:Washington State
Mare Island Marines
Player Positions:End
Coach Years1:1921
Coach Team1:Hillyard HS (WA)
Coach Years2:1922
Coach Team2:Stockton HS (CA)
Coach Years3:1923–1926
Coach Team3:Haskell Institute (line)
Coach Years4:1927–1933
Coach Team4:Northwestern (line)
Coach Years5:1934–1941
Coach Team5:Boston University
Overall Record:35–24–5 (NCAA)
13–2–1 (High school)
Module:

Leroy Bernard "Pat" Hanley (August 21, 1896 – July 20, 1966) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Boston University from 1934 to 1941, compiling a record of 35–24–5.

Playing

Hanley was born in Cloquet, Minnesota and grew up in Spokane, Washington. He played college football at Washington State University as an end from 1916 to 1917, alongside his brother, Dick Hanley.[1] In 1918, he played under his college coach, William Henry Dietz, on the Mare Island Marines football team.

Coaching

Hanley was the head coach of Hillyard High School in 1921, where he led a team that had not won a game in seven years to an 8–0 record. The following year he moved to California, where he coached Stockton High School to a 5–2–1 record. Hanley then spent 11 years an assistant under his brother at Haskell Institute and at Northwestern University.[2] In 1934 he was named head football coach at Boston University.[3]

World War II

On January 11, 1942, Hanley, a major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, was ordered to active duty.[4] After a reorientation program at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Hanley was assigned to the 1st Division of the Fleet Marine Force at Marine Corps Air Station New River.[5] He was the base's public relations and moral officer.[6] He fought in the Guadalcanal campaign and was promoted to lieutenant colonel later in 1943.[7] [8] In 1944, he was a recreation and morale officer with the 4th Marine Division.[9] On June 16, 1944, during the Battle of Saipan, Hanley and two others extinguished an explosive-laden vehicle that was threatening to destroy a beach command post. Hanley was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Silver Star for his actions.[10] [11]

Later life

After the war, Hanley was in charge of a Special Services program in the Western United States. He left the Marine Corps in 1947 and married his assistant, Eileen Twohey.[12] He spent his later life in Berkeley, California, where he died on July 20, 1966.[13]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2013 Gameday at Washington State . . 125 . Washington State University Athletics . June 2, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002719/http://www.wsucougars.com/pdf9/2468185.pdf . March 4, 2016 .
  2. News: Pat Hanley Gets What He Wants; Signs at Boston . . . March 21, 1934 . June 2, 2015 .
  3. News: Pat Hanley is Appointed Football Coach at B.U. . The Boston Globe . March 21, 1934.
  4. News: Marine Corps Calls 26 Reserve Officers . The New York Times . January 12, 1942.
  5. News: Kaese . Harold . Major Pat Hanley Ordered to Post at New River, N. C. . The Boston Globe . February 12, 1942.
  6. News: Fullerton Jr. . Hugh S. . Sports Roundup . 16 September 2023 . Lawrence Journal-World . April 3, 1942.
  7. News: Miller . Vern . Maj. Pat. Hanley Tells of Marines In Guadalcanal . The Boston Globe . February 14, 1943.
  8. News: . Coach Promoted . The Circleville Herald . . November 19, 1943 . 6 . June 2, 2015 .
  9. News: Glynn . Edward . Service Notes: 'Pat' Hanley Now Handles Marines in South Pacific . The Boston Globe . May 11, 1944.
  10. News: Lucas . Jim . Pat Hanley Saves Post, Awarded Bronze Star . The Boston Globe . January 26, 1945.
  11. Web site: LeRoy B. Hanley . The Hall of Valor Project . Sightline Media Group . 7 October 2023.
  12. News: Eileen M. Hanley . 7 October 2023 . East Bay Times . ANG Newspapers . April 18, 2007.
  13. News: Deaths . Powwow . Fall 1966.