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American Coach: The Triumph and Tragedy of Notre Dame Legend Frank Leahy
Award-winning sportswriter Ivan Maisel brings the forgotten legend of Notre Dame head football coach Frank Leahy back to life, based on rare and complete access to Fighting Irish football historical archives and the Leahy family.
When Frank Leahy retired from Notre Dame after the 1953 season, he had the second‑best record in the history of the game (107‑13‑9, .864), second only to Knute Rockne, his college coach and mentor. Seven decades later, he still does. Rockne created the image of Notre Dame, then a small Catholic university in a remote town in northern Indiana, as the premier college football program in the nation. But it was Leahy who secured that image, with six undefeated seasons and four national championships in an 11-season span. By achievement alone, Leahy should be as beloved as Rockne, who nearly a century after his tragic death remains a legend. Yet Leahy is virtually forgotten today, in many ways a victim of his own insatiable need to compete and win.
The University of Notre Dame granted Ivan Maisel rare and complete access to its voluminous cache of historical material, and Maisel has the cooperation of Leahy's family, enabling him to tell the rich story of an archetypal coach who was a celebrity in his day. Leahy made the cover of Time magazine and befriended presidents and movie stars alike. Leahy brought innovation to a program reluctant to change anything Rockne had done. But Leahy rankled opposing coaches and clashed with the priests at Notre Dame who sought to make the university as elite in academia as it had become on the field. These conflicts, coupled with the toll that Leahy’s innate drive demanded of his health, brought his career to a premature end, hampering his legacy in the years to come. And what a only Nick Saban and Bear Bryant have won more national titles. The records of iconic coaches such as Bobby Bowden, Woody Hayes, and Eddie Robinson pale in comparison. Not only the Notre Dame fanbase but all college football fans will be hungry to rediscover a man and an era, the story of how Frank Leahy cemented Notre Dame’s status as the defining program of college football.
When Frank Leahy retired from Notre Dame after the 1953 season, he had the second‑best record in the history of the game (107‑13‑9, .864), second only to Knute Rockne, his college coach and mentor. Seven decades later, he still does. Rockne created the image of Notre Dame, then a small Catholic university in a remote town in northern Indiana, as the premier college football program in the nation. But it was Leahy who secured that image, with six undefeated seasons and four national championships in an 11-season span. By achievement alone, Leahy should be as beloved as Rockne, who nearly a century after his tragic death remains a legend. Yet Leahy is virtually forgotten today, in many ways a victim of his own insatiable need to compete and win.
The University of Notre Dame granted Ivan Maisel rare and complete access to its voluminous cache of historical material, and Maisel has the cooperation of Leahy's family, enabling him to tell the rich story of an archetypal coach who was a celebrity in his day. Leahy made the cover of Time magazine and befriended presidents and movie stars alike. Leahy brought innovation to a program reluctant to change anything Rockne had done. But Leahy rankled opposing coaches and clashed with the priests at Notre Dame who sought to make the university as elite in academia as it had become on the field. These conflicts, coupled with the toll that Leahy’s innate drive demanded of his health, brought his career to a premature end, hampering his legacy in the years to come. And what a only Nick Saban and Bear Bryant have won more national titles. The records of iconic coaches such as Bobby Bowden, Woody Hayes, and Eddie Robinson pale in comparison. Not only the Notre Dame fanbase but all college football fans will be hungry to rediscover a man and an era, the story of how Frank Leahy cemented Notre Dame’s status as the defining program of college football.
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Published September 16, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 21, 2025
It’s surprising how few people even among die hard Notre Dame fans can name the coach with the second-highest winning percentage in FBS history. The answer isn’t Nick Saban or Bobby Bowden. It’s Frank Leahy, a man whose legacy has been overshadowed despite his extraordinary success. Fortunately, sports journalist Ivan Maisel brings Leahy’s story back into the spotlight in his compelling biography, American Coach: Triumph and Tragedy of Notre Dame Legend Frank Leahy.
Maisel takes readers on a journey through Leahy’s life, beginning in the small town of Winner, South Dakota (yes, that’s a real place), where Leahy first made his mark as a football star. From there, the book follows his time as a player at Notre Dame under Rockne, his coaching stints at Boston College and Notre Dame, and even his time serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Leahy’s coaching career was nothing short of legendary, he won four national championships and built one of the most dominant programs in college football history. But Maisel doesn’t just recount wins and losses. He digs deeper into the man behind the success, exploring why someone with such an impressive résumé has been largely overlooked in the annals of football history. Through interviews with family members, extensive research in the Notre Dame Football archives, and countless old newspaper clippings, Maisel paints a rich and nuanced portrait of Leahy. His meticulous attention to detail is evident throughout the book, especially in the thorough notations and sourcing.
One of the things I personally loved about this book were the small stories and anecdotes that brought Leahy’s character to life. Whether it was a comment from a childhood teammate that fueled Leahy’s drive to succeed, or the quirky fact that his early Notre Dame teams practiced on indoor dirt fields, these tidbits added color and personality to the narrative. They made the book feel less like a textbook and more like a conversation with someone who truly understands and appreciates college football history.
As a huge Notre Dame fan, I’ll admit I might be a little biased—but I genuinely found this book fascinating. Maisel does an outstanding job of blending deep research with engaging storytelling. He leaves no stone unturned in his effort to honor Leahy’s legacy, and the result is one of the best sports biographies I’ve read in recent years.
Whether you're a Notre Dame enthusiast or simply a fan of college football, American Coach is a must read. It’s a powerful reminder of how greatness can sometimes be forgotten and why it’s worth remembering. Thank you to Netgalley, Ivan Maisel, and Grand Central Publishing for a free advanced readers copy for an honest review.
Maisel takes readers on a journey through Leahy’s life, beginning in the small town of Winner, South Dakota (yes, that’s a real place), where Leahy first made his mark as a football star. From there, the book follows his time as a player at Notre Dame under Rockne, his coaching stints at Boston College and Notre Dame, and even his time serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
Leahy’s coaching career was nothing short of legendary, he won four national championships and built one of the most dominant programs in college football history. But Maisel doesn’t just recount wins and losses. He digs deeper into the man behind the success, exploring why someone with such an impressive résumé has been largely overlooked in the annals of football history. Through interviews with family members, extensive research in the Notre Dame Football archives, and countless old newspaper clippings, Maisel paints a rich and nuanced portrait of Leahy. His meticulous attention to detail is evident throughout the book, especially in the thorough notations and sourcing.
One of the things I personally loved about this book were the small stories and anecdotes that brought Leahy’s character to life. Whether it was a comment from a childhood teammate that fueled Leahy’s drive to succeed, or the quirky fact that his early Notre Dame teams practiced on indoor dirt fields, these tidbits added color and personality to the narrative. They made the book feel less like a textbook and more like a conversation with someone who truly understands and appreciates college football history.
As a huge Notre Dame fan, I’ll admit I might be a little biased—but I genuinely found this book fascinating. Maisel does an outstanding job of blending deep research with engaging storytelling. He leaves no stone unturned in his effort to honor Leahy’s legacy, and the result is one of the best sports biographies I’ve read in recent years.
Whether you're a Notre Dame enthusiast or simply a fan of college football, American Coach is a must read. It’s a powerful reminder of how greatness can sometimes be forgotten and why it’s worth remembering. Thank you to Netgalley, Ivan Maisel, and Grand Central Publishing for a free advanced readers copy for an honest review.
October 9, 2025
This is a very well researched and written novel about Frank Leahy the great Notre Dame coach before and after WW2 . It chronicles his early life on the farm in South Dakota to his education at Notre Dame and his early coaching career at Boston College and eventual return to coach at his alma mater . Plagued with crippling anxiety that affected him physically Leahy struggled throughout his tenure at Notre Dame even though he had awe- inspiring seasons . He never thought his team was good enough . This book also chronicles his later years after he left Notre Dame including family drama and his early death . A great book to read for all Notre Dame fans like me who love to learn about its history.
October 21, 2025
excellent book and easy read. was worried it would be a book only of interest to ND fans but the book is a great look at college football pre war and in the immediate period after the war. Maisel's research is evident in particular in his examination of the controversy on Leahy's leaving BC for ND, unearthing letters with some great back and forth between the priests at ND and BC. Not a hagiography. An honest examination of a complicated man, warts and all.
December 16, 2025
Maisel hits a home run here with American Coach. A great story. Thoroughly researched and well written.
Frank Leahy is someone who deserves this book. Anyone with a career record of 107-13-9, second only to Rockne, justifies it. But there is more.
Leahy was different. Football drove him. He was obsessed. All football.
He loved Notre Dame possibly more than his kids... and his wife. ND was the Lady he loved most.
But it came at a price. His health.
Get the book.
Frank Leahy is someone who deserves this book. Anyone with a career record of 107-13-9, second only to Rockne, justifies it. But there is more.
Leahy was different. Football drove him. He was obsessed. All football.
He loved Notre Dame possibly more than his kids... and his wife. ND was the Lady he loved most.
But it came at a price. His health.
Get the book.
October 27, 2025
This is an engaging, well-researched and fun read—even if you are not a Notre Dame fan. A great mix of sports culture and snapshot of American culture of the 30s-50s, Maisel weaves a great story around Frank Leahy while digging deeply into the man. It’s fascinating and entertaining.
August 25, 2025
I read this knowing nothing of the sport or this coach. It was very insightful into both. Very much enjoyed it.
Thank you for the ARC of this novel.
Thank you for the ARC of this novel.
October 17, 2025
Lotta stats. Kinda dry. But a lot of Notre Dame history and folklore. A book that needed to be written. GE '75.
November 12, 2025
As someone super into college football, I found the rise of Notre Dame’s football team to be interesting. Highly recommend for a Notre Dame fan.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews