Clarence Munn

Clarence Lester "Biggie" Munn (September 11, 1908–March 18, 1975) was a college football player and coach. He is most notable for coaching Michigan State University (MSU) from 1947-1953. He retired from coaching with a 28-game winning streak in hand and a career winning percentage of .797 (58-14-2) to assume duties as MSU's athletic director. He held the position for eighteen years (1953-1971). Munn was born in the former Grow Township now known as Andover, Minnesota. He died in Lansing, Michigan. He is widely regarded as one of the best coaches known to college football.

Career before Michigan State

A 1932 graduate of the University of Minnesota, "Biggie" Munn was a guard and sometimes fullback. He played under head coach Fritz Crisler and was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten, 1931 Big Ten MVP, first-team All-American and football team captain during his college career, as well as the team captain of the track and field team. While in school, he was considered by many as the top collegiate punter in America. He stood just under six feet and weighed 215 pounds, but was recorded running 100 yards in 10 seconds.

Munn was inducted into Minnesota's "M" Club (Hall of Fame) in 1993.

Three years after his playing career ended, Munn got his first head coaching job at Albright College in Reading, Pa. He held the position for two seasons. Munn moved on to become an assistant at his alma mater in 1940. From 1942-44, he was a line coach at the University of Michigan. Beginning in 1944, Munn became an assistant at Syracuse University. Shortly after arriving, Munn got his big break when Ossie Solem resigned as head coach following the 1945 season. Biggie was appointed head coach for the 1946 season. One of Munn's assistants at Syracuse was former Orangeman standout Duffy Daugherty who joined Munn's staff at Michigan State for eight seasons, beginning in 1947, before becoming Munn's Spartan coaching successor. Also while at Syracuse, Biggie coached alongside former Gopher teammate Bud Wilkinson who would become one of the great college coaches at the University of Oklahoma.

Syracuse enshrined Munn into its Hall of Fame in 1973.

Munn left Syracuse after one season for the head coaching job at Michigan State College, which became Michigan State University in 1955, following Munn's retirement as coach.

Coaching career at Michigan State

In 1947, Biggie Munn and the Michigan State administration (primarily university president John A. Hannah) approached and managed to convince the highly popular Notre Dame president Father Cavanaugh to play the Spartans. Macklin Field (now Spartan Stadium) was expanded from 26,000 to 51,000 capacity in 1948, enabling MSU to play a national schedule. MSU initially offered to let Notre Dame take 80 percent of the gate, but Cavanaugh insisted they split the receipts down the middle.

Once Notre Dame agreed to play, Michigan State attained almost instant national recognition and thereafter was able to get other big games across the country.

Munn was the only coach to beat Notre Dame's three-time national champion head coach Frank Leahy three years in a row: 1950, 1951 and 1952.

Munn developed the "Wingback Deep" formation of his formula "Michigan State Multiple Offense." The play featured a shifting back and forth from T-formation to Single Wing, and included a direct snap to the tailback between a T-formation quarterback's legs. On the East Lansing, Michigan dressing room wall, the coach hung a statement on fundamentals the team members were required to read before every home game: "Do not cheat your team or your teammates. Know your plays. Block. Protect. Add to what we are trying to do. [Signed] Biggie."

During the latter part of his coaching career, Munn developed the talents of Willie Thrower, the Big Ten's first black quarterback. Thrower subsequently became the first black quarterback to play in the National Football League, playing for the Chicago Bears.

Munn was named the NCAA college football Coach of the Year for the 1952 season after MSU went 9-0 to claim the first of his two back-to-back national championships. In 1953, the Spartans tied for the Big Ten title in their first year in the conference. The school had joined the Big Ten Conference in 1949 but wasn't allowed to contend for the championship until 1953, when Michigan State and University of Illinois tied for the title. The conference voted to send Munn's team to the Rose Bowl, where it beat UCLA 28-20 on January 1, 1954.

Shortly after the Rose Bowl victory, MSU's athletic director Ralph Young retired and Munn took over and remained in that position until 1971. When he retired as coach he named his assistant, Duffy Daugherty, to succeed him.

Munn's coaching produced seventeen All-American players and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959. Munn's teams have held on to the school's top four spots in rushing-yards-per-game in MSU's history: 1948 (304.5), 1951 (293.9), 1952 (272.4) and 1950 (269.3).

Trivia

• During the time he was coach, Munn was notoriously superstitious and would carry a lucky silver dollar with him at all times.

• In 1961, Munn became MSU's first inductee into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

• Munn authored the coaching textbook Michigan State Multiple Offense in 1953.

• MSU's Munn Ice Arena built in 1974 is named in his honor.

Quotes

• "Without some laughs, the game isn't worth playing"[1]

• "The difference between good and great is a little extra effort."[2]

• "Do not cheat your team or your teammates. Know your plays. Block. Protect. Add to what we are trying to do." [3]

Personal

Biggie Munn married the former Vera Jane Wattles (January 21, 1905-January 4, 2004) in June 1935. Biggie and Vera adopted two children: Michael and Jane Austin.

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches#	AP°
Syracuse Orange (Independent) (1946)
1946	Syracuse	4-5
Syracuse:		4-5
Michigan State Spartans (Independent/Big Ten Conference) (1947–1953)
1947	Michigan State	7-2
1948	Michigan State	6-2-2					14
1949	Michigan State	6-3					19
1950	Michigan State	8-1				9	8
1951	Michigan State	9-0				2	2
1952	Michigan State	9-0				1	1
1953	Michigan State	9-1	5-1	T-1st	W 28-20 Rose Bowl	3	3
Michigan State:		54-9-2
Total:		58-14-2 (.797)
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth
†Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, or CFP / New Years' Six bowl. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll.

Bibliography

Munn, Clarence L. (Biggie) (1953). Michigan State Multiple Offense. ASIN B0007DRAY4.

See also

• History of Michigan State University
• 1931 College Football All-America Team
• College Football
• Munn Ice Arena

External links

• Michigan State University homepage
• Munn Ice Arena
• Biggie Munn arrives in East Lansing
• University of Minnesota "M" Club
• Time magazine article: Method and Manpower (1953)
• An illustrated history of MSU football
• Induction to the Syracuse University Hall of Fame