Jump to content

Johnny Merriman

Edit links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Johnny Merriman
Merriman pictured in the Hartford Courant', 1926
Biographical details
Born(1899-03-22)March 22, 1899
Mechanicville, New York, U.S.
DiedJune 26, 1986(1986-06-26) (aged 87)
Sun City, Arizona, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1918Union (NY)
c. 1919–1922Springfield
Basketball
c. 1920Springfield
Baseball
1922Springfield
PositionsHalfback (football)
Left fielder (baseball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1923–1924Worcester Academy (MA) (assistant)
1925Trinity (CT) (backfield)
1926–1928Trinity (CT)
1929–1945Coast Guard
Basketball
1923–1925Worcester Academy (MA)
1929–1939Coast Guard
Baseball
1924–1925Worcester Academy (MA)
1926–1929Trinity (CT)
Head coaching record
Overall50–85–11 (college football)
48–84 (college basketball)
11–33–3 (college baseball)

John Spencer Merriman Jr. (March 22, 1899 – June 26, 1986) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He served as the head football at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut from 1926 to 1928 and the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut from 1929 to 1945.

Merriman was born on March 22, 1899, in Mechanicville, New York. He grew up in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where he attended Holyoke High School.[1] Merriman went to Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he played football as a freshman before transferring to Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. At Springfield, he played football, basketball, and baseball, and also worked as a student coach in football, baseball, and soccer. After graduating from Springfield, Merriman began his coaching career at Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, serving as assistant athletic director, assistant football coach, and head coach of basketball and baseball for two years. He joined the coaching staff at Trinity College in 1925 at backfield coach for the football team under head coach Henry W. Clark. A year later, he succeeded Clark as head football coach.[2]

Merriman retired from the United States Coast Guard with the rank of commander in 1957. He then spent 11 years at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he served as assistant athletic director, director of intramural sports, and golf coach. Merriman died on June 26, 1986, in Sun City, Arizona.[1]

Head coaching record

[edit]

College football

[edit]
Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Trinity Bantams (Independent) (1926–1928)
1926 Trinity 2–4
1927 Trinity 2–4
1928 Trinity 0–5–1
Trinity: 4–13–1
Coast Guard Bears (Independent) (1929–1945)
1929 Coast Guard 1–6–1
1930 Coast Guard 3–5
1931 Coast Guard 3–2–1
1932 Coast Guard 1–3–2
1933 Coast Guard 3–2–1
1933 Coast Guard 1–6
1935 Coast Guard 2–5
1936 Coast Guard 2–2–3
1937 Coast Guard 3–3–1
1938 Coast Guard 2–6
1939 Coast Guard 0–8
1940 Coast Guard 4–4
1941 Coast Guard 6–2
1942 Coast Guard 6–2
1943 Coast Guard 3–6
1944 Coast Guard 6–3
1945 Coast Guard 0–7–1
Coast Guard: 46–72–10
Total: 50–85–11

[3][4][5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "John Merriman, CGA athletics pioneer, dies". The Day. New London, Connecticut. June 28, 1986. pp. B1, B3. Retrieved December 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ "Trinity Selects Merriman Head Coach Of Grid". Holyoke Daily Transcript. Holyoke, Massachusetts. February 13, 1926. p. 7. Retrieved December 28, 2025 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  3. ^ "Johnny Merriman Jr". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  4. ^ "NCAA Statistics; Coach; John S. Merriman; Football". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  5. ^ "Trinity College Football Record Book" (PDF). Trinity College. pp. 2–3. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
Stub icon

This biographical article relating to a college football coach first appointed in the 1920s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johnny_Merriman&oldid=1333252512"