John W. Breen

John W. Breen
Biographical details
Born(1907-05-09)May 9, 1907
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
DiedFebruary 9, 1984(1984-02-09) (aged 76)
Houston, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1930–1934Carroll (WI)
PositionQuarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1935–1937Carroll (WI) (assistant)
1938–1948Carroll (WI)
1949–1951Lake Forest
Basketball
1938–1942Carroll (WI)
1945–1946Carroll (WI)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1938–1949Carroll (WI)
1949–1957Lake Forest
1957–1960Chicago Cardinals (DPP)
1960–1971Houston Oilers (DPP)
1971–1973Houston Oilers (GM)
Head coaching record
Overall43–35–8 (football)
42–43 (basketball)

John W. Breen (May 9, 1907 – February 9, 1984) was an American football and basketball player, coach, and executive.[1] He was active in the college ranks before becoming an administrator in the American Football League for the Houston Oilers.

Playing career

Breen grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and played high school football at Milwaukee East Division High School. He then went on to Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin where he was named "most valuable player" and team captain in both football and basketball.[2]

Coaching career and military service

Carroll (WI)

After graduation from Carroll in 1935, Breen began coaching freshman teams and teaching classes. Breen was the 19th head football coach, serving held that for 11 seasons, from 1938 until 1948.

Breen's tenure at Carroll was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy.

Lake Forest

In 1949, Breen became the head coach at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois[3] and held the position for three seasons, through 1951.[4] During his tenure as head coach, he accumulated a record of 9–13–2.[5] While at Lake Forest he received nationwide publicity for defending the interests of small college athletics.[2] In 1974, Lake Forest inducted him into their athletic "Hall of Fame" for his contribution to the football and basketball programs at the school.[6]

Professional football executive career

After a successful college career as an educator and coach, Breen went into the professional ranks with the Chicago Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) as director of player personnel in 1957.[7] He was later the first person hired by the Houston Oilers in 1960 as director of player personnel and was named general manager in 1971 and he held that position until his retirement in 1973.[8][9]

Breen was instrumental in the building of the Oilers[10] and the American Football League (AFL) itself by being in charge of the league's first draft of players.[11] He is credited with recruiting veteran players George Blanda, John Carson, and Willard Dewveall along with first-year players Billy Cannon, Dan Lanphear, and Charley Hennigan.[12] He recognized that the competing NFL teams would cut good quality players, and he recruited them to play at Houston.[13]

Later life and death

After his retirement from professional football management, Breen worked as a sports broadcaster for radio station KTRH in Houston. He died on February 9, 1984, in Houston, after suffering from cancer.[14]

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Carroll Pioneers (Independent) (1938–1948)
1938 Carroll 6–1
1939 Carroll 4–2–1
1940 Carroll 3–3–1
1941 Carroll 2–5
1942 Carroll 5–1–1
1943 No team—World War II
1944 No team—World War II
1945 Carroll 1–3
1946 Carroll 4–2–1
1947 Carroll 5–1–2
1948 Carroll 4–4
Carroll: 34–22–6
Lake Forest Foresters (College Conference of Illinois) (1949–1951)
1949 Lake Forest 3–53–23rd
1950 Lake Forest 3–4–13–24th
1951 Lake Forest 3–4–13–2T–3rd
Lake Forest: 9–13–29–6
Total:43–35–8

References

  1. ↑ The Victoria Advocate "Breen Succumbs to Cancer" February 9, 1984
  2. 1 2 Lake Forest College Foresters Archived May 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine John W. Breen
  3. ↑ College Conference of Willinois & Wisconsin 2008 Fall Football Guide
  4. ↑ Lake Forest College Foresters Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Coaching Records
  5. ↑ Lake Forest College Football Archived May 17, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Results by year
  6. ↑ Lake Forest College Foresters Archived May 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Athletic Hall of Fame
  7. ↑ Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Archived February 12, 2005, at the Wayback Machine "Years ago, Wisconsin was truly the 'Big Cheese'", Cliff Christl, July 29, 2000
  8. ↑ "Oilers Promote John Breen" Washington Post May 6, 1971
  9. ↑ Tennessee Titans Online Archived October 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine History: 1970's
  10. ↑ Going Long: The first oral history of the AFL--from the men who made it happen by Jeff Miller, Published by McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003, ISBN 0-07-141849-0, ISBN 978-0-07-141849-2
  11. ↑ The Making of the Super Bowl by Don Weiss and Chuck Day, Published by McGraw-Hill Professional, 2003 ISBN 0-07-142949-2, ISBN 978-0-07-142949-8
  12. ↑ Pro Football Researchers Archived October 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine "When Houston Struck Oil" Originally published in Pro Football Digest by Stanley Grosshandler
  13. ↑ Sports Illustrated[link removed] "Innocence in Texas" by Tex Maule, November 21, 1960
  14. ↑ "Breen, well-known sports figure, dead at 76". Houston Chronicle. Houston, Texas. February 10, 1984. pp. 1, 8 (section 2). Retrieved March 27, 2026 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
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