Edward L. Finnigan

Eddie Finnigan

Biographical details
Born	May 10, 1911 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	July 10, 1968(1968-07-10) (aged 57) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1930–1932	Western Reserve
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1949–1950	Baldwin–Wallace
1951–1965	Western Reserve
Basketball
1935–1940	Baldwin–Wallace
Track
1940–1948	Baldwin–Wallace
1963–1966	Western Reserve
Golf
1954–1958	Western Reserve
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1951–1968	Western Reserve
Head coaching record
Overall	66–54–9 (football) 25–56 (basketball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football 3 PAC (1955, 1958, 1960)

Edward Leo Finnigan (May 10, 1911 – July 10, 1968) was an American football and basketball coach and player. He served as the head football coach at Baldwin–Wallace College—now known as Baldwin Wallace University—from 1949 to 1950 and at Western Reserve University—now known as Case Western Reserve University—from 1951 to 1965, compiling a career college football coaching record of 68–52–9. Finnigan was also the head basketball coach at Baldwin–Wallace from 1935 to 1940, tallying a mark of 25–56.

Playing career

In high school, Finnigan was a star athlete at John Adams High School in Cleveland.

Finnigan was the first Western Reserve University athlete to earn nine varsity letters—three each in football, basketball, and track—at a time when freshmen were unable to play varsity sports. He was football team captain and quarterback his senior year in 1932 leading the Red Cats to a 7–1 record.

His best sport was basketball, where he was an All-American during the 1932–33 season.

Honors and death

In recognition of his many contributions to the athletic community, both the cities of Berea and Cleveland proclaimed November 4, 1967 as "Eddie Finnigan Day".

Finnegan died of cancer July 10, 1968, at the Cleveland Clinic.

Present day, the roadway in between DiSanto Field and Nobby's Ballpark is named "Finnegan's Way."

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Baldwin–Wallace Yellow Jackets (Independent) (1949–1950)
1949	Baldwin–Wallace	6–2
1950	Baldwin–Wallace	5–2–1
Baldwin–Wallace:		11–4–1
Western Reserve Red Cats (Mid-American Conference) (1951–1954)
1951	Western Reserve	2–6–1	1–3	5th
1952	Western Reserve	5–4	1–4	T–6th
1953	Western Reserve	5–3–1	1–2–1	5th
1954	Western Reserve	3–4–1	2–3	6th
Western Reserve Red Cats (Presidents' Athletic Conference) (1955–1965)
1955	Western Reserve	5–1–1	3–0	1st
1956	Western Reserve	4–3	1–2	3rd
1957	Western Reserve	2–4	1–2	3rd
1958	Western Reserve	4–3	4–0	1st
1959	Western Reserve	3–4	3–2	4th
1960	Western Reserve	6–1	6–0	1st
1961	Western Reserve	5–2	5–2	3rd
1962	Western Reserve	3–3–1	3–2–1	3rd
1963	Western Reserve	1–5–1	1–4–1	8th
1964	Western Reserve	4–3–1	4–3–1	6th
1965	Western Reserve	3–4–1	3–4–1	5th
Western Reserve:		55–50–8	39–33–5
Total:		66–54–9
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

External links

• Encyclopedia of Baldwin Wallace University History: Edward "Eddie" Finnigan