Joseph E. "Truck" Truskowski ( – July 1959) was an

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

and

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player and coach. He played

college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...

, basketball and baseball at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. He later served as the head baseball coach at

Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State be ...

from 1936 to 1937 and at Wayne State in 1941 and from 1946 to 1959.

Early years

Truskowski was born in Detroit in approximately 1906. He attended Detroit's Northwestern High School where he was a star athlete from 1923 to 1925.

Athletic career

Truskowski played three years each at the

end End, END, Ending, or ENDS may refer to: End Mathematics *End (category theory) * End (topology) * End (graph theory) * End (group theory) (a subcase of the previous) * End (endomorphism) Sports and games *End (gridiron football) *End, a division ...

position for the Michigan football team and as a

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People *Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Smal ...

for the

Michigan basketball The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ( ...

team. At the end of the 1928 season, he was selected as the captain of the

1929 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1929 Michigan Wolverines football team was an American football team that represented the University of Michigan in the 1929 Big Ten Conference football season. The team compiled a 5–3–1 record (1–3–1 against Big Ten opponents), tied ...

. As a senior captain in 1929, he started games at three positions -- left end, quarterback, and right halfback. In basketball, Truskowski was a starting forward on the

1928–29 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team The 1928–29 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1928–29 NCAA men's basketball season, 1928–29 season. The team played its home games at Yost Are ...

that won the Big Ten championship. He was also the leading scorer on the 1929–30 team with 113 points in 14 games. Truskowski also played as a catcher for the

Michigan Wolverines baseball The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games ...

team and was the third player in Michigan history (after

Harry Kipke Harry George Kipke (; March 26, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State College in 1928 and at the University of Michigan from 1929 to 193 ...

and

Bennie Oosterbaan Benjamin Oosterbaan ( ; February 24, 1906 – October 25, 1990) was an American football end and head coach for the University of Michigan. He was a three-time All-American college football player, a two-time All-American basketball player, and ...

) to win three varsity letter in the same academic year. In all, Truskowski won a total of eight varsity letters at Michigan. While a student at Michigan, he joined

Theta Kappa Nu Theta Kappa Nu () fraternity was an American national collegiate fraternity founded in 1924 by delegates from eleven local fraternities.Shepard, Francis W., ed. (1927)''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities'' (11th ed.) Menasha, Wi ...

fraternity.

Coaching career

Following his collegiate athletic career, Truskowski worked as a coach. He was the head football coach at

Olivet College The University of Olivet, formerly known as Olivet College, is a private Christian college in Olivet, Michigan, United States. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It was founded in 1844 by missionaries from Oberlin Coll ...

in 1931. He was hired assistant football coach at

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricult ...

in March 1932. He was also the head coach of the

Iowa State Cyclones baseball Iowa State Cyclones baseball was the intercollegiate baseball program at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. The program existed from 1892 to 2001. Due to budget cuts, Iowa State athletic director Bruce Van De Velde announced the end of the baseb ...

team from 1935 to 1937. Truskowski led Iowa State's baseball team to consecutive Big Six championships in 1935 and 1936. In 1937, Truskowski left Iowa State to become an assistant football coach and head basketball coach at

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public university, public research university in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 375 programs. It is Michigan's third-l ...

. Truskowski joined the Navy in 1942 and returned to Wayne State in 1945. He also served as the head baseball coach at Wayne State in 1941 and again from 1946 to 1959. Truskowski changed his name to Joe Truske. He died from a heart attack at his summer home in

Lion's Head, Ontario Lion's Head is a community in the municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula, Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. It is located at the midway point of the Bruce Peninsula, about halfway between Owen Sound and Tobermory, just east of Ferndale on Bruce ...

, in July 1959.

Head coaching record

Football

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Truskowski, Joseph 1900s births 1959 deaths All-American college men's basketball players American football ends American men's basketball players Forwards (basketball) Iowa State Cyclones baseball coaches Iowa State Cyclones football coaches Michigan Wolverines baseball players Michigan Wolverines football players Michigan Wolverines men's basketball players Olivet Comets football coaches Wayne State Warriors baseball coaches Wayne State Warriors football coaches Northwestern High School (Michigan) alumni Coaches of American football from Michigan Players of American football from Detroit Baseball coaches from Michigan Basketball players from Detroit