James Patrick Moran (September 27, 1912 – August 18, 1983) 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 ...

player and coach. A standout

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

in high school and college, he played professionally for a total of 17 games with the

Boston Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football franchise based in the Washington metropolitan area. They are members of the NFC East, East division in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...

(NFL) in 1935 and 1936. While stationed there with the Navy during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Moran was head football coach at the

University of South Carolina The University of South Carolina (USC, SC, or Carolina) is a Public university, public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, It is the flagship of the University of South Car ...

for the 1943 season. Later, he was head coach at

Niagara University Niagara University (NU) is a private Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition in the census-designated place Niagara University, New York, in the town of Lewiston near Niagara Falls. It is run by the Congregation of the Mission and ...

from 1946 to 1948, compiling a career

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 ...

coaching record of 15–17–2.

Early life and education

Moran was born on September 27, 1912, in the

South Boston South Boston (colloquially known as Southie) is a densely populated neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, located south and east of the Fort Point Channel and abutting Dorchester Bay (Boston Harbor), Dorchester Bay. It has under ...

neighborhood of

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. He was the third child of Irish immigrants John Francis Xavier Moran and Agnes Moran (née Dowd). The two met on a ship, immigrating to the United States. He attended

Boston College High School Boston College High School (also known as BC High) is an all-male, Society of Jesus, Jesuit, Catholic Church, Catholic College-preparatory school, college-preparatory day school in the Columbia Point, Boston, Columbia Point neighborhood of Dorche ...

, an all-male

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

secondary school.

Football career

Holy Cross

Moran entered the

College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. ...

in 1931 and played

there. He was a three-year starter for the team; during those three years, it had a 21–6–2 record. Moran earned All East and All American honors. He graduated in 1935 and was inducted into the Holy Cross Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.

South Carolina

On September 2, 1943, Moran was hired to serve as the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks football program. The position opened up when his predecessor,

Rex Enright Rex Edward Enright (March 19, 1901 – April 6, 1960) was an American football and basketball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football and college basketball at the University of Notre Dame in the 1920s. Af ...

, resigned in order to accept a Navy commission. During his one season with the Gamecocks, the team won five games and lost two.

Niagara

Moran was the head football coach at

from 1946 to 1946. His team employed a

T formation In American football, a T formation (frequently called the full house formation in modern usage, sometimes the Robust T) is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarter ...

offense and compiled a record of 10–15–2 in three seasons. Moran resigned from his post at Niagara in February 1949 to become line coach at his alma mater, Holy Cross.

Later life and family

Moran married the former Dorothy Dwyer; the couple had seven children. His eldest son, James P. Moran Jr., born in 1945, represented the of

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

from 1991 to 2015. His youngest son, Brian J. Moran, born in 1959, was a member of the

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

from 1996 until 2008 and was a candidate for

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. The Governor (United States), governor is head of the Government_of_Virginia#Executive_branch, executive branch ...

in the 2009 elections, losing in the Democratic primary. Outside of his football career, Moran worked as a sales representative and probation officer. He died in 1983.

Head coaching record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moran, James Sr. 1912 births 1983 deaths American football guards Boston Redskins players Holy Cross Crusaders football coaches Holy Cross Crusaders football players Niagara Purple Eagles football coaches South Carolina Gamecocks football coaches United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy officers Boston College High School alumni Players of American football from Boston College of the Holy Cross alumni