Ted Marchibroda's Coaching Tree

Image 27_edited_edited_edited_edited.png

Ted Marchibroda, NFL Coach of the Year in 1975, starred in football and basketball at Franklin High School from 1946-1949.

High school stats for him are incomplete because they weren't big on individual stats back then. But he did produce some 200-yard passing games and plenty of heroics.

The 5-10 Marchibroda began his college career at St. Bonaventure, which later dropped football, and then transferred to Detroit.

He set passing and total offense records at St. Bona (1,577/1,693) and led the national in total offense (1,813 yards) his senior season at Detroit in 1952. He also set an NCAA single-game passing record vs. Tulsa, completing 27 of 54 throws for 390 yards.

Marchibroda was the Steelers' No. 1 draft pick and in 1956 led the NFL with 1,585 yards passing, completing 124 of 275 for 12 TDs. He also played for the Chicago Cardinals before an arm injury ended his career.

His coaching career began in 1961. He coached nine seasons at Washington under George Allen before lan ding his first head coaching job with the Baltimore Colts on Jan. 15, 1975.

The Colts were 2-12 in 1974, but Marchibroda guided them to a 10-4 mark in 1975. In fact, his first three seasons with the Colts were great: 31-11.

Marchibroda coached 12 years with the Colts in Baltimore and Indianapolis and with Baltimore again when they were the Ravens. His record was 87-98-1. In addition to Washington, he served as offensive coordinator with Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and Buffalo.

He retired from coaching in 1998. Franklin's native son from the Third Ward died in 2016 at the age of 84.

Marchibroda as a Collegian at St. Bonnies

Franklin's Ted Marchibroda -- first team all-state in basketball, but not in football -- was nevertheless a college star, first at St. Bonaventure and then Detroit.

Marchibroda is known mostly for his NFL coaching prowess (24 years, Coach of the Year in 1975), but he probably wouldn't have had the chance had not the Steelers taken him in the first round of the 1953 NFL draft.

After a brilliant playing career in football and basketball at Franklin, Marchibroda went on to star first at St. Bonaventure for two years before the Bonnies dropped football, and then at the University of Detroit. He set passing records at both schools and is in the Hall of Fame at both, too.

Marchibroda led the nation in total offense in 1952, passing for 1,813 yards for Detroit. He set the national single-game passing game record, throwing for 390 against Tulsa. He set 12 records at Detroit (now Detroit Mercy).

Marchibroda led St. Bonaventure to a 7-2 record as a freshman in 1950. He finished third in the small college standings with 95 completions. The next year he was 72/170 for 1,146 yards.

In one of his games as a freshman, Marchibroda went eyeball-to-eyeball with Johnny Unitas, who was making his college debut for Louisville. Marchibroda and the Bonnies won the duel, 22-21.