About Herb McCracken
Lived 1899 – 1995 (aged 95). Herb McCracken was an American american football player.
George Herbert McCracken (June 20, 1899 – March 11, 1995) was an American football player and coach. McCracken played football as a running back at the University of Pittsburgh from 1918 to 1920 under coach "Pop" Warner and was a member of Pittsburgh's 1918 national championship team.
He served as the head coach at Allegheny College from 1921 to 1923 and at Lafayette College from 1924 to 1935, compiling a career college football record of 75–48–7. His 1926 Lafayette Leopards team was recognized as a national champion by Parke H. Davis. That same year his former coach's Pop Warner's Stanford Indians were recognized as the national champions by a different publication.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1973. Some, including Pop Warner, consider him to be the first to regularly implement the offensive team huddle, beginning its use in Lafayette in 1924 to hide his instructions from the opposing team.
During his coaching days, McCracken was the cofounder of the very successful Scholastic Inc publishing concern, which he was associated with for 63 years. He was also a brother of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity while he was a student at the University of Pittsburgh.
Head coaching record
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Important facts
People in Herb McCracken's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Herb McCracken's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Herb McCracken?
American football player and coach (1899-1995)
When was Herb McCracken born?
Herb McCracken was born on 20 June 1899 in Pittsburgh.
When did Herb McCracken die?
Herb McCracken died on 11 March 1995 in Ocean Ridge.
What was Herb McCracken's occupation?
Herb McCracken was an american football player.
What nationality was Herb McCracken?
Herb McCracken was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Herb McCracken. https://biography.guide/herb-mccracken/
MLA: "Herb McCracken." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/herb-mccracken/.
Chicago: "Herb McCracken." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/herb-mccracken/.
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