University of South Dakota Athletics

A three-sport star, Frank McCormick starred in football, basketball, and baseball at USD between 1912-1917. Later, he became the first native South Dakotan to play professional football, joining the Akron Indians in 1920. A native of Genoa, Neb., McCormick's family moved to wagner in 1905. A 5'11", 190-pound standout, he was captain of both the football and baseball teams during his time at South Dakota. He joined the Akron team in 1920, a squad that defeated Jim Thorpe's Canon Bulldogs for the league title. He played two more games in 1921, then left to become assistant coach the the University of Illinois. From there, McCormick had an illustrious career as a coach and athletic adminstrator. He was football, basketball, track coach and athletics director at Columbius College in Sioux Falls from 1922-1924. In 1925, McCormick was deparment commander of the American Legion for South Dakota and he was one of the pioneers in developings the American Legion baseball program in the United Sates. From 1930-1932, he was a football backfield coach and baseball coach at the University of Minnesota. In 1933, he became Minnesota's athletics director, serving until 1950. Then, he was Supervisor of Officials for the Pacific Coast Conference from 1950-55. McCormick also was longtime member of the U.S. Olympic Committee.