J. Quinn Decker - Misplaced Pages

American football player and coach (1907–1987)

J. Quinn Decker
Biographical details
Born	(1907-10-29)October 29, 1907
Died	December 20, 1987(1987-12-20) (aged 80) Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1928–1930	Tennessee

Position(s)	Fullback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1932–1934	Knox Country Central HS (TN)
1935–1937	Centre (backfield)
1938–1941	Centre
1944–1945	Third Air Force
1946–1952	The Citadel
Basketball
1936–1937	Centre (freshmen)
1937–1941	Centre

Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1946–1953	The Citadel

Head coaching record
Overall	52–61–4 (college football)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football 1 AAF League (1945)

James Quinn Decker (October 29, 1907 – December 20, 1987) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach Centre College from 1938 to 1941 and The Citadel from 1946 to 1952, compiling a career college football coaching record of 37–56–3.

Playing career

Decker played fullback at the University of Tennessee. He later became an assistant coach at the school.

Coaching career

High school coaching

Before coaching in college, Decker coached football at the high school level at Central High School in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Centre College

Decker was the head football coach at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky from 1938 until completion of the 1941 season.

The Citadel

Quinn was the 11th head football coach at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, serving for seven seasons, from 1946 until 1952, and compiling a record of 23–39–1. He led the program in its re-establishment after World War II.

Head coaching record

College football


Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing
Centre Colonels (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1938–1941)
1938	Centre	7–2	4–0	2nd
1939	Centre	1–5–2	1–1–1	T–14th
1940	Centre	3–6	2–1	T–9th
1941	Centre	3–4	2–0	T–2nd
Centre:		14–17–2	9–2–1
Third Air Force Gremlins (Independent) (1944)
1944	Third Air Force	8–3
Third Air Force Gremlins (Army Air Forces League) (1945)
1945	Third Air Force	7–2–1	4–1–1	T–1st
Third Air Force:		15–5–1	4–1–1
The Citadel Bulldogs (Southern Conference) (1946–1952)
1946	The Citadel	3–5	1–5	15th
1947	The Citadel	3–5	1–4	12th
1948	The Citadel	2–7	0–5	16th
1949	The Citadel	4–5	2–2	7th
1950	The Citadel	4–6	2–3	11th
1951	The Citadel	4–6	1–3	14th
1952	The Citadel	3–5–1	1–3–1	13th
The Citadel:		23–39–1	8–25
Total:		52–61–4
National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth

References

J. Quinn Decker's obituary
NCAA News January 6, 1988
Tennessee Volunteers: Colorful Tales of the Orange and White By Randy Moore, (c) 2006, page 45
"Fountain Citians Who Made A Difference". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 5, 2010.
Lakeland Ledger "Former Citadel Coach Dies" December 22, 1987
Centre College Archived February 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine Football coaches
Citadel Coaching Records Archived April 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine

External links

J. Quinn Decker at Find a Grave

v t e Centre Colonels head football coaches
Samuel L. McKee (1879–1880) Unknown (1881–1890) W. Durant Berry (1891–1893) Eugene Messler (1894) Richard T. Lowndes (1895) Harry Anderson (1896–1897) Dick Van Winkle (1898) Edgar Tanner (1899) Ralph C. Hamill (1900) Forrest M. Hall (1901) Ed Tutwiler (1902) Harold A. Childs (1903–1904) William E. Johnston (1905–1908) M. B. Banks (1909–1911) Patrick O'Brien (1912–1913) Merle C. Knapp (1914) Orville B. Littick (1915) Robert L. Myers (1917) Charley Moran (1918–1923) Robert L. Myers (1924–1925) Harold Ofstie (1926–1927) Boise Potthoff (1928) Ed Kubale (1929–1937) J. Quinn Decker (1938–1941) Laird Holt (1942) No team (1943–1945) Carl Anderson (1946–1950) William L. Crabtree (1951) T. Briscoe Inman (1952–1956) Joe Brummett (1957–1960) Spencer Holt (1961–1962) T. Briscoe Inman (1963–1965) Steele Harmon (1966–1971) Herb McGuire (1972–1979) Joe McDaniel (1980–1997) Andy Frye (1998– )

Centre Colonels head football coaches

Samuel L. McKee (1879–1880)
Unknown (1881–1890)
W. Durant Berry (1891–1893)
Eugene Messler (1894)
Richard T. Lowndes (1895)
Harry Anderson (1896–1897)
Dick Van Winkle (1898)
Edgar Tanner (1899)
Ralph C. Hamill (1900)
Forrest M. Hall (1901)
Ed Tutwiler (1902)
Harold A. Childs (1903–1904)
William E. Johnston (1905–1908)
M. B. Banks (1909–1911)
Patrick O'Brien (1912–1913)
Merle C. Knapp (1914)
Orville B. Littick (1915)
Robert L. Myers (1917)
Charley Moran (1918–1923)
Robert L. Myers (1924–1925)
Harold Ofstie (1926–1927)
Boise Potthoff (1928)
Ed Kubale (1929–1937)
J. Quinn Decker (1938–1941)
Laird Holt (1942)
No team (1943–1945)
Carl Anderson (1946–1950)
William L. Crabtree (1951)
T. Briscoe Inman (1952–1956)
Joe Brummett (1957–1960)
Spencer Holt (1961–1962)
T. Briscoe Inman (1963–1965)
Steele Harmon (1966–1971)
Herb McGuire (1972–1979)
Joe McDaniel (1980–1997)
Andy Frye (1998– )

v t e Centre Colonels men's basketball coaches
M. B. Banks (1909–1911) Theodore Gronert (1918–1919) J. Quinn Decker (1937–1941) T. Briscoe Inman (1952–1954) Joe Brummett (1954–1961) Alex Stevens (1961–1963) Lewis Phillips (1963–1968) Tom Bryant (1968–1996) Mike DeWitt (1996–1999) Greg Mason (1999– )

v t e The Citadel Bulldogs athletic directors
Carl Prause (1922–1929) Johnny Floyd (1930–1931) Tatum Gressette (1932–1939) Bo Rowland (1940–1946) J. Quinn Decker (1946–1953) John D. McMillan (1953–1954) John Sauer (1955–1956) Eddie Teague (1957–1985) Walt Nadzak (1985–2000) Les Robinson (2000–2008) Larry Leckonby (2008–2014) Jim Senter (2014–2017) Robert Acunto # (2017–2018) Mike Capaccio (2018– ) # denotes interim athletic director

The Citadel Bulldogs athletic directors

Carl Prause (1922–1929)
Johnny Floyd (1930–1931)
Tatum Gressette (1932–1939)
Bo Rowland (1940–1946)
J. Quinn Decker (1946–1953)
John D. McMillan (1953–1954)
John Sauer (1955–1956)
Eddie Teague (1957–1985)
Walt Nadzak (1985–2000)
Les Robinson (2000–2008)
Larry Leckonby (2008–2014)
Jim Senter (2014–2017)
Robert Acunto # (2017–2018)
Mike Capaccio (2018– )

# denotes interim athletic director

v t e The Citadel Bulldogs head football coaches
Syd Smith (1905) Ralph Foster (1906–1908) Sam Costen (1909–1910) Louis LeTellier (1911–1912) George C. Rogers (1913–1915) Harry J. O'Brien (1916–1918) George C. Rogers (1919) Harry J. O'Brien (1920–1921) Carl Prause (1922–1929) Johnny Floyd (1930–1931) Tatum Gressette (1932–1939) Bo Rowland (1940–1942) No team (1943–1945) J. Quinn Decker (1946–1952) John D. McMillan (1953–1954) John Sauer (1955–1956) Eddie Teague (1957–1965) Red Parker (1966–1972) Bobby Ross (1973–1977) Art Baker (1978–1982) Tom Moore (1983–1986) Charlie Taaffe (1987–1995) Don Powers (1996–2000) Ellis Johnson (2001–2003) John Zernhelt (2004) Kevin Higgins (2005–2013) Mike Houston (2014–2015) Brent Thompson (2016–2022) Maurice Drayton (2023– )

The Citadel Bulldogs head football coaches

Syd Smith (1905)
Ralph Foster (1906–1908)
Sam Costen (1909–1910)
Louis LeTellier (1911–1912)
George C. Rogers (1913–1915)
Harry J. O'Brien (1916–1918)
George C. Rogers (1919)
Harry J. O'Brien (1920–1921)
Carl Prause (1922–1929)
Johnny Floyd (1930–1931)
Tatum Gressette (1932–1939)
Bo Rowland (1940–1942)
No team (1943–1945)
J. Quinn Decker (1946–1952)
John D. McMillan (1953–1954)
John Sauer (1955–1956)
Eddie Teague (1957–1965)
Red Parker (1966–1972)
Bobby Ross (1973–1977)
Art Baker (1978–1982)
Tom Moore (1983–1986)
Charlie Taaffe (1987–1995)
Don Powers (1996–2000)
Ellis Johnson (2001–2003)
John Zernhelt (2004)
Kevin Higgins (2005–2013)
Mike Houston (2014–2015)
Brent Thompson (2016–2022)
Maurice Drayton (2023– )

This biographical article relating to a college football coach first appointed in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: