Jack Lengyel

Jack (right) and Matt

Jack Lengyel was born in 1935. He studied at the University of Akron. Lengyel is a software executive and a former American football coach and college administrator. Lengyel was head coach at Marshall University from 1971-1974. And do to his great contribution and determination, Warner Brothers produced the movie "We Are Marshall", starring Matthew McConaughey as Coach Jack Lengyel (AEI Speakers). He is now retired from coaching and being an athletic director. Jack is now 74 years old living in Phoenix with his wife ("Lengyel").

Mack coaching

When Jack Lengyel was home watching TV with his family in 1970, they switched on the news and saw the airplane crash that killed 75 of the Marshall University football players, coaches and a few fans. There was talk about dropping the Marshall Football program (Jack Lengyel). Lengyel took over the Marshall program 31 days before spring practice started. All he had were three varsity players. He had about 42 walk-ons, three basketball players, policemen, and marines (Coach Replays).

the football players

Lengyel's contribution was rebuilding the football program at Marshall University after the crash. He also helped people find hope again. He rebuilt the school by showing everyone that through adversity everything will fall in place in the end. He showed that fear and discouragement shouldn't hold you back from doing what you love and through adversity people grow so when you face difficult situations, it's not always a bad thing.

"'Thursday, just before the start of the 1971 Marshall University football season, when Lengyel took his squad to the highest point of Huntington, W.Va.'s Spring Hill Cemetery. "It was a personal thing," Lengyel says. "We held it to ourselves." Placed among the rolling hills and brooding willows was a newly constructed obelisk dedicated to the 75 Marshall players, coaches, staff and supporters who died in a plane crash just 10 months earlier. "I told them that 'these were the names of the players who came before you and that's why you are here,' " Lengyel says, " 'but the funeral has to end today."'(Coach Replays). The players and coaches that did not get on the plan had a hard time coping with the incident. "Was there survivor guilt? Yes, there was," says Lengyel. "Players struggled with that." One of the players that survived was Nate Rufflin. He was a senior at the time and one of the captains. "Nate was like the grandfather of the team," says Lengyel. "We said, 'Nate, you're our captain.' We invited Nate into staff meetings. Nate's persona was always, 'Coach, we'll get it done.' "Nate later died of leukemia in 2001 (South Bend Tribune).

Jack Lengyel is important to me because he shows the world that even through the toughest of times, with hard work and motivation you can accomplish anything. He had to round up and entire football team with a staff of coaches just 31 days before the football is to start. And during this time, he is letting people know that the people that were lost in the crash will never be forgotten. Jack did something that so many other coaches never thought would be possible.