Lengyel a Legendary Leader in College Athletics

A legacy of excellence sums up the impact Jack Lengyel had on many, first as a coach, and later as an extraordinarily-distinguished athletic administrator. Even though he only spent five years of his decorated career at The College of Wooster, Lengyel’s impact is felt to this day, as a close-knit group of “Lengyel Years” alumni are still very connected to the College. In fact, that group established the “Jack Lengyel Courage, Character, and Commitment Award” in 2009, and that’s presented annually to the senior football player who best exemplifies the legend’s commitment to Wooster. It’s for these reasons and others, Lengyel’s the inaugural W Association Hall of Fame “Distinguished Award of Excellence” inductee.

Lengyel arrived in Wooster prior to the 1966 season and guided the Fighting Scots to a 24-21 record in five seasons on the gridiron. His squads posted three winning records, including his final year in 1970, when Wooster finished 8-1 for its best record in nearly 40 years. He was also instrumental in helping Wooster’s fledgling men’s lacrosse program get off the ground. There, Lengyel was the head coach for the first three years of competition at the varsity level, and the Scots opened with a 7-1 ledger in the inaugural season.

After Wooster, Lengyel took the task of leading and rebuilding Marshall University’s football program after its tragic 1970 plane crash, and he is perhaps best-known outside of athletics for that, thanks in part to being the focal point of the popular movie We Are Marshall. However, Lengyel’s true legacy is cemented in athletic administration, where he served as athletic director at Fresno State University (1984-86), the University of Missouri (1986-88), and the United States Naval Academy (1988-01), in addition to four stints as interim athletic director at NCAA Div. I institutions. While at Navy, he oversaw one of the largest athletic departments in the nation with 30 varsity sports, and during his tenure, Lengyel spearheaded numerous significant facility upgrades.

Lengyel served in a number of key leadership positions throughout his career, including a term as president of the National Association of College Directors of Athletics, followed by a term as president of the Division I-A Athletic Directors board. Lengyel has lent his expertise to other committees within both organizations in addition to the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame, the NCAA, and the United States Sports Academy to name a few.

Some of Lengyel’s many prestigious awards over the years include the American Football Coaches Association’s highest honor – the Tuss McLaughry Award – which Lengyel earned in 2018. Past recipients of that honor include six former United States presidents, J. Edgar Hoover, Bob Hope, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Lt. Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, the Apollo 11 astronauts, and actor John Wayne. Among other awards, Lengyel was selected as NACDA’s James J. Corbett Award recipient in 2001 in recognition for his distinguished career and contributions to college athletics, and he was the 2005 recipient of the NFF and College Football Hall of Fame’s John L. Toner Award for his work at Navy.

Most recently, Lengyel was the vice president of business development for XOS Digital, Inc., a sports media and technology company. Lengyel and his wife, Sandy, have three children, six grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. They reside in Annapolis, Maryland.