Banks McFadden (1917-2005)

Teams coached: Clemson Tigers
Clemson record: 85-131 (.394)
Overall record: 85-131 (.394)

Career Accomplishments:

• NCAA National Championships:  0
• NCAA Tournament Appearances:  0
• NIT Championships:  0
• NIT Appearances:  0

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1946-1956

Clemson

Banks McFadden Facts

• James Banks McFadden
• Born February 7, 1917
• Died June 4, 2005
• Hometown: Great Falls, South Carolina
• Alma Mater: Clemson University (BA, 1940)
• Considered one of the greatest athletes in Clemson history, McFadden lettered in football, basketball and track
  • Played basketball for head coach Joe Davis, winning a SoCon title with the Tigers in 1939
    • Named to the 1939 Helms Foundation All-American team
  • Played football for head coaches Jess Neely and Frank Howard, excelling at the halfback position
    • Become the football program’s first AP All-American in 1939 and led them to their first bowl game in 1940
  • Drafted 4th overall in 1940 by the NFL’s Brooklyn Dodgers, playing for the team for one year
• Served the US Army Air Corps during World War II, fighting in the European theater for three years
• Started his coaching career after the War, spending 10 seasons as the head basketball coach at Clemson
  • Went 85-131 over that tenure, highlighted by 17-7 campaign in 1951-52
• McFadden also had stints as the head track coach and an assistant football coach at Clemson
  • Retired from coaching in 1969 and directed the school’s intramural department for the next 15 years
• Had his jersey numbers #66 (football) and #23 (basketball) retired by Clemson in 1987
• The winner of the Boston College-Clemson football rivalry game is awarded the O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy; named to honor McFadden and BC’s Charlie O’Rourke, who faced off in the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic (which Clemson won 6-3)
• Passed away in 2005 at the age of 88; survived by four daughters, 12 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren and predeceased by his wife Aggie, whom he married upon his return from WWII

Banks McFadden Coaching Tree

• coming soon