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In 1954, Notre Dame had a 9–1 record, with players recruited by Leahy. In 1955, the Irish were 8–2. In 1956, Brennan had mostly sophomore starters, due to numerous injuries; the result was a 2–8 record, and the first losing season for Notre Dame since 1933 and the worst in school history. However,
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was eventually retained. Notre Dame's administration was heavily criticized for the firing, considering
Brennan's overall 32–18 record against the caliber of their opponents. He was succeeded as Notre Dame's head coach by
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After a 6–4 record in 1958, the movement to dismiss
Brennan gained momentum, and the coach was fired along with his entire staff in mid-December;
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He was the author of the book Though The Odds be Great or Small, about the 1957 Notre Dame football season, which was published in 2021.
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He died on
September 7, 2021, at the age of 93. He is survived by his wife, six children, 25 grandchildren, and 32 great-grandchildren.
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Brennan's 1957 squad earned the nickname, "Comeback Comets" after finishing 7–3. Among their victories was a 23–21 comeback over
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and won three successive city championships. Brennan returned to Notre Dame in 1953 as freshman football coach and succeeded
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In 1951, he married Mary Louise "Kel" Kelley. His wife died in 2001, following fifty years of marriage.
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during spring training in 1959 and eventually joined a
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732:"Throwback Thursday: Though the Odds Be Great or Small by Terry Brennan"
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758:"Former Notre Dame running back and head coach Terry Brennan dies"
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player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the
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1947 Notre Dame
Fighting Irish football—AP national champions
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1946 Notre Dame
Fighting Irish football—AP national champions
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Brennan served as player conditioning coach for baseball's
367:, Terry Brennan was a standout multi-sport athlete at
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After graduating from Notre Dame, Brennan coached at
343:(June 11, 1928 – September 7, 2021) was an American
62:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
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351:from 1954 to 1958, compiling a record of 32–18.
813:Notre Dame Fighting Irish head football coaches
16:American football player and coach (1928–2021)
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1853:Players of American football from Milwaukee
1838:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players
1833:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coaches
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122:Learn how and when to remove this message
1843:High school football coaches in Illinois
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1858:Marquette University High School alumni
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379:from 1945 to 1948, graduating in 1949.
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25:. For the professor of classics, see
756:Bromberg, Nick (September 8, 2021).
60:adding citations to reliable sources
31:
13:
402:as head coach the following year.
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14:
1869:
730:Kellu, Lisa (September 9, 2021).
369:Marquette University High School
36:
462:Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame
458:Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame
429:record 47-game winning streak.
47:needs additional citations for
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21:For the Irish politician, see
1:
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355:Early life and playing career
1098:# denotes interim head coach
236:Chicago Mount Carmel HS (IL)
7:
1848:Sportspeople from Milwaukee
1828:College football announcers
1823:American football halfbacks
456:Brennan is a member of the
359:A native of the Village of
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278:Accomplishments and honors
23:Terry Brennan (politician)
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392:Mount Carmel High School
377:University of Notre Dame
361:Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
349:University of Notre Dame
1448:Russell "Pete" Ashbaugh
1152:Russell "Pete" Ashbaugh
460:and was elected to the
341:Terence Patrick Brennan
445:Later life and honors
421:and a 7–0 shutout of
371:. He went on to play
703:Rankings from final
696:Rankings from final
479:Head coaching record
365:Milwaukee, Wisconsin
265:Head coaching record
187:Northbrook, Illinois
170:Milwaukee, Wisconsin
152:Biographical details
56:improve this article
1677:Philadelphia Eagles
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1371:Assistant coaches:
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146:Brennan, circa 1946
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1568:George Strohmeyer
1478:Zygmont Czarobski
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1302:George Strohmeyer
1192:Zygmont Czarobski
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1058:Tyrone Willingham
834:James L. Morrison
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223:Coaching career (
180:September 7, 2021
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27:T. Corey Brennan
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1578:Mike Swistowicz
1573:George Sullivan
1513:Bob Livingstone
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1378:Bernie Crimmins
1312:Mike Swistowicz
1307:George Sullivan
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386:Coaching career
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273:32–18 (college)
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71:"Terry Brennan"
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1682:1949 NFL draft
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112:September 2021
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1548:Floyd Simmons
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525:(Independent)
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283:Championships
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167:June 11, 1928
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150:
143:
138:
135:Terry Brennan
126:
123:
115:
104:
101:
97:
94:
90:
87:
83:
80:
76:
73: –
72:
68:
67:Find sources:
61:
57:
51:
50:
45:This article
43:
39:
34:
33:
28:
24:
19:
1766:Leo Skladany
1745:Bobby Wilson
1719:
1715:Don Panciera
1634:Moose Krause
1614:Head coach:
1588:Gasper Urban
1543:Joe Signaigo
1538:John Panelli
1508:Bill Leonard
1493:Bill Gompers
1483:Bill Fischer
1473:Larry Coutre
1463:Corwin Clatt
1452:
1388:Moose Krause
1363:Head coach:
1327:Gasper Urban
1317:George Tobin
1292:Bob Skoglund
1277:Joe Signaigo
1262:John Panelli
1222:Bill Leonard
1212:Luke Higgins
1202:Bill Gompers
1197:Bill Fischer
1182:Larry Coutre
1172:Corwin Clatt
1156:
1097:
1096:
1074:Charlie Weis
1002:Joe Kuharich
993:
954:Elmer Layden
938:Knute Rockne
930:Jesse Harper
842:H. G. Hadden
825:
769:September 8,
767:. Retrieved
763:Yahoo Sports
761:
751:
739:. Retrieved
735:
725:
698:Coaches Poll
681:
667:
524:
519:
474:
466:
455:
448:
439:Joe Kuharich
431:
416:
408:Paul Hornung
404:
389:
381:
358:
340:
339:
318:All-American
182:(2021-09-07)
118:
109:
99:
92:
85:
78:
66:
54:Please help
49:verification
46:
18:
1818:2021 deaths
1813:1928 births
1785:Hank Kalver
1779:Lou Futrell
1770:Russ Strait
1751:Lyle Button
1736:Jon Jenkins
1725:Warren Huey
1705:Frank Burns
1616:Frank Leahy
1563:Art Statuto
1458:Gus Cifelli
1393:Fred Miller
1373:Marty Brill
1365:Frank Leahy
1297:Art Statuto
1272:Vince Scott
1167:Gus Cifelli
1084:(2010–2021)
1082:Brian Kelly
1076:(2005–2009)
1060:(2002–2004)
1052:(1997–2001)
1044:(1986–1996)
1036:(1981–1985)
1034:Gerry Faust
1028:(1975–1980)
1020:(1964–1974)
1010:Hugh Devore
1004:(1959–1962)
996:(1954–1958)
988:(1946–1953)
986:Frank Leahy
978:Hugh Devore
964:(1941–1943)
962:Frank Leahy
956:(1934–1940)
948:(1931–1933)
940:(1918–1930)
932:(1913–1917)
924:(1911–1912)
916:(1909–1910)
900:(1906–1907)
876:(1902–1903)
868:(1900–1901)
852:(1896–1898)
828:(1887–1893)
668:Notre Dame:
528:(1954–1958)
434:Hugh Devore
414:that year.
400:Frank Leahy
316:Third-team
213:Position(s)
1807:Categories
1761:Frank Reno
1754:Bobby Lund
1741:Roy Lester
1685:selections
1593:Bill Walsh
1553:Emil Sitko
1523:Jim Martin
1357:Jack Zilly
1332:Bill Walsh
1287:Emil Sitko
1237:Jim Martin
1162:Al Cannava
1026:Dan Devine
717:References
646:Notre Dame
619:Notre Dame
594:Notre Dame
567:Notre Dame
540:Notre Dame
502:Conference
256:Notre Dame
248:(freshmen)
246:Notre Dame
203:Notre Dame
163:1928-06-11
82:newspapers
1788:Fred Leon
1773:Paul Odom
1757:Carl Copp
1498:Leon Hart
1347:Joe Yonto
1252:Jim Mello
1207:Leon Hart
1066:Kent Baer
1050:Bob Davie
1042:Lou Holtz
866:Pat O'Dea
736:SB Nation
505:Standing
464:in 1981.
253:1954–1958
232:1949–1952
199:1945–1948
1732:Bob Dean
1488:Bill Gay
1092:(2021– )
1068:# (2004)
826:No coach
741:March 4,
511:Coaches
499:Overall
423:Oklahoma
410:won the
373:halfback
292:National
217:Halfback
705:AP Poll
484:College
396:Chicago
375:at the
270:Overall
96:scholar
1012:(1963)
980:(1945)
972:(1944)
908:(1908)
892:(1905)
884:(1904)
860:(1899)
844:(1895)
836:(1894)
682:Total:
309:Awards
189:, U.S.
172:, U.S.
98:
91:
84:
77:
69:
686:32–18
672:32–18
496:Team
493:Year
471:Death
103:JSTOR
89:books
771:2021
743:2022
641:1958
614:1957
589:1956
562:1955
535:1954
427:NCAA
419:Army
322:1947
300:1947
296:1946
242:1953
177:Died
157:Born
75:news
662:17
650:6–4
635:10
623:7–3
598:2–8
571:8–2
544:9–1
514:AP
394:in
290:2×
58:by
1809::
760:.
734:.
659:14
583:9
580:10
556:4
441:.
298:,
225:HC
1668:e
1661:t
1654:v
1427:e
1420:t
1413:v
1131:e
1124:t
1117:v
804:e
797:t
790:v
773:.
745:.
707:.
700:.
632:9
553:4
324:)
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294:(
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100:·
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86:·
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