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M. B. Banks
File:M B Banks - Drake.jpg
Banks pictured in The Quax 1921, Drake yearbook
Sport(s)Football, basketball, baseball
Biographical details
Born(1883-06-05)June 5, 1883
Breesport, New York
DiedJanuary 12, 1970(1970-01-12) (aged 86)
Parkersburg, West Virginia
Playing career
Position(s)Quarterback (football)
Head coaching record
Overall100–73–10 (football)
146–137–1 (basketball)
100–78–4 (baseball)

Mark Beal Banks (June 5, 1883 – January 12, 1970) was an American football, basketball and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Centre College (1909–1911), Ohio Wesleyan University (1912), Ohio University (1913–1917), Drake University (1918–1920), the University of Tennessee (1921–1925), and Hartwick College (1941–1948), compiling a career college football record of 100–73–10. Banks was also the head basketball and head baseball coach at Ohio Wesleyan, Ohio, Drake, and Tennessee. He played football, basketball, and baseball at Syracuse University.[1]

College career[]

Banks graduated from Syracuse University in 1909. There he lettered in football (1905–1908), basketball (1908–1909), and baseball (1909). Banks was an Honorable Mention All-American quarterback in 1908.

Coaching career[]

Banks started his coaching career at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky in 1909. In 1912, Banks was head football coach at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio compiling a record of 3–6 in his only season there. Banks then move to Ohio University in Athens, Ohio in 1913 and coached football five seasons there, going 21–18–2.

Banks became the 12th head football coach at Drake University located in Des Moines, Iowa and he held that position for three seasons, from 1918 until 1920. His overall coaching record at Drake was 11 wins, 10 losses, and 1 ties. This ranks him tenth at Drake in terms of total wins and 12th at Drake in terms of winning percentage.[2] During his time at Drake, he was also the meet director for the (track and field) Drake Relays.

After coaching at Drake, Banks led the Tennessee Volunteers football team to a 27–15–3 record from 1921 to 192. He was the football coach at Tennessee when the iconic orange became the main color for Tennessee's athletic teams. Banks also coached baseball and basketball at Tennessee. In 1927, Banks left for Central High School in Knoxville.[3] Banks coached at Knoxville Central from 1927 to 1930.

In 1941, Banks became the athletic director, basketball, football, and baseball coach at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. Under Banks, Hartwick's football team had their first two winning seasons. Banks coached at Hartwick until 1948 and remained athletic director at the school until his retirement in 1950.

In 1996, Banks was inducted into the Hartwick College Athletic Hall of Fame.[4] The M. Beal (Pops) Banks Award at Hartwick is awarded annually to "individuals, male and female, who have best pursued excellence in their sport to the best of their ability and have enthused others with their dedication and commitment".[5]

Family[]

Banks was born on June 5, 1883 in Breesport, New York to parents David Thomas Banks (December 6, 1851 in Veteran, New York – December 1930 in Elmira, New York) and Emeline H. Parsons (December 25, 1852 in Catlin, New York – May 3, 1938 in Elmira, New York). Before attending Syracuse, Beal Banks graduated high school from the Elmira Free Academy in Elmira, New York. He married Gladys King (March 1888 – 1966) daughter of Rufus Everson King (July 15, 1859 – November 7, 1921) and Clara E. Ingersoll (June 1860 – ?) on October 29, 1910. Beal and Gladys had four children. Banks died January 12, 1970 in Parkersburg, West Virginia of a heart attack.[6]

Head coaching record[]

Football[]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Centre Colonels (Independent) (1909–1910)
1909 Centre 6–1–1
1910 Centre 9–0
Centre Colonels (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1911)
1911 Centre 3–2–1 0–2–1 T–16th
Centre: 18–3–2 0–2–1
Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1912)
1912 Ohio Wesleyan 3–6 2–5 9th
Ohio Wesleyan: 3–6 2–5
Ohio Green and White (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1913–1917)
1913 Ohio 2–5–1 1–3 10th
1914 Ohio 4–4 4–3 5th
1915 Ohio 8–1 2–1 T–4th
1916 Ohio 5–2–1 4–1–1 4th
1917 Ohio 3–5 3–3 T–6th
Ohio: 22–17–2 14–11–1
Drake Bulldogs (Missouri Valley Conference) (1918–1920)
1918 Drake 3–2 0–0 7th
1919 Drake 4–3 2–2 3rd
1920 Drake 4–5–1 1–3–1 5th
Drake: 11–10–1 3–5–1
Tennessee Volunteers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1921)
1921 Tennessee 6–2–1 4–1–1 6th
Tennessee Volunteers (Southern Conference) (1922–1925)
1922 Tennessee 8–2 4–2 T–6th
1923 Tennessee 5–4–1 4–2 T–5th
1924 Tennessee 3–5 0–4 22nd
1925 Tennessee 5–2–1 2–2–1 T–10th
Tennessee: 27–15–3 14–11–2
Hartwick Hawks () (1941–1948)
1941 Hartwick 4–4–1
1942 Hartwick 1–5–1
1943 No team—World War II
1944 No team—World War II
1945 No team—World War II
1946 Hartwick 6–2
1947 Hartwick 5–4
1948 Hartwick 3–5
Hartwick: 19–20–2
Total: 100–73–10
Indicates BCS bowl, Bowl Alliance or Bowl Coalition game.

References[]

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