American Coach

“Maisel presents a thorough, multifaceted portrait of a legendary college coach and dedicated Notre Dame alum. This scores.”–Publisher’s Weekly“American Coach–Ivan Maisel’s masterpiece on Notre Dame football coach Frank Leahy–is one of the great sports books of our time. Years in the making, Maisel paints a portrait of Leahy that is honest, poignant, and riveting from cover to cover. Written in a warm, friendly style that feels as though Maisel is sitting on the next stool at your favorite Irish pub, American Coach reaches beyond X’s and O’s to reveal how Leahy became college football’s second-winningest coach of all time (and the prices he paid to do so). Maisel paints a portrait of an intense, competitive coach adored by millions who struggled to connect with his peers. Leahy’s countless triumphs were glorious, his few tragedies all-too-human. His legacy–and this book–will stay with you forever.” –Patrick Creadon, director, Catholics v. Convicts and Hesburgh“Sharing the seat that Coach Frank Leahy once sat in and knowing the responsibilities that come with being the Head Coach of the Notre Dame football program, I am amazed at all that he accomplished. Knowing that he briefly stepped away from football to serve his country, I have the utmost respect for Coach Leahy. Frank Leahy is an icon in the coaching community, often referred to as ‘The Master, ’ and nobody can master telling his story better than Ivan Maisel.”–Marcus Freeman, Head Football Coach, University of Notre Dame“All great coaches are gifted teachers. But the lessons from Leahy’s own life transcend any field or score–in his drive for greatness, and the enormous price he paid to achieve it. Ivan Maisel’s research and reporting create a deeply human portrait of a man, famous and flawed, who graced the cover of Time, built a sporting dynasty, yet ended up sidelined by history and overlooked in memory. Until now, thanks to this remarkable and compelling book.”–Tom Rinaldi, Emmy award-winning Fox Sports reporter, NY Times bestselling author of The Red Bandanna“Frank Leahy rarely gets his due in the pantheon of Irish immortals and college football legends. American Coach rectifies that brilliantly and in fascinating detail. As the sport navigates one of its most tumultuous periods, it’s important to understand and appreciate figures like Leahy. His story is what modern college football is built on. Ivan Maisel is this generation’s foremost student and historian of college football. American Coach is a must read for anyone who loves stories of uncommon competitors driven to the brink in the pursuit of excellence.”–Rece Davis, host of ESPN College Football Gameday“If not for Frank Leahy, there would be no echoes to wake up at Notre Dame, and no fall-time North Star for generations of Irish-Catholic kids like me to cherish. American Coach is a perfect marriage of all-time great college football coach and all-time great college football writer. Ivan Maisel delivers a classic that’s just like Leahy’s 1970 Hall-of-Fame induction–long overdue.”–Ian O’Connor, author of The Captain, Belichick, and Coach K

Ivan Maisel has covered college football for more than four decades, most prominently at ESPN from 2002-2021, where he wrote for ESPN.com, appeared on television, ESPN Radio and on podcasts. He also served as Editor-at-Large for ESPN College Football 150, the multi-platform history project that in 2019 commemorated the sesquicentennial of the sport. Prior to joining ESPN, Maisel covered national college football for Sports Illustrated, Newsday, and The Dallas Morning News. Most recently, he served as Vice-President, Editorial, and part-owner of On3, a new college football website/app. Maisel left the site in June 2023 to focus on writing books but retains his ownership. He has been honored eight times for Best Story by the Football Writers Association of America, and twice by The Associated Press Sports Editors, which in 2019 named him one of the 10 best sports columnists. He has written three books, including I KEEP TRYING TO CATCH HIS EYE, a memoir of dealing with grief after the death of his son in 2015. Maisel earned a bachelor’s degree in American Studies at Stanford University in 1981.