Members
Inductee
FRIEND, JOHN
FRIEND, JOHN
Born on February 13, 1935
Crawfordsville, IN
Inducted On
December 13, 1987
Location Inducted
East Chicago, IN
Region Number
1
2024
Munster
Coach
Crown Point, IN
1953
All-State Honorable Mention in football and basketball; All-Conference football and basketball junior and senior years; MVP and captain of football and basketball teams.
David Lipscomb College 1957; Southern Illinois University MS 1958
1957
MVP 1956; Co-Captain 1957; 1956 All-Mid-South NAIA All-District in basketball.
Past Football Chairman of National High School Athletic Coaches' Association; served on 3 play-off planning committees for IHSAA; was first secretary-treasurer of IFCA; started and authored Grid Coach Magazine; co-induction chairman of Indiana Football Hall of Fame; past-president of Indiana Football Coaches Association; served as Athletic Director at Munster and as Director of Athletics, Purdue University Calumet; author of Coaching Youth Football which was adopted as National Pop Warner coaches manual in 1977; has served as clinic speaker from coast to coast and Canada; appointed to the Governor's Select Advisor Commission on Primary and Secondary Education 1982; served as district chair of the NAIA District 21, the top administrative position in the 22 member association of small colleges in Indiana; was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame April 18, 2011.
Wife, Betty; children, Tracy, Jerri, and Doug.
Coaching Experience: Graduate assistant, Southern Illinois University 1957-1958; assistant coach, Merrillville HS 1958-1959, Pepperdine University 1959-1962, and Hammond HS 1962-1964; head coach Munster HS 1964-1979, with an overall record of 119-32; also head basketball coach at Munster 1964-1966; retired from coaching in 1980.
Coaching Honors: Won 7 of 10 Lake Suburban Conference titles; coached over 25 All-State players; had 8 teams ranked in the state's Top 10; Coach of the Year locally and in conference; coached on first high school staff in North-South All-Star Game.
Coaching Honors: Won 7 of 10 Lake Suburban Conference titles; coached over 25 All-State players; had 8 teams ranked in the state's Top 10; Coach of the Year locally and in conference; coached on first high school staff in North-South All-Star Game.
