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| Position: | Fullback | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | September 19, 1919 Lansford, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
| Died: | January 27, 2008 (aged 88) Ruskin, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Weight: | 213 lb (97 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Patchogue (NY) Seton Hall | ||
| College: | Boston College | ||
| NFL draft: | 1943 / round: 1 / pick: 5 (by the Cleveland Rams)[1] | ||
| Career history | |||
| As a player: | |||
| As a coach: | |||
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| As an executive: | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Head coaching record | |||
| Regular season: | NCAA: 49–29–3 (.623) NFL: 52–47–9 (.523) | ||
| Postseason: | NFL: 1–1 (.500) | ||
| Career: | NCAA: 49–29–3 (.623) NFL: 53–48–9 (.523) | ||
| Military career | |||
| Allegiance |  United States | ||
| Service |  United States Navy | ||
| Years of service | 1943–1946 | ||
| Rank |  Lieutenant Commander | ||
| Unit | PT boats | ||
| Battles / wars | World War II: Pacific theater | ||
| Record at Pro Football Reference | |||
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |||
Michael Joseph Holovak (September 19, 1919 – January 27, 2008) was an American football player, coach, and executive. He played college football at Boston College, where he was an All-American at fullback in 1942.
Holovak was the fifth overall selection of the 1943 NFL draft by the Cleveland Rams. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Rams in 1946, who had moved to Los Angeles, then with the Chicago Bears in 1947 and 1948. Holovak was the freshman coach at his alma mater Boston College, then was head coach of the varsity from 1951 through 1959, compiling a 49–29–3 record.
In 1960, he joined the Boston Patriots of the new American Football League (AFL) as an assistant under head coach Lou Saban, coaching the offensive backfield. Holovak took over as head coach for the final nine games in 1961 after Saban was fired after a 2–3 start,[2] and remained as head coach through 1968. In 1976, he served one game as head coach for the New York Jets. He was also the general manager of the Houston Oilers from 1989 to 1993. Holovak was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1985.
- ^ "1943 NFL Player Draft". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on January 2, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Holovak shocked". The Telegraph. (Nashua, New Hampshire). Associated Press. October 11, 1961. p. 20.