Franklin Cappon

Franklin Cappon
Cappon cropped from 1921 Michigan football team photograph
Biographical details
Born(1900-10-17)October 17, 1900
Holland, Michigan, U.S.
DiedNovember 29, 1961(1961-11-29) (aged 61)
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1918Phillips
1920–1922Michigan
Basketball
1920–1922Michigan
Position(s)End, fullback, halfback, tackle (football)
Guard (basketball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1923–1924Luther (IA)
1925Michigan (ends/backs)
1926–1927Kansas
1928–1937Michigan (assistant)
1938–?Princeton (assistant)
Basketball
1928–1931Michigan (assistant)
1931–1938Michigan
1938–1943Princeton
1946–1961Princeton
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1924–1925Luther (IA)
Head coaching record
Overall13–14–2 (football)
340–242 (basketball)

Franklin C. "Cappy" Cappon (October 17, 1900 – November 29, 1961) was an American college football and college basketball player and coach. He played football and basketball at Phillips University and the University of Michigan and coached at Luther College (1923–1924), the University of Kansas (1926–1927), the University of Michigan (1925, 1928–1938), and Princeton University (1938–1961).

The son of a wealthy leather manufacturer in Holland, Michigan, Cappon was a star athlete in both basketball and football, and was named to All-Western football teams in 1920, 1921, and 1922. Before accepting a position at Princeton, Cappon was an assistant athletic director and basketball coach at Michigan from 1928 to 1938. In 23 years at Princeton, Cappon won five Ivy League championships, and his trademark "five-man weave" offense became closely identified with the program. He was a mentor at Princeton to a generation of student-athletes, including Butch van Breda Kolff, Bill Bradley and Frank Deford. Cappon died at age 61 of a heart attack in the showers at Princeton's Dillon Gymnasium after a basketball practice session.