Frosty Ferzacca

Faust Louis "Frosty" Ferzacca (January 29, 1908 – August 13, 2004) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Marquette University from 1954 to 1955 and at Northern Michigan University from 1957 to 1965, compiling a career college football record of 58–36–4. He was also the athletic director at Northern Michigan from 1957 to 1966, Eastern Michigan University from 1966 to 1973, and Florida International University (FIU) from 1974 to 1975 before serving as the commissioner of the Mid-Continent Conference—now known as the Summit League—from 1982 to 1988.

Frosty Ferzacca

Biographical details
Born	(1908-01-29)January 29, 1908 Iron Mountain, Michigan, U.S.
Died	August 13, 2004(2004-08-13) (aged 96) Green Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1927–1930	Lake Forest
Basketball
1929–1931	Lake Forest
Baseball
c. 1930	Lake Forest
1933	Superior Blues
1940	Green Bay Bluejays
Position	Quarterback (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1937–1944	Green Bay West HS (WI) (assistant)
1945–1953	Green Bay West HS (WI)
1954–1955	Marquette
1957–1965	Northern Michigan
Basketball
1937–1945	Green Bay West HS (WI)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1956–1957	Green Bay Packers (dir. ticket sales)
1957–1966	Northern Michigan
1966–1973	Eastern Michigan
1974–1975	FIU
1982–1988	Mid-Continent Conference (commissioner)
Head coaching record
Overall	58–36–4 (college football)
Tournaments	0–0–1 (NAIA playoffs)

Early life and playing career

Ferazza was a native of Iron Mountain, Michigan and attended Iron Mountain High School.^[1] He moved on to Lake Forest College in 1927, where he lettered in football, basketball, and baseball and competed in track and field.^[2][3] Ferazza played minor league baseball for the Superior Blues of the Northern League in 1933.

Coaching career

Ferzacca starting his coaching career at Iron Mountain High School.^[1] He also coached in Montreal, Wisconsin before moving to Green Bay West High School in 1937 as an assistant football coach and head basketball coach. In 1945, Ferzacca became head football coach at Green Bay West when illness forced his predecessor, Lars Thune, to retire. At this point, Ferzacca gave up his responsibilities as basketball coach but also served at the school's athletic director and track coach. Ferzacca remained as the head football coach at Green Bay West for nine seasons, through 1953, leading his team to five Fox River Valley championships and an overall record of 62–16–3.

In January 1954, Ferzacca was named the head football coach at Marquette University, succeeding Lisle Blackbourn, who had taken the head coaching job with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Ferzacca signed a three-year contract with Marquette that paid him an annual salary of $10,000.^[4] In 1950, Ferzacca had been offered a position as backfield coach at Marquette under Blackbourn, but remained at Green Bay West when he signed a new contract with the high school that reportedly gave him "substantial benefits".^[5]

Death

Ferzacca died on August 13, 2004, at a nursing home in Green Bay, Wisconsin.^[1]

Head coaching record

College football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Marquette Warriors (Independent) (1954–1955)
1954	Marquette	3–5–1
1955	Marquette	2–6–1
Marquette:		5–11–2
Northern Michigan Wildcats (NCAA College Division independent) (1957–1965)
1957	Northern Michigan	6–2
1958	Northern Michigan	5–5
1959	Northern Michigan	6–2
1960	Northern Michigan	8–1–1			T NAIA Semifinal
1961	Northern Michigan	6–2
1962	Northern Michigan	6–3
1963	Northern Michigan	4–4–1
1964	Northern Michigan	5–3
1965	Northern Michigan	7–3
Northern Michigan:		53–25–2
Total:		58–36–4