Hundreds of family and friends gathered tonight in New York City to celebrate the legacy of former Orange coach Dick MacPherson. The gathering included former Orange student-athletes, friends of the program and MacPherson’s family to celebrate his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame. On Tuesday night MacPherson will become the 17th person with Syracuse ties to be honored with induction into the fraternity that is the College Football Hall of Fame.
At a reception in his honor, MacPherson spoke about the many coaches and student-athletes who took part in his great success at Syracuse. He also called to the stage the woman who stood behind him throughout the journey, his wife, Sandra. Syracuse University Chancellor and President Dr. Nancy Cantor and Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross paid tribute to MacPherson and his legacy at Syracuse. In a video tribute current Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who was an assistant coach under MacPherson for the Orange, spoke about what he learned from Mac.
“I am not sure I have ever seen anyone more meticulous, who covered every possible scenario you could cover, and really cared about those kids,” Tressel said. “It was a blessing for me because when I went to Youngstown State and started from scratch, and then again here at Ohio State and started from scratch, it was his blueprint that I followed.”
The evening celebrated MacPherson’s accomplishments as the leader of the Orange, including an invitation to the Cherry Bowl and SU’s undefeated 1987 season which culminated in a tie with Auburn in the Sugar Bowl.
Current Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone summed up MacPherson’s legacy for the group.
“You always say, ‘I played for Coach Mac,’” Marrone said. “And now to go around and say, ‘I played for Coach Mac, who was just inducted in to the College Football Hall of Fame,’ is special. For me to be able to say I played for someone like that, it is an honor that is well-deserved for Coach Mac.”
Orange All-American and Rhodes Scholar finalist Tim Green introduced MacPherson, inviting him to the stage.
“No one commanded more respect, more attention, had a bigger presence than Mac,” Green said. “And I, like a lot of people in my class and the players to follow, really believed that he was going to turn this program around.”
MacPherson did just that, leading SU to bowl games in 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1990.
“I firmly believe, and I tell all our football players, find something that you like to do each and every day that you go to work and find somebody you choose to live your life with, and I won in both cases.”