Former Assistant Football Coach, University of Connecticut Athletics Director John Toner Passes Away
9/23/2014 3:50:00 PM | General
Former Columbia University Assistant Football Coach, University of Connecticut Athletics Director and NCAA President John Toner passed away on September 23 at the age of 91.
“I was privileged to know John Toner as both a mentor and friend. The world of collegiate athletics and Columbia Athletics has lost a wonderful advocate and giant in the business,” said Dr. M. Dianne Murphy, Director, Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education. “John had an amazing and prestigious career at the University of Connecticut. He was a beloved part of the Columbia Athletics Family and we were always so happy to have him with us at Homecoming and The Columbia Athletics Hall of Fame. We will miss him. I will miss him.”
A former assistant football coach under Aldo "Buff" Donelli, Toner was a part of the coaching staff that guided Columbia to the Ivy League Championship in football in 1961. He was an assistant football coach at Columbia from 1957-1965 before heading to the University of Connecticut as the head football coach.
Toner coached football from 1966-1970 at Connecticut and became athletics director in 1969. He served as president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) in 1980-81, and went on to serve as president of the NCAA from 1983-85. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Board of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Toner hired both Hall of Fame basketball coaches Geno Auriemma (women's baskeball) and Jim Calhoun (men's basketball). Toner was also responsible for UConn's becoming a founding member of The Big East Conference in 1979.
Toner was awarded the National Football Foundation's (NFF) Distinguished American Award in 1986. In 1997 the NFF instituted the John L. Toner Award, an award given annually to an athletics director who has demonstrated superior administrative abilities and shown outstanding dedication to college athletics and particularly college football.
It was because of his dedication and contributions to the sport of college football as a coach, athletics director and NCAA executive that Columbia Athletics created the John Toner Columbia Football Homecoming Player of the Game award.
The John Toner Columbia Homecoming Player of the Game award is presented annually to the Columbia Football player judged to be the most outstanding performer in Columbia's annual homecoming game.
“John mentored so many professionals in collegiate athletics,” Murphy said. “He had a profound impact on Columbia University, University of Connecticut and The Big East. His legacy will be evident for years to come.”
