Hall of Fame
John Hancock was born April 13, 1901 in the small town of Marshfield, Wisconsin. Unlike the small town where Hancock was born and raised, John’s astonishing achievements in athletics, academics and coaching were rather LARGE.
Hancock attended the University of Iowa where he played a significant role on both the football and track and field teams. John earned three letter years and gained All-American honors as a tackle in 1924 for the Hawkeye’s. In 1925, Hancock was also invited to play in the East-West Shrine Bowl for his accomplishments in football that year. John competed in the discus for the Hawkeye’s and won the Big Ten Championship in 1925. Hancock finished his career at the University of Iowa by graduating and receiving the medal of athletic and academic achievement in 1925.
After graduation, Hancock was named assistant football coach and head wrestling and track and field coach in 1925 at Colorado State College (now University of Northern Colorado). While coaching at CSC John earned his master’s degree. Shortly after joining the CSC football program, Hancock was hired as head football coach for the University of Mississippi in 1927. After three years at the helm for the Rebels, Hancock went to Marquette University where he spent two years as the assistant football coach and the head hockey coach. While at Marquette, a school official from Greeley, Colo. visited John and persuaded him to rejoin CSC as head football coach in 1932. Hancock’s football team went on to win four (?) RMAC titles. While at CSC, Hancock coached football for 21 years, compiling a (75-77-6) record for the Bears. Hancock also coached track and field for 30 years, and was the athletic director for 34 years. However, Hancock’s most successful achievements occurred in the sport of wrestling where he guided the Bears program for 32 seasons.
John is known as the father of amateur wrestling in the state of Colorado, as he started the Colorado State High School Wrestling Tournament in 1936. Hancock is also known as one of the most notable coaches at the University of Northern Colorado. Hancock’s wrestling teams won a remarkable 30 straight RMAC titles from the 1937-38 to 1966-67 seasons. The 1963-64 wresting team compiled a 10-1 dual meet record and earned the No. 4 national ranking, which was the highest ever for a CSC team. While at CSC, Hancock also coached 12 all-american wrestlers and two national champions. Hancock’s coaching career spanned 40 years until his retirement in 1966.
During Hancock’s illustrious career at CSC he was given many awards and was part of many different organizations. John was a former president of the American Wrestling Coaches Association and a 16 year member of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee. Hancock was given the Master of Wrestling Award for a lifetime contribution to the sport of wresting from USA Wrestling Magazine. In 1958, Hancock was inducted into the Helms Foundation Wrestling Hall of Fame. Hancock was also a member of the Superior, Wisconsin Sports Hall of Fame and inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1968. Hancock was inducted into the University of Northern Colorado Hall of Fame in 1994, and later into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1998. At the University of Northern Colorado they named the athletic department complex after Hancock and another well respected UNC coach Pete Butler (Butler-Hancock Hall).
The late John Hancock and his wife Alice have two sons, John (Jack) and Tom Hancock. Jack retired from Colorado School of Mines after serving as head wrestling coach for 41 years (1955-1992). Tom retired after a career in administration and head football coach for Lakewood High School. Both Jack and his wife, Mildred, and Tom and his wife, Joan, reside in Golden Colo.