Ivan Maisel-American Coach

When Frank Leahy retired from Notre Dame after the 1953 season, he had the second-best record in the history of the game (107-13-99, .864). Seven decades later, he still does.

Award-winning sportswriter Ivan Maisel brings the forgotten legend of Notre Dame head football coach Frank Leahy back to life, based on rare and complete access to Fighting Irish football historical archives and the Leahy family.

Ivan Maisel has covered college football for more than four decades, most prominently at ESPN from 2002 to 2021, where he wrote for the network. com, appeared on television, ESPN Radio, and on podcasts. He also served as Editor-at-Large for ESPN College Football 150, a multi-platform history project that commemorated the sesquicentennial of the sport in 2019. Before joining ESPN, Maisel covered national college football for Sports Illustrated, Newsday, and The Dallas Morning News. Most recently, he served as Vice-President, Editorial, and part-owner of On3, the college sports website/app. Maisel left the site in June 2023 to focus on writing books, but retains his share of ownership. He has been honored nine times for Best Story by the Football Writers Association of America and twice by The Associated Press Sports Editors. He is a member of the Sports Hall of Fame in Mobile, his hometown, and in 2025 began a three-year term as a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Maisel earned a bachelor’s degree in American Studies at Stanford University in 1981. #notredamefootball #notredame #ivanmaisel #collegefootball #podcast #authorpodcast