Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MAY 2024 43 the eye of the St. Thomas coach, former Notre Dame quarterback Joe Brandy. He and others convinced Bach he could excel on a larger stage and after one semester at Carleton, Bach reached a pinnacle few back in Chisholm could have imagined, when he transferred to Notre Dame. While sitting out the 1922 Irish season due to transfer rules, Bach's willing- ness to contribute led him to a role as a trainer/manager, and he endeared him- self to head coach Knute Rockne. By the fall of 1923, Bach was ready to go. When regular left tackle Gus Stange broke his leg in the Army game, Bach took over and excelled. Reported the Scholastic: "Bach as- cended the ladder of fame by leaps and bounds after the Army game, and was called the tackle find of the year. His massive strength rose to immeasurable proportions in front of the Army line, paving the way for another triumph." Added the 1924 Football Review: "His powers of courage are the equal of any which have ever been displayed in foot- ball. He was a hard and sure tackler and it was not an uncommon sight to see Bach throw the offensive ball carrier for a loss." His strength and consistency were keys in helping the Irish to a 10-0 re- cord, a Rose Bowl triumph over Stan- ford and near unanimous acclamation as 1924 national champions. Bach began his long coaching career as an assistant at Syracuse in 1925, then moved to Duquesne in 1929 to assist head coach Elmer Layden, his former Notre Dame teammate. When Layden left to take over as Irish head coach in 1934, Bach succeeded him for one sea- son leading the Dukes before going on to a two-year stint as head coach of the NFL's Pittsburgh Pirates. Bach guided the Niagara University Purple Eagles for five seasons (1937-41), winning four conference titles, then coached at Fort Knox in 1942. He spent several more seasons as an NFL as- sistant, before guiding the Steelers in 1952-53. He remained in the Steelers family as a scout for years. On Oct. 24, 1966, an athletic banquet in Pittsburgh's Hotel Roosevelt hon- ored Bach with induction into the Hall of Fame of a local coaches group. Only a few minutes after the conclusion of the event, Bach collapsed and died of a massive heart attack. Among Bach's legacies was his best friend from Chisholm, Alfred Maturi, son of an Italian immigrant miner. Be- fore his senior year at Chisholm High, Maturi suffered a serious leg injury working for his family's construction company, and his athletic pursuits ended. However, influenced by Bach's success in South Bend, all four of Ma- turi's sons attended Notre Dame. They include Joel Maturi '67, who served as student trainer for the 1966 Irish foot- ball national champions. Joel went on to a highly successful career as an athletic ad- ministrator at the University of Wiscon- sin, Denver, Miami (Ohio) and the Univer- sity of Minnesota. He was honored with the Rockne Leadership Award at the 2021 Knute Rockne Spirit of Sports Awards. ✦ For more informa on, please visit: www.RockneSociety.org Throughout 2024, the Knute Rockne Memorial Society will remember and celebrate the centennial of the 1924 Notre Dame na onal champions, featuring Coach Rockne, The Four Horsemen and The Seven Mules. Watch for updates! Jim Lefebvre is an award-winning Notre Dame author and leads the Knute Rockne Memorial Society. He can be reached at: jim@ndfootballhistory.com