Lisle Blackbourn

Early years

Born in Beetown, Wisconsin, in 1899, Blackbourn attended high school in Lancaster and played college football at Lawrence College in Appleton, under head coach Mark Catlin, Sr. He arrived on campus in 1918, but left after a semester to work on the family farm for several years, then returned to school. He earned "all-state" honors three times for the Vikings and also was a catcher on the baseball team. While finishing his degree at Lawrence, he coached the Vikings' freshman football team in the fall of 1924.

High school coach

After earning his degree in 1925, he became head coach at Washington High School in Milwaukee and continued for 22 seasons, compiling a 141–30–6 record (.814) through 1946. While remaining as athletic director at the school, he was a scout for the University of Wisconsin–Madison under head coach Harry Stuhldreher.

College coach

In March 1948, Blackbourn resigned from the high school to become the backfield coach at Wisconsin, which was Stuhldreher's last with the Badgers, resigning in December. With a new staff at UW for 1949, Blackbourn moved over to Marquette University in Milwaukee as the line coach under head coach Frank Murray, who stepped down after the season for health reasons and was succeeded by Blackbourne in 1950. Blackbourne's 1953 team was 6-3-1, the best record at Marquette in over a decade.

Green Bay Packers

Succeeding Gene Ronzani as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, Blackbourn was hired in January 1954. He had a 17–31 record (.354) from 1954 through 1957, with no post-season appearances, as the only playoff then was the NFL title game. He was asked to resign at the end of the 1957 season after a disappointing 3–9 campaign, but refused and was fired in January 1958. While head coach, he drafted many future hall of famers, including Forrest Gregg, Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor, and Ray Nitschke. He was still the Packers head coach during the first part of 1958 NFL Draft, with the first four rounds conducted in early December 1957. The Packers' first four picks are considered among the best by a team in league history. In addition to Taylor and Nitschke, future All-Pro guard Jerry Kramer and linebacker Dan Currie were selected.

Carroll College

After the dismissal by the Packers, Blackbourn became the head coach at Carroll College in Waukesha for a single season in 1958, with a record of 6 wins, 2 losses, and 0 ties. This ranks him 16th at Carroll in total wins and second in winning percentage.

Return to Marquette

Blackbourn was the 16th head coach at Marquette and held that position twice for a total of six seasons, four from 1950 through 1953 and two from 1959 through 1960. His coaching record at Marquette was 24 wins, 30 losses, and 4 ties (.448). He ranks third in total wins at Marquette and twelfth in winning percentage. After the its football program was discontinued in December 1960, he was a scout in professional football for the Packers and others until he retired in 1972. Blackbourn was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978, and died in 1983 in his hometown of Lancaster.