46 Explorer Autumn 2007
Legendary Coach Mixes Wins With Metaphors by Ted Silary Philadelphia Daily News
John F. “Tex” Flannery ’40 1 9 2 2
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The only things John “Tex’’ Flannery cared about more than football were faith and family. And he absolutely loved football. Last fall, even after being diagnosed with cancer, he would show up almost every day at La Salle College High School to help guide the freshman players. Long before that, he had become a legend among the city’s head coaches, after enjoying a fruitful playing career, and even had met his wife because of his association with the sport. Flannery, who turned 85 on October 6th died on November 4, 2007. Such is life in the big city. Tex won’t mind if you say that aloud. In fact, he’d be honored. That was one of his favorite phrases, and he had a million of ‘em. Some even made sense. See, that was part of Flannery’s charm. He’d mix his metaphors – “It’s all water under the dam’’ – in the interest of providing entertainment and giving people stories to tell for the rest of their day, week, month, year, life. Flannery is mostly known in football circles for the twenty-nine seasons he spent as La Salle’s head coach (1956-84), where he posted a record of 149-115-12 in that span, winning Philadelphia Catholic League championships in 1957, 1958, and 1960 and City Championships in 1958 and 1960. But before that, for four seasons starting in 1944, he was a teacher at John Bartram and the school’s head football coach (17-17-0), and it was in that role that he met an Inquirer sports writer named Rosemary McCarron. The article first appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News on Monday, November 5, 2007 and has been reprinted with the permission of Ted Silary and the Philadelphia Daily News.
He cracked one-liners. She became his wife. Their son, Jack, now deceased, starred for Dad at La Salle as a quarterback. Their daughter, Mary, was a reporter for the Daily News and Inquirer and now directs communications for the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. Another daughter, Kate, is Jack’s twin. Flannery and his wife attended Mass on a daily basis. If you mentioned you’d see him soon, he’d shoot back, “With the grace of God and the Blessed Mother.’’ He loved to read, especially books about politics, and offer opinions during Sunday night dinners at daughter Mary’s house. Among the captivated listeners was Mary’s son, John Connors, who somehow wound up playing football for La Salle’s gigantic rival, St. Joseph’s Prep. “He was my hero,’’ Connors said. “He was everything I want to be in life. “There he was, Mr. La Salle, and I was going to Prep. He was behind me 100 percent. My mom forbid him from going to Prep’s practices. Of course, that didn’t work. He always came to support me.’’ The younger grandson, Dan Connors, finished playing just last year for La Salle.