Harry Downes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Harry J. Downes (died February 5, 1970) is a former college and high school football coach. A former All-American at Boston College, he retired from football in 1931 due to injury suffered against Holy Cross. In 1935 Downes became Boston College's head coach after Dinny McNamara resigned due to illness after 4 games. At the age of 24, he became one of he youngest head coaches in the history of college football. After going 3-2 in the remaining 5 games, he was replaced the next season by Gil Dobie and demoted to assistant coach. In 1937 Downes became head football coach at Quincy High School in Quincy, Massachusetts. From 1938 until his death in 1970, he was head coach at Brookline High School. The football field at Brookline High was named in honor of him, however in 2006 the name was changed to the Kraft Family Athletic Facility at Harry Downes Field after New England Patriots Owner and BHS alumnus Robert Kraft donated $400,000 toward the installation and encouraged the National Football League to donate an additional $200,000 to the project.