John Joseph Harding (January 4, 1898 â February 24, 1963) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at St. Thomas CollegeâÂÂnow the University of ScrantonâÂÂfrom 1926 to 1936 and at the University of Miami from 1937 to 1942 and 1945 to 1947, compiling a career college football record of 103âÂÂ69âÂÂ12. Harding was also the head basketball coach at St. Thomas from 1926 to 1937, amassing record of 119âÂÂ56. He was the head baseball coach at Miami in 1940 and 1959, tallying a mark of 16âÂÂ14âÂÂ1. Harding was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1980.
During his two stints coaching football at Miami, Harding compiled a 54âÂÂ32âÂÂ3 (.624) record and led the Hurricanes to four seasons of eight or more wins (1938, 1941, 1945, 1946). After resigning from coaching football, he served as the athletic director at Miami for 15 years until his death from cancer, on February 24, 1963, in Miami, Florida.