Massengale Balanced Academic Life and Coaching
Posted on June 20, 2016
Alumni Named as NAKHE Fellows
Four alumni of the University of New Mexico have been honored as Fellows by the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE). These distinguished graduates earned doctoral degrees from Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences (HESS), a department within the College of Education.
“These four HESS alumni established themselves as outstanding professionals and went on to become true leaders in fitness, physical education, health, and sport, both nationally and internationally,” says Dr. Todd Seidler, chair of Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences. “Their success has enhanced the reputation of UNM as one of the top PE graduate programs in the country and is a point of pride for former and current students and faculty.”
Massengale Balanced Academic Life and Coaching
Dr. John Massengale
Dr. John Massengale (1939-2013), who earned a Ph.D. in Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences at the University of New Mexico in 1969, served as a professor, head football coach, department chair, dean, and respected leader during his forty years of service in higher education. Known for achieving what few others could—success in both coaching and academia—Massengale served as a model for others to follow. For his accomplishments and service to the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education (NAKHE), he was selected as one of the 2015 NAKHE Fellows.
“He was one of the first to show leadership in physical education as being a serious, science-based profession,” says his daughter, Dr. Dana Massengale, an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Texas Tech University. “He brought credibility to the field,” she adds, noting that several of his books are still commonly used in classrooms.
At UNM, John completed doctoral studies while working as an assistant football coach and also teaching physical education. “It was at this point that John demonstrated the ability to balance his professional life as a coach with his academic life,” writes Dr. Steve Estes, professor and chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance at Middle Tennessee State University.
One of the early scholars of sport sociology, Massengale also taught sport management, sport law, and sport history. With his research, he explored the occupational role conflict of the teacher/coach, writing in 1977, that those hired to be both a teacher and a coach “are seldom fired for teaching inadequacy” and that “teaching expertise seldom substitutes for losing.”
Massengale excelled, however, as both teacher and coach. His first post-doctoral position was at the Eastern Washington University (EWU), where he was promoted to full professorship and named head football coach within six years. In 1975, John accepted the position of Department Chair of Health and Physical Education at EWU, a role that began his career as an academic administrator. He also served as Athletic Director.
In the 1970s, Massengale was instrumental in the merging of two separate professional organizations for physical education—one for men and one for women—into what would eventually become the NAKHE. He served as the president of NAKHE in 1995, and continued to mentor many leaders in the organization in the years following.
In 1985, Massengale moved to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he was the founding dean of the College of Human Performance and Development. After stepping down as dean in 1993, he continued teaching and writing, publishing his fifth book in 1997. After nearly 30 years, he retired in 2008 as professor emeritus, but remained active in several professional associations.
About the Department of Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences
The Department of Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences (HESS) within the College of Education at the University of New Mexico offers undergraduate and graduate degrees to prepare professionals who will positively impact the health and wellbeing of children, adolescents, and adults. The department offers curricula in athletic training, exercise science, community health education, physical education, and sport administration. Undergraduate programs prepare students to be highly qualified teachers and community leaders in health and fitness professions and physical education. The graduate program offers advanced degrees that prepare students for positions in higher education; scientific research; and community, public, and worksite leadership, particularly regarding health, fitness, or sports.
