John Charles Depler (January 6, 1899 – December 5, 1970) was an American professional football player and coach.

There he helped lead Illinois to its second national championship in 1919, and earned first-team All-American honors in 1920.

After graduation, Depler played for the Hammond Pros of the National Football League (NFL).

The following year, he was hired as an assistant coach to Frank "Buck" O'Neill, at Columbia University, where he stayed for the next eight seasons.

In following season, he bought the Dayton Triangles and relocated the team to Brooklyn, New York, with the help of Bill Dwyer, an early Prohibition gangster and bootlegger.