John Verle Ghindia (October 12, 1925 – March 16, 2012) was an American football player, high school coach, educator, and municipal recreation director.

Ghindia went straight from the Army Air Corp to playing college football at the University of Michigan from 1946 to 1949 under legendary head coaches Fritz Crisler and Bennie Oosterbaan.

He was the starting quarterback for the 1949 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 6-2-1 record, tied for the Big Ten Conference championship, and finished the season ranked No.

At St Pat's, John coached football, basketball and baseball for 7 years, winning numerous Catholic League titles, and never losing to arch-rival Wyandotte Our Lady of Mt Carmel.

At Ecorse High, in 1967, he coached the varsity hockey team (as a last-minute emergency replacement) to a State Runner-up in his only year.

Ghindia was the tennis coach from 1964 to 1985, and led his teams to numerous conference and state regional championships, compiling a record of 251-82.

[1] His father, John N. Ghindia, was a Romanian immigrant who came to the United States in 1915 and worked in various steel mills as a millwright.

Ghindia attended Ecorse High School, and earned 12 Letters competing in football, basketball, baseball and rowing.

In 1942 Ghindia led Ecorse High School to a League Championship in football, and his team was State Class B Basketball Runner-up.

[6][7] As a sophomore, he was a reserve player on the undefeated 10-0 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team, which won the Big Ten Championship, and was dubbed the "Mad Magicians" after dismantling USC 48-0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl.

[9][10] The 1948 team compiled Michigan's second straight undefeated season and was recognized as the national champion in the final AP Poll.

After the Minnesota game, Arch Ward of the Chicago Daily Tribune wrote, "John Ghindia's performance today should dispel all doubt about the caliber of Michigan's field generalship.

"[15] Ghindia started seven of nine games for the 1949 Michigan team that finished with a record of 6-2-1, tied for the Big Ten Conference championship and was ranked No.

[5] In July 1953, he accepted the position of head coach of all sports at St. Patrick High School in Wyandotte, Michigan.

Ghindia's 1956 baseball team was undefeated and beat Austin High School,led by Dave DeBusschere, at Tiger/Briggs Stadium to win the Detroit Catholic Championship.

[20] He helped pioneer the youth hockey programs for boys and girls in the Downriver area of metropolitan Detroit.

My sisters, brother and I learned to play hockey (from him) on outdoor rinks, and we banged tennis balls against gymnasium walls and the plywood boards in our garage.

[1][3] His son John said at the time that Ghindia "kept teaching us and providing a great example right up to the end," and added, "Alleluia & Go Blue!

"[1] Rick Leach, who followed Ghindia as Michigan's quarterback in the 1970s, noted: "He set a very high standard for the rest of us who consider ourselves to be 'good' M Men.