Madigan immediately recruited sixty men and taught them Notre Dame's plays and some tricks of his own, including the "forward fumble."

They featured the first version of a defense known as the "Seven Blocks of Granite," a formidable unit that later would include Vince Lombardi.

Madigan traveled to New York for the Fordham game with 150 fans on a train that was labeled "the world's longest bar."

To stir up publicity for the game, he threw a party the night before and invited not only sportswriters but such celebrities as Babe Ruth and New York mayor Jimmy Walker.

After the 1938 season, Saint Mary's was invited to the Cotton Bowl Classic, where they defeated Texas Tech, 20–13.

Madigan's Iowa roster was mostly filled with players with conditions that exempted them from military service.

Madigan later served as the general manager of the Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) in 1946.