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{{Short description|Canadian football player and coach}}
{{Infobox gridiron football person
| name = Gino Fracas
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|04|28}}
| birth_place = [[Windsor, Ontario]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2009|10|29|1930|04|28}}
| death_place = [[London, Ontario]]
| team = 
| number = 
| status = 
| import = no
| position1 = Linebacker
| position2 = Running back
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 11
| weight_lb = 205
| CIS = [[Western Ontario Mustangs]]
| CFLDraftedYear = 1954
| CFLDraftedRound = 1
| CFLDraftedPick = 1
| CFLDraftedTeam = [[Ottawa Rough Riders]]
| coaching_years1 = 1963–1966
| coaching_team1 = [[Alberta Golden Bears]]
| coaching_years2 = 1967–1986
| coaching_team2 = [[Windsor Lancers]]
| playing_years1 = {{CFL Year|1955}}–{{CFL Year|1962}}
| playing_team1 = [[Edmonton Eskimos]]
| career_highlights = 
* 2× [[Grey Cup]] champion ([[43rd Grey Cup|1955]], [[44th Grey Cup|1956]])
| honours = * Football Canada - CFL Award of Merit (1987)
* University of Western Ontario "W" Club Athletic Hall of Fame (1984)
* University of Windsor Alumni Sports Hall of Fame (1987)
* Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame (1987)
* OUA Football Legends Hall of Fame
| CFHOF = gino-fracas
| CFHOFYear = 2011
}}
'''Gino Fracas''' (April 28, 1930 – October 29, 2009) was a professional [[Canadian football]] player and hall of fame [[CIS football]] coach. He was professor of Human Kinetics at the [[University of Windsor]] from 1967 to 1995.

== Early years ==
Fracas was born in [[Windsor, Ontario]], on April 28, 1930, and attended [[Assumption College Catholic High School]], where he was named to the All-City football team in 1947 and 1949 and to the all-[[Ontario]] team in 1948 as a [[halfback (Canadian football)|halfback]]. He won consecutive provincial championships with his high school team and another championship with the 1950 Assumption College Junior [[Ontario Rugby Football Union]] team. He also played first base in [[baseball]] for the Windsor Sterlings in the Detroit Federation League and, in 1951, played [[semi-professional]] for the Frood Tigers in [[Northern Ontario]].<ref name="Windsor HoF">{{cite web|url=http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/alumni/sportsHall.nsf/982f0e5f06b5c9a285256d6e006cff78/fc4e417ea0f41ee885256dfd0066ff4a!OpenDocument|title=1987 University of Windsor Alumni Sports Hall of Fame Inductee Gino Fracas|publisher=University of Windsor|access-date=2009-10-30}}</ref><ref name="Sport Fest Windsor">{{cite web |url=http://www.sport-fest.ca/gallery/BioGinoFracas.pdf |title=Gino Fracas: Recipient of Sport Fest Windsor's 2006 "Sportsman of the Year" Award |publisher=Sport Fest Windsor |access-date=2009-10-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100929002417/http://sport-fest.ca/gallery/BioGinoFracas.pdf |archive-date=2010-09-29 }}</ref><ref name="Windsor Star">{{cite news|url=https://windsorstar.com/sports/Windsor+sporting+legend+Gino+Fracas+dies+following+surgery+London/2160389/story.html|title=Windsor sporting legend Gino Fracas dies following surgery in London|last=Parker|first=Jim |newspaper=The Windsor Star|access-date=2009-10-30}}</ref>

Fracas was a running back and linebacker at the University of Western Ontario and played on the Mustangs Yates Cup championships teams in 1952 and 1953.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.therecord.com/Wire/Sports_Wire/NFL_Football_Wire/article/621534|title = Waterloo Region News - Latest Daily Breaking News Stories| date=16 May 2024 }}</ref>

== Professional career ==
Fracas was drafted [[List of first overall Canadian Football League draft picks|first overall]] by the [[Ottawa Rough Riders]] in 1954, but played his CFL career with the [[Edmonton Eskimos]] from 1955 to 1962 and was team captain. He won two [[Grey Cup]]s in 1955 and 1956 with the Eskimos.<ref name="golancers.ca">{{Cite web|url=http://www.golancers.ca/news/2009/10/29/FB_1029095852.aspx|title=Legendary Lancer Coach Gino Fracas passes away|date=29 October 2009 }}</ref>

== Coaching career ==
After his playing career, Fracas became a university football coach. He coached the [[Alberta Golden Bears]] from 1963 to 1966 and lead them to National and Conference Championships in his final year. From 1967 to 1986 he coached the [[Windsor Lancers]]. He founded the football program in Windsor and lead the Lancers to CCIFC championship in 1969 and OUAA Championship in 1975.<ref name="golancers.ca"/>

== Honours and awards ==
University of Windsor's Coach of the Year Award and CIS Football Volunteer Coach of the Year were named in his honour. In 2011 he was inducted into the [[Canadian Football Hall of Fame]].

== Death ==
Fracas died in 2009 at age 79 in [[London, Ontario]].<ref name="golancers.ca"/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110706192905/http://www.oua.ca/about/news/index.html?article_id=5493 Western inducts third class of football greats]
* {{cite journal|last=Kubish|first=Shelagh |year=2007|journal=New Trail|publisher=University of Alberta|location=Edmonton|issue=Autumn 2007|title=A Golden Opportunity|url=http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/newtrail/nav03.cfm?nav03=65870&nav02=65853&nav01=65852}}

{{43rd Grey Cup}}
{{44th Grey Cup}}
{{CFL Number One Draft Picks}}
{{Alberta Golden Bears football coach navbox}}
{{Canadian Football Hall of Fame members}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fracas, Gino}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2009 deaths]]
[[Category:Alberta Golden Bears football coaches]]
[[Category:Canadian Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Canadian football linebackers]]
[[Category:Canadian football people from Windsor, Ontario]]
[[Category:Edmonton Elks players]]
[[Category:First overall CFL draft picks]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Ontario]]
[[Category:Western Mustangs football players]]
[[Category:Windsor Lancers football coaches]]