Frank and Dorothy Zummach

Frank Zummach is best known for coaching the Sheboygan "Redskins," a National Basketball League (NBL) team based in Sheboygan. He was married to Dorothy Cunningham, who he met while attending school at Marquette University. At time time of Frank's death at age 101, he was the oldest living Marquette University basketball player and NBL coach. Not only are Frank and Dorothy buried here in Calvary Cemetery, but Frank served on the cemetery's board.

Believe it or not, Sheboygan is rich with sports history! NBA basketball actually has its roots here thanks to the Sheboygan Redskins, a team that was coached by Frank Zummach.

Born Francis Zummach in Milwaukee January 28, 1911, he attended Marquette University High School and was a three-letter athlete in football, basketball and track. He went on to be an excellent student athlete at Marquette University, and continued on to Marquette Law School in 1932.

At a height of 5’10”, Frank joined the Marquette basketball team in 1930 as a sophomore, and helped the team achieve their first winning season in nine years. By the next year, he was made co-captain of the team, and helped lead the team to another winning record.

After exhausting his eligibility as a player, Frank became an assistant coach at Marquette and continued for four years after his graduation from law school in 1935. All while also practicing law in Milwaukee.

The summer of 1939, Frank married Dorothy nee Cunningham. Dorothy was also born in Milwaukee, on April 1, 1911. They met at Marquette University while they both attended undergrad. After graduation, she became the girls Program Coordinator at the Christian Youth Organization in Milwaukee.  

In the fall of 1939, Frank was offered the position of head coach for the Sheboygan Redskins, a team in the newly formed NBL, or National Basketball League. The NBL was a Midwest-based league founded in 1937, that was considered the premier professional basketball league in the nation at the time.

The community-owned Redskins formed in 1938, but had a disappointing first season, causing them to search for a new head coach with a reputation for winning. On September 6, Frank signed as coach of the Redskins for $500, and an additional $100 to also serve as the team’s legal counsel.

Frank and Dorothy moved to Sheboygan, where Frank not only coached, but opened a new law practice, and Dorothy became the president and chairman for the Sheboygan County Marquette Alumni Association.

Frank coached the Redskins for 3 seasons – 1939 – 1942. He tried to rebuild the team by recruiting new players, including former Marquette alumni that he once coached. His efforts paid off when the once losing team, tied for first place in the Western Conference of the NBL during his first season. The team’s continued success was attributed to Frank’s skillful coaching.

Before relocating later to the Sheboygan Municipal Auditorium and Armory, Redskins practice and games were hosted at the Eagles Club on the corner of N. 7^th Street and New York Avenue. Capacity was 1,200 people and tickets for each game were .85 cents. The venue also hosted public dances which scuffed up the flooring, creating a more difficult playing surface. But this became a home court advantage for the Redskins as they adjusted, while visiting teams tripped from the stickiness.

Before the start of the 1940 season, the Redskins hosted an exhibition game against the famous Harlem Globetrotters. Sadly, Sheboygan was heavily segregated at this time, and the players were not welcome to stay anywhere, until Frank stepped in and convinced a local hotel owner to provide rooms for the visiting players. The game proved to be a fun one for spectators as the Globetrotters played with their usual antics, but resulted in a disappointing loss for the Redskins.

Frank Zummach stepped down as coach at the conclusion of the 1941 – 1942 season to focus on his law practice. The Redskins continued to be a dominant team in the NBL until 1949 when the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of America to become the National Basketball Association. Sheboygan was a charter member of the NBA, but due to complications competing against teams from larger cities, they dropped out of the league after the 1949 – 1950 season.

Frank Zummach continued to practice law until his retirement in 1996 at age 85. He was a member of the Sheboygan County and State of Wisconsin Bar Associations, and also served as Director of the Sheboygan Savings and Loan Association from 1949 – 1997. He was an active member of St. Clement’s Church for 72 years, and served on the board for Calvary Cemetery.

Dorothy Zummach passed away January 23, 1990, and Frank on April 30, 2012 at the age of 101. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Marquette University basketball player and NBL coach, and he was inducted into the Marquette University High School Hall of Fame in February 2012.

Dorothy and Frank had 3 children, 8 grandchildren, and 23 great-grandchildren. 

Hylton, J. Gordon. Oldest Living Marquette Law School Graduate Passes Away, Excelled in Law and Sports, Marquette University Law School. May 7th, 2012. Accessed October 27th, 2023. https://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2012/05/oldest-living-marquette-law-school-graduate-passes-away-excelled-in-law-and-sports/.

Hylton, J. Gordon. The Marquette Law School Graduate Who Coached in the NBA Finals, Marquette University Law School. May 17th, 2011. Accessed October 27th, 2023. https://law.marquette.edu/facultyblog/2011/04/the-marquette-law-school-graduate-who-coached-in-the-nba-finals/.

Francis Zummach, Dignity Memorial. Accessed October 27th, 2023. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/sheboygan-wi/francis-zummach-5087751.