 His father, the manager and part owner of the Athletics, hired him as a coach and assistant manager in 1924.During the 1937 and 1939 seasons, Mack managed the Athletics when his father (by then in his mid-70s) was ill.It was widely expected that when his father retired, Earle would manage the team and Connie Jr. (Earle's younger half-brother) would run the front office.