Posted on 07/01/2010 10:30:14 PM PDT by South40
Don Coryell, who twice reversed the fortunes of San Diego football franchises and revolutionized the passing game in the National Football League, has died at the age of 85.
Coryell died at 3:15 p.m. today at Grossmont Hospital, surrounded by family. He had been been battling a lengthy illness.
Coryell is the only coach to have more than 100 wins at both the collegiate and professional levels and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2010.
“We are terribly saddened by the passing of Coach Coryell,” said Chargers President Dean Spanos in a statement. “He revolutionized the game of football, not only in San Diego, but throughout the entire NFL. Don Coryell was a legend not only with the Chargers but throughout San Diego. Though unfortunately he did not live long enough to see it, hopefully one day his bust will find its proper place in Pro Football’s Hall of Fame. He will be missed.”
The Chargers became known as “Air Coryell” during his nine seasons as head coach, with Dan Fouts leading the way at quarterback.
“A guy like that, you can’t imagine a world without him,” said Fouts last night. “He captured a city from two different levels. People like that are rare. We just lost John Wooden, now Don Coryell — two incredible men who touched so many players’ lives and fans’ lives.”
Earlier, Coryell took San Diego State from being a losing small college program to being recognized nationally, going 104-19-2 over 12 seasons from 1961-72.
Said Mayor Jerry Sanders: "Don Coryell was a legendary figure who, more than any other, is responsible for one of the most electrifying eras in San Diego sports history. A fierce competitor, he was all class, win or lose, on or off the field."
Coryell also coached the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL from 1973-77.
Under Coryell, the Chargers won three straight AFC West championships from 1979-81 and lost in the AFC championship games of 1980 (to Oakland) and 1981 (to Cincinnati).
“We had three, possibly four good chances at going to the Super Bowl,” Coryell said in 1995. “It just didn’t work out.
“If we had gotten there, we would have won at least one of them.”
Although Coryell never coached a team to the Super Bowl, he had a 111-83-1 regular season record as a NFL head coach, including a 69-56 record with the Chargers.
“I had the privilege of playing for him in college and pros," said cornerback Willie Buchanon, who played for Coryell at SDSU and with the Chargers. "He never changed. Same intensity. Surrounded himself with smart, intelligent coaches who had the same philosophy he had. He brought out the best in everybody around him.”
Beyond wins and losses, Coryell was respected throughout football as an innovator and the creator of the “vertical offense” that stretched defenses.
“Don is the father of the modern passing game,” said Joe Gibbs , who assisted Coryell before becoming a Hall of Fame coach with the Washington Redskins.
“He was extremely creative and fostered things that are still in today’s game because he was so creative. You look around the NFL now and many teams are still running a version of the Coryell offense.”
What many people don’t realize is that Coryell was also instrumental in the development of the I-formation running game that John McKay popularized at Southern California in the 1960s.
Coryell ran a version of the I while a high school head coach in Hawaii and as the head coach at Whittier College in 1957-1959. He was an assistant coach to McKay at USC in 1960 before succeeding Paul Governali as the head coach at San Diego State in 1961.
At San Diego State, Coryell inherited a program that was close to folding, quickly turned it into a small college power and developed it into a Division I program before leaving for the NFL.
Coryell’s Aztecs had three undefeated seasons — 1966, 1968 and 1969.
“He hired me (as defensive backs coach) in 1967," said Ernie Zampese. "He’s the finest head football coach I’ve ever been with, really something, a tremendous guy to work with. He hired you to do a job and he expected you to do it."
It was while at San Diego State that Coryell changed his emphasis from the running game to the passing game.
“There were a number of reasons why we developed the passing game with the Aztecs,” Coryell said several years after leaving San Diego State.
“We could only recruit a limited number of runners and linemen against schools like USC and UCLA. And there were a lot of kids in Southern California passing and catching the ball.
“There seemed to be a deeper supply of quarterbacks and receivers. And the passing game was also open to some new ideas.”
From the fifth game of the 1965 season to the penultimate game of the 1970 season, Coryell’s Aztecs compiled a 55-1-1 record that included a 25-game winning streak from 1965-67 that ranks as the 19th longest in NCAA history.
The run was capped with a 29-game undefeated streak.
Under Coryell, San Diego State became known as Quarterback U. — sending a series of quarterbacks to the NFL, including Don Horn, Rod Dowhower, Dennis Shaw, Brian Sipe and Jesse Freitas.
Coryell also helped develop such wide receivers as Isaac Curtis, Gary Garrison, Haven Moses, Tommy Reynolds, Neal Petties and Tommy Nettles.
Coryell’s staffs at San Diego State included Gibbs, John Madden, Claude Gilbert, Zampese, Tom Bass, Dowhower and Jim Hanifan.
“I learned a lot from Don -- keep it simple, get good players and coach 'em," Gilbert said. "Just don’t overcoach 'em. I’ve lost a good friend. Don was a very, very special man, a rare individual. He really cared about people, his coaches and players. He cared about good stuff.”
Said Bass: “He was unique. I don’t think a lot of today’s coaches get as close to players as Don did. Players really loved him, and I think that’s something a lot of coaches miss. I’m going to miss him.”
Coryell’s list of great Aztec players included defensive end Fred Dryer, Buchanon and running backs Jim Allison, Don Shy and Kern Carson.
However, it was after he departed San Diego State that Coryell rose to national prominence — first as the head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals then with the Chargers.
Coryell departed San Diego State shortly after the 1972 season to become the head coach of the Cardinals, who hadn’t reached the NFL playoffs in a quarter of a century.
With Jim Hart as his quarterback, Mel Gray as his favorite target and Terry Metcalf as a multiple threat at running back, Coryell led the Cardinals to back-to-back division titles in 1974-75.
Coryell returned to San Diego five games into the 1978 season, taking over a 1-4 team from Tommy Prothro. Under Coryell, the Chargers finished the season with an 8-3 run then won the first of their three straight AFC West titles the following season.
With Fouts at quarterback, the Chargers led the NFL in passing yards for an NFL record six straight seasons starting in 1978. They also led the league in passing in 1985 and in total offense for four straight seasons (1980-83) and five times in a six-season span.
Fouts, wide receiver Charlie Joiner and tight end Kellen Winslow all were voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame off their accomplishments as Chargers during the era of Air Coryell.
In Coryell’s scheme, wide receiver John Jefferson caught passes worth more than 1,000 yards in each of his first pro seasons — but never again attained the total after being traded away to Green Bay in a 1981 contract dispute.
A year later, the Chargers acquired Wes Chandler to fill Jefferson’s slot and he set a then NFL record by averaging 129 yards receiving per game.
Coryell’s Chargers also featured three of the top multi-threat running backs in the franchise’s history — Chuck Muncie, James Brooks and Lionel James.
“Today is a terribly sad day for anyone who has ever been involved in football," Chargers head coach Norv Turner said. "Coach Coryell’s passing is a great loss for the game. I have the highest regard for him and his impact on the sport. Even though I didn’t get a chance to personally work for him, you almost feel as though you did because of the influence he had on the guys who I learned from, guys like Ernie Zampese. He will most definitely be missed.”
Said Joiner, still the Chargers receivers coach: “I am saddened upon hearing the passing of one of football’s greatest legends. He was a giant. Don Coryell was a great offensive coordinator, a great head coach, and above all, he was a great person. Thanks to Coach Coryell’s offense and his revolutionary passing game, he prolonged my career, from the day I got to the Chargers until the day I retired. I will forever be grateful to him and what he did for the game of football.”
Another of Coryell's former players, current Chargers broadcaster Hank Bauer, said he felt "like I lost a member of my family and the unique thing about that is that there are probably two million people in this city who feel the same way. That’s the kind of impact that Don Coryell had here. For anyone who ever played or coached for Coach Coryell, and I had the honor of doing both, it’s an unbelievable loss. Football-wise, Coach Coryell changed the way the game was played and still is played today. In terms of his legacy as a teacher, a coach and a mentor, his lineage speaks for itself, especially when you look at the guys he brought into the game and their accomplishments. Pro football lost a great man today.”
Although Coryell’s Charger teams were criticized for their lack of defense, the 1979 Chargers allowed a NFL-low 246 points while the 1980 edition led the league with 60 sacks led by the line of Fred Dean, Gary “Big Hands” Johnson and Louie Kelcher.
Born in Seattle on Oct. 17, 1924, Coryell was a defensive back at the University of Washington from 1949-51 before turning to coaching. He is survived by son Mike of Los Gatos, daughter Mindy Lewis of San Diego, and two granddaughters (Loni and Kelly) and a grandson (Cutter). His wife of 51 years, Aliisa, died in December 2008.
“When he passed away, he was in his town, that’s for sure," Zampese said. "His daughter Mindy was great, with him every day up to the end."
Funeral arrangements are pending.
It just happened to be the longest game, but what a struggle to behold. It seemed like it was Ed Podolak against Nick Bonucante of the Miami defense. I was rooting for KC that day, but once again, you have to admire Ed Podolak's efforts...unfortunately place kicker Jan Stenerud was in a slump of some kind and missed 2 FG attempts as I recall.
That has to be heart breaking, because wasnt Stenerud a pretty good kicker? The only thing I remember that would be similar is the Vikings losing to the Falcons in the NFC Championship. I forget which Anderson the kicker was, but he hadnt missed all year, then he misses the game winner. But that was still nowhere as grueling as the Chiefs-Dolphins.
Jan Stenerud was a great kicker. He kicked 3 field goals in KC's Superbowl win in 1970. After the 1972 AFC play-off loss, Stenerud finally figured out what he had been doing wrong while missing those 2 FG's, but in football, there are no Mulligans allowed.
May he RIP with thanks for all the joy and fun he brought to San Diego fans.
Rest in Peace.
Rest in Peace.
Rest in Peace.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.