Tazio
2nd July 2010, 14:49
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/jul/01/don-coryell/
Don Coryell, the legendary NFL coach and former Washington Husky whose innovative offense was known as "Air Coryell," has died at the age of 85.
Mindy Lewis, the coach's daughter, said Coryell had suffered for several years from a degenerative muscle disease. He'd been staying at a San Diego-area hospital since Christmas Day and died about 3:15 p.m. PDT Thursday of complications from pneumonia.
"He was a warrior to the very end. He actually came home for one day over the Father's Day weekend, and we hoped he'd be home longer," said Lewis, of San Diego. "He was an incredible father and an incredible man."
Coryell was the first coach to win 100 games in both college and professional football. He developed a wide-open passing attack during his 11 years at San Diego State then used it in the pro game - first with the St. Louis Cardinals (1973-77) and then the San Diego Chargers (1978-86).
His Chargers offense, led by quarterback Dan Fouts, set records and led the NFL in passing seven of his first eight seasons with San Diego. Despite going to the playoffs six times and the AFC Championship Game in 1980 and 1981, Coryell never made it to the Super Bowl. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and this year was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Coryell played for the Huskies in 1951 and '52 and was also a member of the 1948-1950 men's crew, according to his induction notice into the Husky Hall of Fame.
More recently, he and his late wife owned a home on San Juan Island, and would spend summers there and winters in Hawaii.
"He was always crabbing and fishing and planting trees," said Lewis. "There was an eagle's nest in lot next to theirs. He loved just being with nature, and looking at the sailboats go by."
Lewis said her father's biggest legacy is the positive impact he had on dozens of young men. Many of those men - who are not so young any more - have been in touch over recent months offering to help out. Coryell's intensity on the field belied a compassionate man, Lewis said.
"Just last week, Conrad Dobler, of the St. Louis Cardinals, said he (Coryell) was the first coach that ever made football fun," Lewis said. "For a huge network of boys, and they were boys when he had them, he's remained a father figure."
Coryell's daughter-in-law Debbie Coryell, of the Bay Area, said Coryell never spoke much about football while around family, at least when he was still coaching.
"That he kept it all at the field or the office was always a surprise to me," said Debbie Coryell. "He was always just learning and curious about things. He never sat around. He was always boating or gardening or fishing."
As well as his aerial offense, Coryell is also credited with inventing the "I" formation when he was a running backs coach at Wenatchee Junior College.
From 1961-72 at San Diego State, his record was 104-19-2. In 14 NFL seasons ending in 1986, his record was 111-83-1.
"He was a warm, gentle, kind man," said Debbie Coryell. "So different from what you saw out on the field."
Posted on Fri, Jul. 02, 2010 03:00 AM
A true Football innovator, motivator, and San Diego legend, his first significant job (after a playing for the Washington Huskies), was as an assistant to John McKay at USC where he was the architect and creator of the I formation. His College coaching career started with the Whittier Poets, He hired an assistant named John Madden.
When they arrived at San Diego State They took on a graduate assistant named Joe Gibbs. He was the first coach to amass 100 college, and NFL wins. His disciples read like a who's who of the NFL. Air Coryell was so revered that the street leading from Mission Village (my home community) to the Stadium was renamed Coryell Pass.
With all his accomplishments few outside the San Diego community really know the true greatness of this man
Don Coryell, the legendary NFL coach and former Washington Husky whose innovative offense was known as "Air Coryell," has died at the age of 85.
Mindy Lewis, the coach's daughter, said Coryell had suffered for several years from a degenerative muscle disease. He'd been staying at a San Diego-area hospital since Christmas Day and died about 3:15 p.m. PDT Thursday of complications from pneumonia.
"He was a warrior to the very end. He actually came home for one day over the Father's Day weekend, and we hoped he'd be home longer," said Lewis, of San Diego. "He was an incredible father and an incredible man."
Coryell was the first coach to win 100 games in both college and professional football. He developed a wide-open passing attack during his 11 years at San Diego State then used it in the pro game - first with the St. Louis Cardinals (1973-77) and then the San Diego Chargers (1978-86).
His Chargers offense, led by quarterback Dan Fouts, set records and led the NFL in passing seven of his first eight seasons with San Diego. Despite going to the playoffs six times and the AFC Championship Game in 1980 and 1981, Coryell never made it to the Super Bowl. He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and this year was a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Coryell played for the Huskies in 1951 and '52 and was also a member of the 1948-1950 men's crew, according to his induction notice into the Husky Hall of Fame.
More recently, he and his late wife owned a home on San Juan Island, and would spend summers there and winters in Hawaii.
"He was always crabbing and fishing and planting trees," said Lewis. "There was an eagle's nest in lot next to theirs. He loved just being with nature, and looking at the sailboats go by."
Lewis said her father's biggest legacy is the positive impact he had on dozens of young men. Many of those men - who are not so young any more - have been in touch over recent months offering to help out. Coryell's intensity on the field belied a compassionate man, Lewis said.
"Just last week, Conrad Dobler, of the St. Louis Cardinals, said he (Coryell) was the first coach that ever made football fun," Lewis said. "For a huge network of boys, and they were boys when he had them, he's remained a father figure."
Coryell's daughter-in-law Debbie Coryell, of the Bay Area, said Coryell never spoke much about football while around family, at least when he was still coaching.
"That he kept it all at the field or the office was always a surprise to me," said Debbie Coryell. "He was always just learning and curious about things. He never sat around. He was always boating or gardening or fishing."
As well as his aerial offense, Coryell is also credited with inventing the "I" formation when he was a running backs coach at Wenatchee Junior College.
From 1961-72 at San Diego State, his record was 104-19-2. In 14 NFL seasons ending in 1986, his record was 111-83-1.
"He was a warm, gentle, kind man," said Debbie Coryell. "So different from what you saw out on the field."
Posted on Fri, Jul. 02, 2010 03:00 AM
A true Football innovator, motivator, and San Diego legend, his first significant job (after a playing for the Washington Huskies), was as an assistant to John McKay at USC where he was the architect and creator of the I formation. His College coaching career started with the Whittier Poets, He hired an assistant named John Madden.
When they arrived at San Diego State They took on a graduate assistant named Joe Gibbs. He was the first coach to amass 100 college, and NFL wins. His disciples read like a who's who of the NFL. Air Coryell was so revered that the street leading from Mission Village (my home community) to the Stadium was renamed Coryell Pass.
With all his accomplishments few outside the San Diego community really know the true greatness of this man