NFL: Innovative football coach Don Croyell dies at the age of 85
The man who re-created football and introduced us to the modern-day passing game has sadly died today, at 85. Don Coryell incontestably was one of footballs most influential coach ever to live. He was widely known was for his innovations to football, such as the passing offence which was universally known as “Air Coryell.”
Don Coryell played as defensive back for the University of Washington before becoming a coach. Don shortly went into coaching after college and became the head coach for Whittier College in 1957.
His philosophy was to recruit junior college players and groom them. With San Diego Aztecs, he piled up a record of 104 wins, 19 losses and 2 ties, which also incorporated 3 undefeated seasons in 66, 68 and 69. Coryell was the head coach at San Diego State from 1961-72. He went to the St. Louis Cardinals in 73’ after leaving the Aztecs. He took Cardinal into winning two consecutive divisional titles in 1974 and 75’. He left the Cardinals after coaching them for only 4 years.
After Don Coryell joined San Diego Chargers in 1978, the team’s win-loss record was an awful 1-4. However, Don’s prodigy proved again, the Chargers were done with loosing and won 8 straight additional games that season.
He had introduced many new formations and techniques in football which till this day are used. He had broaden the horizon of football by commencing receiver sets on the field, by lining up his tight end in several spots, and came up with the idea of attacking defence vertically, creating the “H-back” position. Coryell also formed the dime and nickel defences which made it difficult for the opponents to keep up, as Coryell kept changing his formations in the game. Famous and successful coaches like Bil Walsh from Wizards and Norv turner who is currently Chargers coach have used blueprints of Coryell.
He was widely recognized for developing players, particularly on offense. He has produced 54 players who qualified for the National Football League (NFL) from which 5 were drafted in the first round. By 1967, he had 9 players playing for the First Team All- Americans. Out of the thousands of coaches to come to NFL, one of the most recognized coaches in history is, John Madden who coached under Coryell at San Diego State, who later made it to the Football Hall of Fame as well. Madden who later became a popular NFL analyst after his successful period with Oakland Raiders.
Coryell has led San Diego Sate to three bowl games although he has not won any; he still holds an amazing record of 104 victories with a .840 percentage. His supremacy was unmatched by any other coach of that time, he became the member of the San Diego Hall of Champions, San Diego State Aztec's Hall Of Fame, the University of Washington Husky Hall Of Fame, and College Football Hall Of Fame
He proved his deity, when Saint Louise Cardinals invited Coryell to coach them. The Cardinals had a revolting year in 72’ they only managed to score 22 touchdown, and 2,038 pass yards. A transformation was needed for the time, and so it was given to them by Don Coryell. Coryell improved the team’s scoring drastically; he woke them from their slumber manifesting the team into active giants. Although Cardinals managed to qualify for the NFC East Crown, they could not win it but at least managed to win a division title which they had not since 1948. They finished the season with a record of 10-4 compared to 4-9-1 of last year.
Croyell was someone who tried things that none before him had, he was the Leonardo Davinci of football and always will be remembered as one of the most creative coaches in NHL history.
“The country is full of good coaches. What it takes to win is a bunch of interested players” Don Croyell.
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