fbpx
Wikipedia

Don Coryell

April 16, 2023

Donald David Coryell (October 17, 1924 – July 1, 2010) was an American football coach. He coached in high school, college, and the professional ranks; his most notable NCAA post was with the San Diego State Aztecs, then he moved on to the National Football League (NFL), first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986. Well known for his innovations in football's passing game, in particular the Air Coryell offense he created with the Chargers, Coryell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Don Coryell
Coryell with the San Diego Chargers c. 1981
Personal information
Born:(1924-10-17)October 17, 1924
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Died:July 1, 2010(2010-07-01) (aged 85)
La Mesa, California, U.S.
Career information
College:Washington
Career history
As a coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career coaching statistics
Regular season:114–89–1 (.561)
Postseason:3–6 (.333)
Career:NFL: 117–95–1 (.552)
NCAA: 127–24–3 (.834)
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Born in Seattle in 1924, Coryell served in the U.S military during World War II and played college football before becoming a coach upon his graduation. Between 1950 and 1960 he served as either a head coach or assistant at eight different institutions, overseeing rapid improvements in most cases and winning three conference titles with the Whittier Poets. He followed this with a twelve-year stint at San Diego State (1961-72) in which he led the previously-struggling program to seven conference titles, three college division titles and victory in three bowl games. During this time, future Hall of Fame head coaches Joe Gibbs and John Madden served on his staff as assistants.

Coryell moved into professional coaching in 1973 with the Cardinals, where he stayed for five years, leading the team to 10-win seasons three times, including the only two divisional titles of their 28-year stint in St. Louis. He left after a dispute with Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill and joined the Chargers early in the 1978 season, going on to lead San Diego to three division titles and one further playoff berth over the course of the next eight years. During his time with the Chargers, Coryell confirmed his reputation as an offensive innovator and passing game specialist; San Diego led the NFL in passing yards six times in a row and seven times in total, while also leading the league in total yardage five times and scoring three times. Coryell's defenses tended to be far weaker, and he didn't make it to the Super Bowl with the Chargers, losing in the AFC Championship Game following the 1980 and 1981 seasons. He was dismissed by owner Alex Spanos following a 1–7 start in 1986, and did not coach again.

The first head coach to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional level, Coryell was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2023, twenty-seven years after his career ended, Coryell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Early life

Don Coryell was the youngest of four children, all boys, born to Julia and George Coryell in Seattle, Washington. Don initially had no middle name, but adopted David at his mother's suggestion, as the biblical story of David and Goliath was his favorite as a child.[1]

Coryell graduated from Lincoln High School in 1943 while World War II was in process, and immediately enlisted in the United States Army.[2] He joined the newly formed 86th Mountain Infantry, a regiment of ski troops training at Camp Hale in Colorado; it would later be combined with two others to form the 10th Mountain Division.[3] While the bulk of his group joined the war in Italy, Coryell was promoted to platoon sergeant and remained in America as an instructor. Preferring to see combat, he applied for officer's school; he was eventually sent to Japan, but only after the war had ended. Coryell later trained as a paratrooper, joined the 11th Airborne Division and rose to the rank of first lieutenant before being discharged at the age of 21.[4][5]

After leaving the service, Coryell enrolled at the University of Washington, studying physical education and earning his bachelor's and master's degrees.[6] He played as a defensive back for the Washington Huskies, lettering as a senior in 1949 and playing in that year's Hula Bowl.[7] He also competed as a boxer, winning the university's light heavyweight crown in 1947 and 1948 before being defeated in the heavyweight title fight the following year.[8][9][10]

Early coaching career (1950–60)

Coryell changed jobs frequently during his first decade as a coach. While earning a master's degree at the University of Washington, he remained with the Huskies as an assistant coach. After completing his studies, Coryell took a job at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he served as both an assistant coach and a biology teacher. The following year, 1952, he moved to another Honolulu school, Farrington High School, for his first head coaching post. He improved a team that had failed to win a game the previous year.[11] In 1953, Coryell moved to the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he compiled a 2–16 record over two seasons.[12] The university did not prioritize sporting success;[11] when Coryell earned his first victory it ended a two-year winless drought for the team, and prompted the Vancouver Sun to write, "Don Coryell has carved himself a niche in UBC's not-too-crowded football hall of fame."[13]

In 1955, Coryell accepted an offer from Wenatchee Junior College in his home state of Washington. The team had gone winless the previous year.[14] Coryell bolstered his squad by recruiting nine players from Canada and seven from Hawaii and led Wenatchee to a 7–0–1 record, before they lost 33–6 to Bakersfield College in the Potato Bowl.[15] During that year, Coryell began using what he called the "IT formation", combining elements of the I formation and the T formation, with the intention of having his backs receive the ball closer to the line of scrimmage. This is today known as the power I formation.[16][17]

Coryell changed jobs in both 1956 and 1957. First, he left Wenatchee for a military team at Fort Ord.[5] Again making use of the I formation, he led them to the service football championship with a 9–0 record.[18] Next, he successfully applied for a vacancy in Whittier, California, replacing George Allen as the head coach of the Whittier Poets, whose most recent Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) title had come five years earlier.[19][20] Coryell remained at Whittier for three seasons (1957–59), winning SCIAC championships each time.[21] The Poets were unbeaten in conference play during his tenure, going 12–0–1 against SCIAC teams and 23–5–1 overall.[22] Coryell adopted a flexible approach to offensive play, based on the abilities of his personnel. Early on in his time with Whittier, he used a run-based attack because his starting quarterback was injured and his backups were less accomplished. Later, Coryell converted a tailback into a talented quarterback and began passing more often. He also kept the program within its budget, which his predecessor had failed to do.[23]

In 1960, he was an assistant coach under John McKay for the USC Trojans, where the I formation would be its signature offense for decades.[17] While the origin of the I formation is unclear, Coryell was one of its pioneers.[5]

San Diego State Aztecs (1961–72)

Coryell's next job was as the head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs, who had struggled prior to his appointment. In 1960, the Aztecs had posted a 1–6–1 record, and lost all five games in their conference, the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The offense produced under 200 yards per game, and scored only 53 points in eight games. Only 6,000 fans were in attendance for a 60–0 home defeat against an inter-state rival, the Fresno State Bulldogs.[24] The Aztecs had failed to win the CCAA or make a bowl game since 1951.[25]

 
 
The Aztecs' points scored per game (above) and points conceded per game (below), from three years before Coryell's arrival at San Diego State to three years after his departure. Seasons where Coryell was the head coach are highlighted in green.[25]

Coryell was named the Aztecs' new head coach on January 11, 1961, and predicted that San Diego State would be a leading small college by 1963.[26][27] He installed the I formation,[28] and instituted a policy of recruiting juniors who had played for two years at junior colleges in Southern California, reasoning that this policy allowed the Aztecs to study their recruits and be sure of their abilities before signing them, avoiding wasting any of their limited budget on substandard players.[29][27] Among his first crop of junior recruits was future Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs.[30][31] The Aztecs improved rapidly under Coryell, as he led the team to a 7–2–1 record in his first season.[25] They followed with their first CCAA title for a decade, going 8–2 overall and 6–0 in their division.[25] The decisive game came against Fresno State, who had won the CCAA the previous four seasons in a row. Before a capacity crowd of 13,000, the Aztecs ended an eight-game losing streak to their rivals, winning 29–25. Coryell was carried from the field by his players at the end of the game. At this point, his offense was based primarily around the run; in the game against Fresno State, the Aztecs gained only 9 yards passing against 269 rushing.[32] Coryell's success led to speculation that he might take a role with the San Diego Chargers or a larger college, but he affirmed his intention to stay with the Aztecs.[33] San Diego State went 7–2 in 1963, earning a share of the CCAA title. They scored at least 30 points in each of their first seven games.[25]

In 1964, Coryell recruited another future Hall of Fame head coach, this time appointing John Madden as his defensive coordinator.[34] Gibbs also moved from a playing role to a graduate assistant coaching position; both would remain on Coryell's staff for three years.[30] The Aztecs went 8–2 in 1964, scoring at least 44 points in all eight of their victories and conceding only 71 points in their ten games.[25] The team used a balanced offense, with Rod Dowhower at quarterback, Gary Garrison the leading receiver and Jim Allison at running back.[35] They were unable to continue their run of CCAA titles, with a 7–0 loss to the eventual champions Cal State proving costly.[36] The Aztecs again finished 8–2 in 1965. They scored 40-plus points in six games and shut their opponents out in five, but lost two conference games and finished third in the CCAA.[25]

San Diego State returned to the top of the CCAA in 1966, posting a perfect 11–0 record.[25] They were also voted the No. 1 small college side by both the UPI and the Associated Press, and won the Camellia Bowl. Prompted by the ability of quarterback Don Horn Coryell shifted his offense's emphasis towards the pass, adopting the pro set formation and using multiple wingbacks in passing situations.[37] San Diego State began the season expected to vie with the Long Beach State 49ers for the conference title;[38] the Aztecs beat Long Beach State 21–18 on October 8 to set up the CCAA title win.[39] Four weeks later they were ranked No. 2 in the UPI and AP small college polls and faced No.1 North Dakota State, winning 36–0 to take over the No. 1 spot themselves.[40] Anticipating muddy conditions in the season-ending Camellia Bowl, Coryell had his offense practice in the shotgun formation; the conditions were as expected, and San Diego State defeated Montana State 28–7.[41]

Coryell came close to leaving the Aztecs in 1967, but ultimately remained and again led them to a CCAA title, the No. 1 small college ranking and victory in the Camellia Bowl, this time with a 10–1 record.[25] He was approached by the University of Arizona to coach the Wildcats, a post commanding a much higher salary than San Diego State could afford. When Coryell mentioned to Jack Murphy (a sportswriter for the San Diego Union) that he was inclined to accept Arizona's offer, Murphy approached the Greater San Diego Sports Association and they agreed to supplement Coryell's salary. This was enough to persuade him to stay.[42] On the field, Horn had graduated, and his replacements were less suited to a pass-oriented offense, so Coryell used a more balanced system.[43] Playing in the newly opened San Diego Stadium and drawing crowds that topped 40,000, the Aztecs won their first nine games.[44] When they eventually lost their tenth, it ended a 25-game winning streak.[45] Two weeks after that defeat, Coryell had to replace six defensive starters due to eligibility issues, but his rebuilt team convincingly won their second straight Camellia Bowl, 27–6 against San Francisco State.[46] During the season, the Aztecs averaged a higher attendance in San Diego Stadium than the Chargers.[47]

 
The Aztecs' average passing yards per game (in blue) and average rushing yards per game (in orange), for each season that Coryell was the head coach[48]

In 1968 and 1969 Coryell had future NFL quarterback Dennis Shaw as his starter, and his offense shifted back towards the pass.[49][50] Coryell was able to lure Shaw away from USC, where McKay had used him as a tight end.[51] The Aztecs finished 9–0–1 in 1968.[25] They declined to accept any bowl invitations, and had withdrawn from the CCAA in advance of joining the new Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) the following season, but were voted the No. 1 small college team in the UPI poll and No. 2 by the AP.[52] In 1969, the team played in the top-tier University Division for the first time and faced higher-rated teams than in previous years.[53][29] Nonetheless, the Aztecs posted their second 11–0 record of Coryell's tenure, scoring over 40 points in seven of their games and only once winning by fewer than 10 points. They became the first PCAA champions with a 6–0 conference record, ranked No. 18 in the UPI poll, and defeated Boston University 28–7 in the Pasadena Bowl.[25] Coryell continued to build a reputation as a top passing coach; Shaw was the nation's top passer with over 3,000 yards, and set NCAA records for touchdown passes in a game (9) and in a season (39). As a team, the Aztecs ranked first in the nation in passing yards, total yards and points scored.[54] Coryell said of his offensive philosophy, "The quickest way to move the football is with the pass. That's the shortest route to the end zone."[9]

Coryell interviewed for Wisconsin's vacant head coach after the 1969 season, but ultimately stayed in San Diego for another three seasons.[55][9] With future NFL MVP Brian Sipe the quarterback the Aztecs went 9–2 in 1970,[56] winning their first nine games before losing to Long Beach State, who shared the PCAA title with them.[25] The loss broke a 31-game unbeaten run and ended a 55–1–1 that had begun in 1965.[57] The 1971 season was Coryell's worst with San Diego State, as they finished with a 6–5 record; it was the only time one of his Aztec teams lost more than two games in a season.[25] Coryell was hampered by a new rule imposed by the university's Student Council removing preregistration privileges from athletes, meaning that they could not be sure of being on the courses they desired. This made recruitment much harder for Coryell, who needed to replace half his team every season due to his reliance on bringing in juniors with only two years of eligibility. He later said, "I couldn't tolerate having my future riding on the whims of others. That's when I started seriously thinking of finding a new job."[58] After interviewing for a vacancy with the Denver Broncos but failing to win the job, Coryell stayed for one further year in San Diego.[59] The Aztecs rebounded to finish 10–1, winning the PCAA with a 4–0 conference record.[25]

Over twelve seasons with the Aztecs, Coryell compiled a record of 104–19–2; combined with his time at Whittier, this gave him an overall college record of 126–24–3. His Aztec teams won four CCAA titles (including one shared), three PCAA titles (one shared), were voted the No. 1 small college three times by the UPI and twice by the AP, and won in each of their three bowl appearances. On his decision to leave San Diego for the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals he said, "I've gone as far as I can in the situation I'm in ... I was blessed as a college coach, yet there comes a time when you want more.[59]

St. Louis Cardinals (1973–77)

1973 season

Coryell's first NFL job was with the St. Louis Cardinals; the Cardinals had a vacancy after dismissing Bob Hollway, whose two seasons in charge had produced a pair of 4–9–1 records.[60] After his off-field difficulties during the 1971 season Coryell had committed to finding a job in the professional ranks, where he would be able to focus purely on coaching and not on recruitment.[61] He contacted the Cardinals about the vacancy and was named their head coach on January 18, 1973, signing a three-year contract.[62] Team owner Bill Bidwill introduced Coryell as a coach who could improve the offense, ranked last in the National Football Conference the previous season. Coryell expressed an intention to favor the pass, saying, "I believe in the passing game... I've gradually come about to a wide-open style of ball,"[63] and explaining that a weaker team's best chance of beating a stronger one lay with the pass.[64] He brought in several of his former San Diego State assistant coaches, including Gibbs, Dowhower and Jim Hanifan.[65][66] When training camp began, several players praised the atmosphere created their new head coach's enthusiasm, positive attitude and willingness to offer praise.[67]

 
 
The Cardinals' points scored and conceded per game from three years before Coryell's arrival in St. Louis to three years after his departure. Seasons where Coryell was the head coach are highlighted in green.[68]

The Cardinals showed no immediate improvement in results, as their 1973 season produced a third consecutive 4–9–1 record.[69] They began well, taking a 21–0 lead less than seven minutes into their opening-day win in Philadelphia and following up by beating the defending NFC East champions Washington in Coryell's regular-season home debut,[70][71] but won only twice more through the rest of the season.[69] The team's passing attack did improve. Jim Hart, who Coryell had committed to as starting quarterback during training camp, set new personal bests by completing 55.6% of his passes (the second-best percentage in franchise history at the time), and being intercepted on only 3.1% of his attempts, second only to Fran Tarkenton in 1973.[72] Despite the losing record, Bidwill expressed satisfaction with the improved morale of the team and gave Coryell a new contract on December 27, extended by two years through to the end of the 1977 season.[73]

1974 season

St. Louis began their 1974 season with little expectation of a playoff run; Coryell expressed concern after a series of weak preseason performances.[74] The team improved greatly once the regular season began, winning their first seven games en route to an eventual 10–4 record and their first divisional title since 1948, when they were based in Chicago.[75] Impressed by his rushing attack's performance in a victory over Atlanta late in the previous season, Coryell opted to shift away from his pass-heavy offensive philosophy, adopting a more run-based style that would control the ball for longer and reduce pressure on the defense.[76] The new approach yielded Pro Bowl appearances for five players, including four on offense.[77] Running back Terry Metcalf doubled as a kick returner and became the first Cardinal to gain over 2,000 all-purpose yards in a season,[78] while Hart won the UPI NFC player of the year award, leading the conference with 20 touchdowns while throwing only 8 interceptions from 388 attempts.[79] The St. Louis defense won a pair of early-season games with late stops, and conceded their fewest points since the franchise moved to St. Louis with 218;[78] Coryell considered them his most improved unit.[80]

St Louis travelled to Minnesota for the divisional playoffs, where they were tied 7–7 at halftime but eventually defeated 30–14 by the Vikings. Coryell said of the defeat, "We had a satisfying, wonderful season. It was great to get here. But it's still a disappointing end."[81] Despite the defeat, Coryell was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year, receiving 50 of the 78 available votes.[82] He had his contract extended again before the following season, running for six more years through to 1980.[83]

1975 season

St. Louis repeated as NFC East champions in 1975, finishing 11–3; they were two games behind Dallas and one behind Washington after losing to both those team in the first four weeks of the season,[84] but defeated both their rivals while winning nine of their final ten games to top the division;[85][86] The team were dubbed the 'Cardiac Cards' after winning a series of close games during their run-in.[87] While Coryell's defense was worse than the previous season, ranking only 10th of 13 NFC teams, his offense continued to improve;[88][89] they also continued to increase their percentage of rushing plays, 555 runs to 355 passes. Coryell said of the shift, "My philosophy is exactly the same. If we're capable of running against a good team now, we will... we've matured in a lot of ways, and now we can run the ball."[64] Metcalf set an NFL record with 2,462 all-purpose yards and the Cardinals had the NFC leaders for both rushing and receiving yards (Otis Smith and Mel Gray).[90] With St. Louis conceding only eight sacks, they had three offensive linemen among their nine Pro Bowlers.[91]

St. Louis were again disappointing in the playoffs, losing in the first round at the Los Angeles Rams. Hart had been more prone to interceptions than the previous year, and he threw two that were returned for touchdowns as the Rams took a 28–6 lead inside twenty minutes, eventually winning 35–23.[92] The Cardinals defense struggled to stop Rams running back Lawrence McCutcheon, who set a playoff record with 203 rushing yards.[93] Coryell commented, "We put our defense in embarrassing positions, but I'm proud our people had the competitiveness to battle back when we were behind".[94] He was again a contender for AP coach of the year, gaining eight votes while Tom Landry of the Cowboys won the award with twelve votes.[95]

 
The Cardinals' average passing yards per game (in blue) and average rushing yards per game (in orange), for each season that Coryell was the head coach[68]

1976 season

Despite a third consecutive season with double-digit wins, St Louis missed the playoffs at 10–4.[96] They again played in a number of close games, standing at 8–2 after Jim Bakken kicked late game-winning field goals in three consecutive weeks, the third of which was a playoff rematch at the Los Angeles Rams.[97] This left them one game behind Dallas and two ahead of Washington, but they lost to both their rivals in the space of four days, both times turning the ball over on downs in opposition territory in the final seconds.[98] In the latter of the two losses, 19–14 in Dallas, there were controversial non-calls of pass interference against the Cowboys as St. Louis looked for the winning touchdown; Coryell claimed, "The game was taken away from us."[99] Despite winning their final two games, St. Louis lost the NFC's lone wildcard berth to Washington on tiebreakers.[96] They had struggled with injuries during the season, as well as frequent fumbles on offense,[100] but set franchise season records for total yardage and first downs, and were again well-represented in the Pro Bowl, with six nominees including four offensive starters.[101]

1977 season

Cardinals finished 7–7 and missed the playoffs again in Coryell's final season.[102] They were again in contention after ten games having won six in a row to stand in the NFC wild card spot at 7–3, but collapsed to lose four in a row, beginning with an embarrassing 55–14 loss to the Miami Dolphins on national television.[103] While the offense remained strong, the defense lacked the depth to overcome a number of injuries, and became one of the league's weaker units.[104]

"This place is tearing my life apart... A lot of our guys are playing out their options and they would scatter if they could. The coaches are all that's holding this team together."

—Coryell, in a conversation with Jack Murphy he believed to be off the record.[105]

St. Louis were eliminated from playoff contention following their penultimate game, a 26–20 home defeat by Washington. Coryell showed anger at the Cardinals fans and organization after the game, saying that the fans had verbally abused both himself and his family, that he had lower wages and fewer assistant coaches than his rivals, and that he should have more of a say over which new players were drafted.[106] Following a meeting with Bidwill on December 12, the owner said that he expected Coryell to return as head coach the following season, though Coryell stated he was still disappointed and upset.[107] The following day, what he had believed to be an off the record conversation with Jack Murphy was published in the San Diego Union. The piece contained more Coryell quotes critical of the Cardinals organization, bemoaning a lack of spending, the quality of his defensive players, and a restrictive contract that forbade Coryell from having any business interests without Bidwill's permission, as well as predicting that the Cardinals would keep getting worse over the next two seasons, and stating that he would only stay in St. Louis if his salary was increased by enough for his family to live in San Diego. Coryell didn't deny the veracity of the quotes, describing them as a 'terrible mistake' and stating that he and Bidwill had made progress over his contract concerns during their meeting, as well as discussing plans to increase the role of Coryell and his staff in the drafting process.[105]

Uncertainty as to Coryell's future followed his remarks, and continued after a season-ending loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His family's preference for living in San Diego prompted media speculation that he would take the San Diego Chargers head coaching job until the incumbent, Tommy Prothro, was given an extension for the 1978 season.[108] On December 22, Coryell accepted an invitation for himself and his staff to coach in the Senior Bowl, having consulted with Bidwill; Coryell led the North team to a 17–14 victory on January 7.[109] Following a 25-minute conversation on January 9, Bidwill released a statement that his Director of Operations would handle any further meetings with Coryell.[110] During the meeting, Bidwill had given his head coach permission to talk to other teams, and Coryell flew to Los Angeles to talk with the Rams the following day.[111] The Rams job went instead to George Allen, in part because Bidwill was asking Los Angeles for a 1st-round draft pick to release Coryell from the remainder of his contract; Coryell also missed out on a vacancy with the New Orleans Saints, despite the price being reduced to a 2nd-round pick.[112]

On February 10, 1978, Bidwill officially announced that Coryell had been dismissed as head coach of the Cardinals, explaining "I just don't think it's in the best interest of the football team for a coach to say that he's unhappy and that he wants another job." By the terms of their agreement, Coryell would still only be able to coach in the NFL in 1978 with Bidwill's permission.[113]

Coryell compiled a record of 42–27–1 during his five years in St. Louis, setting a franchise record for wins by a head coach;[a] his postseason record was 0–2.[115] The two NFC East titles he won with the Cardinals were their only divisional crowns in the city of St. Louis,[b] the previous having come in 1948 (as the Chicago Cardinals) and the next arriving in 2008 (as the Arizona Cardinals).[116] A Sports Illustrated article published in 2020 named Coryell as the best head coach in franchise history.[114] He is credited with improving offensive stars such as Hart, Gray, and Hall of Fame offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf.[117]

San Diego Chargers (1978–86)

See also: Air Coryell

1978 season

Coryell moved back to San Diego in April 1978, having apparently missed out on any head coaching posts for the coming season.[118] He coached a San Diego State alumni team in a match against their current varsity, losing 37–14,[119] and attended a preseason scrimmage between the Chargers and Cowboys.[120] With Tommy Prothro's contract set to expire in one more year, Coryell was rumored to be a likely replacement in 1979.[121] In the event, he missed only four regular season games before he was back to work.[122]

The Chargers, after struggling for most of the 1970s, had entered their 1978 season with hopes of a playoff push; the previous year they had gone 7–7 despite their offense being hampered by a ten-game holdout from starting quarterback Dan Fouts.[123] They opened with a 1–3 record under Prothro, winning their opener before losing three straight, culminating in a 24–3 defeat to the Green Bay Packers in which they committed eleven turnovers.[122] Believing that the team needed "a rude awakening", Prothro chose to resign.[124] The transition happened quickly on the morning of September 25; Chargers owner Gene Klein accepted Prothro's resignation at 5am and telephoned Coryell at 6am to offer him the job, which Coryell enthusiastically accepted. By 10am, Klein had negotiated Coryell's release from the Cardinals in exchange for a 3rd-round draft pick in 1980.[125][121] Coryell described the appointment as "like a dream come true" at his introductory press conference, also stating that he would retain Prothro's staff and noting that the outgoing head coach's offensive system was similar to Coryell's own.[126] The Los Angeles Times described the appointment as "a merger made in Heaven", with Coryell's expertise expected to improve the offense to match the already-strong defense.[127]

 
 
Charts showing the Chargers' points scored and conceded per game, from three years before Coryell's arrival in San Diego to three years after his departure. Seasons where Coryell was the head coach are highlighted in green (light green when he coached for part of a season).[128]

Coryell lost his first game in charge at New England, then won on his return to San Diego Stadium (still shared by the Chargers and Aztecs); a crowd of 50,000 gave him an ovation at both the start and finish of a 23–0 victory over the Denver Broncos.[129][130] San Diego lost their next two games, and were 2–6 heading into a game at the Oakland Raiders, coached by Coryell's former protégé John Madden.[131] The Chargers won that game,[c] beginning a run of seven wins in eight weeks to finish with a 9–7 record.[133] While they missed the playoffs by one game, it was their first winning season since 1969.[134]

After playing conservatively for much of the season, Coryell's offense put up 985 passing yards while scoring a combined 122 points over the final three games.[135] Fouts finished with a career-high 2,999 yards, tying a franchise record with 369 in the finale, while wide receiver John Jefferson, the Chargers' top pick in the 1978 draft, had 1,001 yards receiving and tied a rookie record with 13 touchdowns.[135] As a team, the Chargers led the league with 3,375 passing yards.[136]

1979 season

Coryell added Hanifan and Gibbs to his staff for the third time early in the offseason,[137] soon promoting the Gibbs to offensive coordinator.[d] He was more involved in the draft process than he had been in St. Louis, and instrumental in the Chargers trading up to pick tight end Kellen Winslow in the first round.[139] San Diego entered 1979 with high expectations after their strong finish the previous year,[140] though Coryell played down their Super Bowl chances, noting that they had yet to win even a divisional title since joining the NFL.[136]

In the event, the Chargers did capture their first AFC West title, posting a 12–4 record and clinching the division by beating Denver 17–7 in the final game of the regular season.[141] Nicknamed Air Coryell,[142] their passing attack was the focus of the offense throughout the year, as they called more passing plays (541) than rushing (481), unusual for a successful team at the time.[143] Fouts broke Joe Namath's single-season record with 4,082, and both Jefferson and eleventh-year veteran Charlie Joiner went over 1,000 yards receiving.[141] Speaking of the success of the passing game, Fouts said, "Ninety percent of it is coaching... wanting to pass, teaching it properly, working on it by the hour."[144] The defense was also strong, claiming four interceptions of Denver quarterback Craig Morton in the finale and five of Terry Bradshaw in an earlier win over the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.[145][146] Coryell received 10 votes for AP Coach of the Year, finishing in third place.[e]

"We weren't beaten by signals. We were beaten by the Oilers. We were beaten by a stubborn fine defense, and our mistakes. We're making no excuses about signals."

—Coryell, reacting to reports that Houston had decoded his offensive signals in the Chargers' divisional playoff defeat.[148]

San Diego entered the 1979–80 NFL playoffs having earned home field advantage as the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and were favored by 8 points in their opening game against the Houston Oilers. Despite being without starting quarterback Dan Pastorini and NFL rushing champion Earl Campbell the Oilers won 17–14; Fouts threw five interceptions, two of which led to Houston touchdowns.[149] It emerged after the game that Houston defensive coordinator Ed Biles had broken the code the Chargers used to hand-signal in their offensive plays, giving his defense advanced knowledge of what was to come.[150] Coryell was sceptical as to the truth of the story, and whether any signal-stealing would have a major impact on the game, believing that Oilers would have needed a high degree of experience with the Chargers' system to take advantage of the information. He defended the use of hand signals as opposed to having a runner relay the play calls to Fouts, as the former system was quicker and less prone to error.[148]

1980 season

Coryell's Chargers repeated as division champions with an 11–5 record in 1980; they stood at 6–4 following a mid-season loss to Denver,[151] but ran off five victories in their final six games and beat Oakland to the title on tiebreakers.[152] While the Chargers improved their running game with the midseason acquisition of Chuck Muncie,[153][154] it was their passing attack that continued to dominate, described by the New York Times as having "more in common with fast-break basketball offense than with traditional ball-control football."[155] Winslow, who had missed most of his rookie season with a broken leg, was available for all of 1980.[156] Coryell had him line up as both a tight end and wide receiver, and he led the league in receptions with 89.[154] With Winslow, Coryell began redefined the tight end position into a deep, pass-catching threat too fast for a linebacker and too big for a defensive back, reasoning that "If we're asking Kellen to block a defensive end and not catch passes, I'm not a very good coach."[157] Winslow also joined Jefferson and Joiner in gaining over 1,000 receiving yards—the first trio of teammates to achieve that feat in the same season.[158] Fouts improved on his own passing yardage record with 4,715, while breaking three other single-season records (attempts, completions and 300-yard games), and the Chargers as a team broke the records for most first downs and yards in a season.[154] On defense, the pass rush provided by defensive linemen Fred Dean, Louie Kelcher, Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Leroy Jones was a strength. San Diego had the league leader in sacks (Johnson with 17+1⁄2) and also ranked top as a team, with 60.[f][160]

Again the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs, San Diego opened with a home divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, who possessed the league's top-ranked defense and had beaten the Chargers earlier in the season.[161] Buffalo led 14–3 at halftime before the Chargers came back to win 20–14, the winning touchdown being scored by backup wide receiver Ron Smith with barely two minutes to play.[162] San Diego won despite having to change their offensive formation when blocking tight end Gregg McCrary was injured early in the game. "It took a lot of our offense away from us," said Coryell, who won his first playoff game at the fourth attempt.[163] McCrary would also miss the AFC Championship game against Oakland, forcing Winslow to do more blocking and less receiving.[164] Despite again having homefield advantage, San Diego committed three early turnovers and fell behind 28–7 to the Raiders, eventually losing 34–27. Coryell said, "We didn't play well enough to win... Actually, I was very proud of our comeback in the second half—but it wasn't quite enough."[165]

1981 season

Early in the 1981 season, Coryell lost high-profile players on both offense and defense, with Jefferson and Dean both holding out.[166][167] Klein, who had a personal rule against renegotiating a contract, opted to trade both players.[g] Coryell was not involved in either decision, but did not publicly criticize them.[170] He said of Jefferson, "My job is to coach the football players on the field and that's what I'm going to do—I want to coach the people who want to play,"[171] and of Dean, "We regret it, but this was his choice."[172]

Despite the high-profile departures, and despite an indifferent 6–5 start to the season,[173] San Diego eventually finished 10–6 and won their third consecutive AFC West crown, edging out Denver on tiebreakers.[174] Deprived of Dean's pass-rushing ability and hampered by injuries, the Charger defense declined sharply, rated second worst in the league for total yardage; their pass defense was particularly weak, as they gave up an NFL-record 4,311 yards.[175] By contrast, and despite Gibbs leaving the coordinator role, Coryell's offense continued to break records.[h] They spent some of their capital from the Jefferson trade bringing in his replacement, Wes Chandler,[i] who joined Winslow and Joiner in gaining over 1,000 receiving yards.[178] As a team, the Chargers broke their own records for total yardage and led the league in scoring.[179] Individually, Fouts again broke the NFL passing yardage record with 4,802 and Muncie tied another record with 19 rushing touchdowns while gaining over 1,000 yards; both benefitted from an experienced offensive line who allowed only 19 sacks from 648 pass plays.[180][181] After clinching the division Coryell pronounced himself satisfied to have come through the off-field distractions, blaming the press for stories of discontent within his squad and for criticisms of the defense.[182]

"I have coached for 31 or 32 years and there has never been a game like this. It was probably the most exciting game in pro football history."

—Coryell, reflecting on the Epic in Miami.[183]

San Diego entered the postseason with a trip to Miami to face the AFC East champion Dolphins.[179] Aware that the game would be played in taxing, humid conditions, Coryell decided on the flight over that his players should eat bananas beforehand, reasoning that they contained potassium and would reduce the risk of cramp.[184] In what came to be known as the Epic in Miami; San Diego led 24–0, trailed 38–31 and won 41–38 after nearly fourteen minutes of overtime, having bloacked two potential game-winning field goals by the Dolphins.[183] In keeping with their regular season, San Diego set several offensive records for a playoff game, including most pass attempts, completions and yards for Fouts and most receptions for Winslow; with the Charger defense struggling to stop Miami, the game also set playoff records for combined points and yardage.[185] San Diego advanced to the AFC Championship game, where they would meet the Cincinnati Bengals in what were expected to be freezing conditions; Coryell was concerned that the cold would make the ball heavier and harder, affecting the Chargers' passing attack.[186] Swirling winds on game day made for even colder conditions than expected and added to the difficulty in passing; San Diego lost the game, which would become known as the Freezer Bowl, by a score of 27–7.[187] In the aftermath of the game, Coryell proposed that playoff games should all be played at neutral, warm-weather sites.[188]

1982 season

San Diego made numerous changes to try and improve their defense during the offseason.[189] They impressed in the first two weeks, forcing six turnovers in a 23–3 win at Denver.[190] After one more game, an NFL players strike interrupted the season.[191] With no games to coach, Coryell attended some college football and scouted future prospects.[192] He expressed his frustration as the strike continued, as well as his fears that the whole season would be cancelled, wasting a year of his career.[193] The strike ended after 57 days, resulting in a reduced regular season of nine games.[191] San Diego finished with a 6–3 record, earning the No. 5 seed in an expanded eight-team AFC playoff bracket.[194] They reverted to their form of the previous season after the resumption, both scoring and conceding points at a rapid pace.[195] In back-to-back weeks they beat the San Francisco 49ers and the Bengals by scores of 41–37 and 50–34, with the latter game featuring an NFL-record 883 passing yards.[196] The Chargers led the league in points, total yardage and passing yardage, while their defense was the third-worst in the AFC; explaining the lopsided nature of his team, Coryell blamed the lack of time his rebuilt defense had spent playing together.[195]

San Diego began the playoff tournament with a trip to Pittsburgh.[197] Their ability to perform in a cold-weather city was questioned after the previous season's Freezer Bowl defeat, but they came from eleven points behind in the final quarter to beat the Steelers 31–28.[198] The following week, they travelled to face the Dolphins in a rematch of the Epic in Miami.[199] The game proved anticlimactic as Miami's top-ranked defense shut down the Charger offense in an easy 34–13 win, with San Diego committing seven turnovers; Coryell said afterwards, "We would have had to play our best game against Miami to have a chance to beat them. We didn't do it."[200] It would be the last time he coached in the playoffs.[201]

 
The Chargers' average passing yards per game (in blue) and average rushing yards per game (in orange), for each season that Coryell was the head coach[128]

1983 season

San Diego finished 6–10 in 1983, their first losing record of the Coryell era.[202] The Chargers continued to lead the league in total yardage and passing yardage, but following a midseason injury to Fouts, they could no longer overcome the frailties of the defense.[203] Coryell described the disappointment of missing the playoffs as less intense than the depression of losing in them.[204] After the season, he accepted an invitation to coach in the Senior Bowl for the second time,[205] leading the South to a 21–20 victory.[206]

1984 season

Coryell's employer changed shortly before the season when Klein sold the Chargers to builder Alex Spanos, previously a minority owner.[207] San Diego began the season 4–2 and in the thick of the AFC West race,[208] but won only three more games and finished last in the division with a 7–9 record.[209] Coryell made over forty roster changes during the season, mostly due to injuries, and several starters missed time;[210] Winslow missed eight games with a shattered knee and Fouts three games with a groin injury,[211] while Muncie was suspended for violating the league's drug policy.[212] The defense was again a weakness and the pass offense again a strength,[210] though for the first time in Coryell's tenure they did not lead the league in passing yardage, instead ranking second behind Miami.[j][214] Spanos gave Coryell a public vote of confidence towards the end of the season.[215]

1985 season

On July 9, 1985, the Chargers waived seven veteran players; Coryell stated that the move would allow younger players to gain more experience.[216] Later that month he denied rumors that the players had been cut without his knowledge; he agreed that he had not been part of the decision, but publicly claimed to agree with it.[217] One of the released players, Ray Preston, claimed in a 2006 interview that a tearful Coryell had telephoned to tell Preston of his release and assure him that Coryell would have retained him given the choice.[218] Spanos invested heavily in new players during the offseason and suggested that Coryell needed to produce at least an 8–8 record to keep his job.[219][220]

Coryell's Chargers met Spanos' requirement with an 8–8 record in 1985.[221] The offense bounced back to reclaim their league-leading status, despite Fouts again missing time through injury.[222] despite Fouts again missing time through injury.[223] Coryell had a new weapon in 5 foot 6 inch Lionel James,[224] whose 2,535 all-purpose yards broke the NFL record Metcalf had set for Coryell in 1975.[221] He also set a new record for receiving yards by a running back with 1,027 as the Chargers topped the league in passing for the seventh time in eight years.[225][214] With the defense again among the league's worst,[226] San Diego won games by scores of 44–41, 40–34 and 54–44.[227]

"I want to go out on top as a real winner. I want to be part of this team when it wins. I don't want to wait. I want to win now."

—Coryell, after signing a one-year contract extension. He would be dismissed after only eight more games.[228]

The day after the season finished, Spanos pronounced himself satisfied that his goal of an 8–8 record had been met and extended Coryell's contract by a year to run through 1987 (though the new contract had no guaranteed money past 1986).[229][230] Spanos also promoted receivers coach Al Saunders to assistant head coach, where he would act as a liaison for Spanos and a potential heir to the head coach role.[228] Coryell welcomed the moves, stating that Saunders' promotion would give him more time to work with the defense.[226]

1986 season

Coryell had a strained relationship with Spanos,[231] who began meeting with Saunders to discuss the future of the team, reducing Coryell's authority.[232] The Chargers cut starting linebacker Linden King on July 25, only two days after Coryell had praised his progress in a new inside linebacker role.[233] King defended Coryell and blamed scouting director Ron Nay (an adviser to Spanos) for his release.[234]

San Diego began their 1986 season with an impressive 50–28 win over Miami, but it was to be the last victory of Coryell's 37-year coaching career.[235] The Chargers lost their next seven games in a row, and Spanos dismissed his head coach on October 29, 1986, after over nine years in the job, replacing him with Saunders.[231] While Coryell agreed to put his name to a statement saying that he had resigned, and Spanos denied having influenced him.[230] This version of events was met with some scepticism by Coryell's former players; King declared that Spanos was looking for scapegoats to blame for the team's struggles.[230] Coryell remained silent on the matter for several years, but stated in a 1992 interview that his exit had been Spanos' decision.[231] Spanos confirmed this in his 2002 autobiography; he also said that he regretted not dismissing Coryell and the rest of Klein's personnel as soon as he took over control of the team, noting that Jerry Jones had "cleaned house" when he bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 with good results.[236]

Coryell never returned to coaching after leaving the Chargers, turning down a number of subsequent offers.[237] His regular season record with the Chargers was 69–56, giving him an overall NFL record of 111–83–1; in the postseason, his record was 3–4 with the Chargers and 3–6 overall.[115] The San Diego Union Tribune named him the second-best head coach in Charger history in a 2012 article.[k] The Chargers inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1994.[231]

Legacy

Coryell was the first head coach to win 100 games at both the collegiate and professional levels.[231] He earned a reputation for quickly turning around a losing team, doing so with numerous college programs before taking both the Cardinals and Chargers into the playoffs in his second seasons with the franchises.[239] Coryell is remembered primarily as an offensive coach who could tailor his offense to suit the skills of the personnel available.[240] More specifically, he is associated with innovations in the passing game; the Air Coryell offense he developed with the Chargers was called "one of the most explosive and exciting offenses that ever set foot on an NFL field" by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[241] Three principle players from that offense (Fouts, Winslow and Joiner) would go on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, as would Coryell himself.[242]

San Diego's offense was statistically dominant during Coryell's tenure. They led the league in passing yards an NFL-record six consecutive years from 1978 to 1983 and again in 1985; they also led the league in total yards and first downs in 1980–1983 and 1985, and in scoring in 1981, 1982 and 1985.[243] During his career, Coryell advocated for the league to adopt rules changes that would assist offenses; as well as wanting playoff games to be played in neutral, warm-weather cities,[188] Coryell suggested widening the field and allowing multiple men in motion, as in the CFL.[240] Air Coryell remained influential in the league after Coryell's retirement, with Washington, Dallas and the St. Louis Rams all winning Super Bowls while using versions of the offense.[244][245][246]

Detractors of Coryell point to the Chargers' defensive shortcomings, given that his defenses were in the bottom five league-wide in points allowed from 1981 to 1986.[128][247] Tom Bass, who was a defensive coordinator for Coryell with both SDSU and the Chargers, said Coryell focused on offense during practice. He left the coaching of defensive players and the defensive game plan to Bass. "In planning and designing defense, he simply had no interest", said Bass.[248] However, in 1979, the Chargers allowed the fewest points (246) in the AFC,[249] while their defense led the NFL with 60 sacks in 1980.[160] They declined quickly after the trade of Dean in 1981, becoming a frequent liability for the next five seasons.[250] Meanwhile, Dean would go on in the same year to win UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year (while playing in only 11 games) and help lead the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl both that year and again in 1984. Dean was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008.[251] The San Diego Union-Tribune in 2013 called the trade "perhaps the biggest blunder in [Chargers] franchise history."[252]

As a character, Coryell was known as a scowling, intense presence on gamedays.[239] His focus on football would often lead him to walk straight by friends or players without noticing them or responding when they greeted him;[184] he worked late hours, and would sleep at his team's training facility two or three times a week while the season was ongoing.[253] Coryell's team talks on the eve of a game were described as highly motivational despite being difficult to follow; (Klein: "Players loved playing for him. He was so sincere that even if the things he said sometimes made no sense, they didn't care".)[254] His relaxed approach to discipline and willingness to forge personal connections made him popular with his players. "The most important thing to me about Don Coryell is him as a person. He actually cared about us as players. A lot of coaches don't even know who you are", said Fouts.[248] Coryell did not want to intimidate his players and instead treated his players with respect, allowing them to showcase their strengths. "I don't think a coach has to be a son of a bitch to be successful. I think you can treat men like men", he said.[255]

Hall of Fame induction

After his retirement, Coryell was inducted into the Halls of Fame of the city of San Diego,[256] San Diego State,[257] the San Diego Chargers,[231] college football,[258] and the University of Washington.[259] In 1993, the Chargers inducted Fouts and Joiner but not Coryell; this embarrassed Fouts, who publicly stated that the coach should have gone in before any of his players. Coryell was inducted the following year.[247]

Coryell took far longer to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame, his election coming in 2023 after he had first become eligible in 1992.[l] Possible reasons for the long delay include Coryell's failure to lead his teams to a Super Bowl, a 3–6 postseason record and his perceived weakness in the defensive side of the game.[261][262] Sports Illustrated writer Jim Trotter, a voter on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors, said selectors were hesitant to vote for coaches while there was a backlog of deserving players.[263] Shortly before his death in 2010, he was among the 15 finalists considered by the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee on the Saturday before the Super Bowl. He was not selected that year, and was also a losing finalist in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.[264]

Advocates for Coryell's inclusion included Madden and Gibbs, both Hall of Fame inductees and former members of his San Diego State staff, and his former players Fouts and Winslow.[265][266] Fouts said, "He influenced offensive and defensive football because if you are going to have three or four receivers out there, you better have an answer for it on the other side of the ball. If it wasn't for Don, I wouldn't be in the Hall of Fame."[267] Winslow noted that Coryell's influence on the game, with his basic offensive scheme still in use years later: "It's just a personnel change, but it's the same thing. When the Rams won their Super Bowl, it was the same offense, same terminology. For Don Coryell to not be in the Hall of Fame is a lack of knowledge of the voters. That's the nicest way that I can put that. A lack of understanding of the legacy of the game."[244]

The selection committee chose him as the finalist out of a group of 12 coaches and contributors for induction in the class of 2023.[268] In February 2023 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame; his formal induction will take place on August 5.[269]

Personal life

Coryell met his future wife Aliisa during his year coaching Fort Ord; she worked as a recreation director at the facility.[270] The couple had a son and a daughter, Mike and Mindy.[271] After leaving the Chargers, Coryell and his wife spent time backpacking and fishing while not at their home on the island of Friday Harbor in the State of Washington.[231] Often living without a telephone or television, Coryell did not follow football closely during his retirement.[231]

Death

Don Coryell died on July 1, 2010, at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, California. The cause of death was not officially released, but Coryell had been in poor health for some time.[157]

Head coaching record

College

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs Coaches# AP°
Whittier Poets (Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1957–1959)
1957 Whittier 6–2–1 3–0–1 1st
1958 Whittier 8–1 4–0 1st
1959 Whittier 8–2 5–0 1st
Whittier: 22–5–1 12–0–1
San Diego State Aztecs (California Collegiate Athletic Association) (1961–1967)
1961 San Diego State 7–2–1 2–2–1 T–3rd
1962 San Diego State 8–2 6–0 1st
1963 San Diego State 7–2 4–1 T–1st
1964 San Diego State 8–2 4–1 2nd
1965 San Diego State 8–2 3–2 3rd
1966 San Diego State 11–0 5–0 1st W Camellia
1967 San Diego State 10–1 5–0 1st W Camellia
San Diego State Aztecs (NCAA College Division independent) (1968)
1968 San Diego State 9–0–1
San Diego State Aztecs (Pacific Coast Athletic Association) (1969–1972)
1969 San Diego State 11–0 6–0 1st W Pasadena 18
1970 San Diego State 9–2 5–1 T–1st
1971 San Diego State 6–5 2–3 T–4th
1972 San Diego State 10–1 4–0 1st 20
San Diego State: 104–19–2 46–10–1
Total: 126–24–3
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Professional

Team Year Regular Season Post Season
Won Lost Ties Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
STL 1973 4 9 1 .308 4th in NFC East – – – –
STL 1974 10 4 0 .714 1st in NFC East 0 1 .000 Lost to Minnesota Vikings in Divisional Game
STL 1975 11 3 0 .786 1st in NFC East 0 1 .000 Lost to Los Angeles Rams in Divisional Game
STL 1976 10 4 0 .714 2nd in NFC East – – – –
STL 1977 7 7 0 .500 3rd in NFC East – – – –
STL Total 42 27 1 .607 0 2 .000 –
SD 1978 8 4 0 .667 3rd in AFC West – – – –
SD 1979 12 4 0 .750 1st in AFC West 0 1 .000 Lost to Houston Oilers in Divisional Game
SD 1980 11 5 0 .688 1st in AFC West 1 1 .500 Lost to Oakland Raiders in AFC Championship
SD 1981 10 6 0 .625 1st in AFC West 1 1 .500 Lost to Cincinnati Bengals in AFC Championship
SD 1982 6 3 0 .667 2nd in AFC West 1 1 .500 Lost to Miami Dolphins in Divisional Game
SD 1983 6 10 0 .375 4th in AFC West – – – –
SD 1984 7 9 0 .438 5th in AFC West – – – –
SD 1985 8 8 0 .500 3rd in AFC West – – – –
SD 1986 1 7 0 .125 5th in AFC West – – – –
SD Total 69 56 0 .552 3 4 .429 –
NFL Total[272] 111 83 1 .572 3 6 .333 –

Individual honors

Titles and championships

College

NFL

NFL records

The following records, set during Coryell's tenure with the San Diego Chargers, remain in the NFL Record & Fact Book as of 2023.[275]

  • Most consecutive seasons leading league, first downs: 4 (1980-1983)
  • Most consecutive seasons leading league, net yards gained rushing and passing: 4 (1980-1983)[m]
  • Most consecutive seasons leading league, passing yards: 6 (1978-1983)[n]
  • Most consecutive games, 400+ yards gained rushing and passing: 11 (1982-1983)
  • Most touchdown passes, game: 7 (Week 12, 1981)[o]

Coaching tree

Assistant coaches under Coryell who subsequently become college or professional head coaches:

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Ken Whisenhunt broke this record in 2012.[114]
  2. ^ The Cardinals played in St. Louis from 1960–87.[114]
  3. ^ The 27–23 victory was the Chargers' first in Oakland for ten years.[132]
  4. ^ Gibbs replaced Ray Perkins, who left to coach the New York Giants.[138]
  5. ^ Washington head coach Jack Pardee won the award with 30 votes.[147]
  6. ^ While the NFL did not keep sack statistics until 1982, they were unofficially reported in 1980.[159]
  7. ^ Jefferson was traded to the Packers for one 1st-round pick, two 2nd-round picks, two opportunities to swap 1st-round picks, and wide receiver Aundra Thompson; Dean went to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2nd-round pick and one chance to swap 1st-round picks.[168][169]
  8. ^ Gibbs left to take the available head coach job at Washington.[176]
  9. ^ San Diego acquired Chandler from the Saints in exchange for 1st- and 3rd-round draft picks and Thompson.[177]
  10. ^ The Dolphins broke San Diego's team record set in 1981, while their quarterback Dan Marino broke Fouts' individual record from the same season.[213]
  11. ^ Sid Gillman was ranked above him.[238]
  12. ^ Coaches and players become eligible once they have been retired for five years.[260]
  13. ^ Tied with Chicago Bears (1941-44).[275]
  14. ^ Tommy Prothro was the head coach for the first four games in 1978.[121]
  15. ^ Tied with numerous other teams.[275]

References

  1. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, pp. 27–28.
  2. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, pp. 41–42.
  3. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, pp. 43–44.
  4. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 45.
  5. ^ a b c Layden, Tim. "Don Coryell 1924--2010". SI.com. Retrieved 2010-07-07.
  6. ^ Farmer, Sam (2010-07-02). "Don Coryell dies at 85; longtime coach of the San Diego Chargers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  7. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 48.
  8. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 49.
  9. ^ a b c Smith, Rick (December 18, 1969). "Coryell looms as Badgers football coach". Madison Capital Times. San Diego Evening Tribune. pp. 36, 37.
  10. ^ "Stan Burke wins heavy crown in Husky ring meet". Tacoma News Tribune. February 25, 1949. p. 27.
  11. ^ a b Stein & Clark 1976, p. 50.
  12. ^ . Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
  13. ^ Howitt, Eaton (September 28, 1953). "Coryell king of campus as 'Birds thump Cubs". Vancouver Sun. p. 13.
  14. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 53.
  15. ^ "Bakersfield outscores Wenatchee". Honolulu Advertiser. UP. December 5, 1955. p. B2.
  16. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, pp. 54–55.
  17. ^ a b Center, Bill. "Don Coryell, ex-Chargers, Aztecs coach dies at 85". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  18. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, pp. 60–61.
  19. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 62.
  20. ^ "SCIAC Football Champions". thesciac.org. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  21. ^ a b "Former Poets coach Don Coryell dies at 85". Whittier College Poets. 2010-07-02. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  22. ^ Sanders, Roger. "Air Coryell: will it land in the NFL Hall of Fame (HOF) this time?". morningsentinel.com. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  23. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 63.
  24. ^ "Fresno dumps Aztecs 60–0". Los Angeles Times. October 30, 1960. p. H9.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Aztecs Football 2021 Media Guide (PDF) (PDF ed.). 2021. pp. 204–205.
  26. ^ "Coryell new Aztecs' head grid coach". Los Angeles Times. January 12, 1961. p. IV-1.
  27. ^ a b Nettleship, Johnny (September 11, 1961). "Bulldogs CCA pick but beware spoilers". San Luis Obispo Tribune. p. 12.
  28. ^ "Bulldogs face Aztecs in win string quest". Hanford Sentinel. October 25, 1961. p. 13.
  29. ^ a b "Aztec's Coryell to feel at home at Times banquet". Los Angeles Times. December 5, 1968. p. III-4.
  30. ^ a b c Distel, Dave (January 30, 1988). "Coryell knew what he had in Joe Gibbs". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-5.
  31. ^ "Joe Gibbs". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  32. ^ Farris, Bruce (October 28, 1962). "Vengeful Aztecs edge FSC, 29-26". Fresno Bee. pp. 1-S, 2-S.
  33. ^ Allen, John (November 7, 1962). "Gypsy Aztec coach finds home". Los Angeles Times. p. III-7.
  34. ^ a b "Coryell's SDSU Legacy Includes Madden". Voice of San Diego. 21 April 2009. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  35. ^ Hoyt, William (September 3, 1965). "Aztecs few but packed". Arizona Daily Sun. p. 8.
  36. ^ Sprenger, Bob (November 28, 1964). "Mighty Aztecs at S.J." San Francisco Examiner. p. 42.
  37. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, pp. 74–75.
  38. ^ McCormack, Jim (September 11, 1966). "49ers pick for CCAA". Long Beach Independent. p. C-3.
  39. ^ McCormack, Jim (October 9, 1966). "Aztecs hold off 49ers". Long Beach Independent. pp. C-1, C-2.
  40. ^ "Azteca smash Bison, 36-0". Billings Gazette. AP. November 6, 1966. p. 23.
  41. ^ "Don Horn dazzles fans". Billings Gazette. UPI. December 11, 1966. p. 21.
  42. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, pp. 78–79.
  43. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 80.
  44. ^ "45,296 see S.D. State win, 16–8". Long Beach Independent. UPI. September 16, 1967. p. C-1.
    "Cats fall to nation's No. 1 small college team". Great Falls Tribune. November 19, 1967. p. 17.
  45. ^ "Late Utah State TD ends Aztec's string". Los Angeles Times. November 27, 1967. p. III-5.
  46. ^ "Top-rated Aztecs Camellia victors". Tallahassee Democrat. AP. December 10, 1967. p. 1C.
  47. ^ Hall, John (December 2, 1969). "Human, after all". Los Angeles Times. p. III-3.
  48. ^ Aztecs Football 2021 Media Guide (PDF) (PDF ed.). 2021. p. 172.
  49. ^ Gamage, Walt (December 23, 1968). "Sports shots". Peninsula Times Tribune. p. 25.
  50. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 81.
  51. ^ Orach, Ron (December 29, 1969). "Brash passer Shaw looks at pro draft". Greenfield Recorder. Associated Press. p. 21.
  52. ^ Nettleship, Johnny (October 24, 1968). "JRB drops CCAA as West team". San Luis Obispo Tribune. p. 7.
  53. ^ Sakamoto, Gordon (December 11, 1968). "Jacks' Burman, Fresno duo are on Little All-Coast team". Sacramento Bee. UPI. p. E4.
  54. ^ "Aztecs win triple crown". San Francisco Valley Times. UPI. December 15, 1969. p. 10.
  55. ^ "Aztec Don Coryell wanted by Badgers". Arizona Republic. AP. December 5, 1969. p. 72.
  56. ^ "Former NFL MVP named assistant football coach". San Diego State University. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  57. ^ McCormack, Jim (November 21, 1970). "Cal State 'intercepts' Aztecs on way to bowl". Long Beach Independent. pp. C-1, C-2.
  58. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, pp. 89–90.
  59. ^ a b "Coryell takes pro job". Fresno Bee. AP. January 19, 1973. p. C1.
  60. ^ "Coach Hollway sacked by Cardinals". Hartford Courant. AP. December 19, 1972. p. 48.
  61. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 96.
  62. ^ "Football Cardinals name Don Coryell as head coach". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 18, 1973. pp. 1A, 5A.
  63. ^ "Coryell selected as Cardinal coach". Springfield Leader and Press. AP. January 19, 1973. p. 16.
  64. ^ a b Meyers, Jeff (December 23, 1975). "Improbable Big Red are playoff mystery team". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 2C.
  65. ^ a b c "Hog aid Joe Gibbs to Cardinals". Victoria Advocate. AP. March 8, 1973. p. 3B.
  66. ^ "Two join Coryell". Wisconsin State Journal. AP. January 31, 1973. p. II-2.
  67. ^ Meyers, Jeff (July 23, 1973). "Coryell's wild enthusiasm rubbing off on Big Red". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4C.
  68. ^ a b "Chicago/St. Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals franchise encyclopedia". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  69. ^ a b "Cowboys win Eastern title". Miami Herald. AP. December 17, 1973. p. 3-F.
  70. ^ "Cards trim Eagles on fast start 34–23". Idaho Statesman. AP. September 17, 1973. p. 19.
  71. ^ "Cardinals stun Washington behind Anderson, Shy". Pensacola News Journal. AP. September 24, 1973. p. 1C.
  72. ^ "Writers to salute Big Red's Smith, Hart". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 9, 1974. p. 5C.
  73. ^ "Coryell signs new four-year contract". Moberly Monitor-Index. UPI. December 28, 1973. p. 7.
  74. ^ Meyers, Jeff (December 17, 1974). "Coryell in September: 'Team will come together'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1–8B.
  75. ^ Meyers, Jeff (December 14, 1974). "Big Red can clinch East title-again". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 5A.
  76. ^ Meyers, Jeff (September 5, 1974). "Coryell's lofty thoughts brought back to ground". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 2B.
  77. ^ "Vikes out-pro Big Red, 7-5". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. News services. December 19, 1976. p. 2C.
  78. ^ a b "Big Red go for second title". Flat River Daily Journal. 4 September 1975. p. 2-B.
  79. ^ "Hart selected player of year". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 18, 1974. p. 2G.
  80. ^ "Coryell would like to improve defense". Sedalia Democrat. January 6, 1975. p. 8.
  81. ^ "St. Louis retains pride despite defeat". Palm Beach Post. AP. December 22, 1974. p. E5.
  82. ^ "Coryell receives top honor". Sedalia Democrat. AP. January 5, 1974. p. 6B.
  83. ^ "Big Red extends pact with Coryell to 1980". Flat River Daily Journal. UPI. January 21, 1977. p. 7.
  84. ^ "Fake punt touchdown leads the way". Jefferson City Daily Capital. AP. October 15, 1975. p. 9.
  85. ^ "Cards prevail in overtime". St. Joseph Gazette. AP. November 17, 1975. p. 1B.
  86. ^ "Otis chalks up 147 yards as Cards clinch division". St. Joseph Gazette. AP. December 15, 1975. p. 1B.
  87. ^ "Cardiac Cards roll". Arlington Heights Daily Herald. December 8, 1975. p. IV-2.
  88. ^ "Coryell denies rift with management". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. January 2, 1976. p. 15A.
  89. ^ Broeg, Bob (July 27, 1976). "No losers in Big red's benefit game with the Jets". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 2C.
  90. ^ "Football Cardinals open camp Saturday". Flat River Daily Journal. July 8, 1975. p. 7.
  91. ^ Grow, Doug (December 24, 1975). "No Pro Bowl for Young". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1C, 2C.
  92. ^ Grow, Doug (December 26, 1975). "Cards have confidence up their sleeves". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1–16D.
  93. ^ "Cards out of playoffs". Sedalia Democrat. AP. December 28, 1975. p. 6B.
  94. ^ "Touchdown double-sweet". Oakland Tribune. Associated Press. December 28, 1975. p. 5C.
  95. ^ "Dallas coach Landry gets honor". Flat River Daily Journal. UPI. January 2, 1976. p. 7.
  96. ^ a b "Cards defeat Giants, 17-14". Escondido Times-Advocate. AP. December 13, 1976. p. A-10.
  97. ^ Meyers, Jeff (November 15, 1976). "Big Red Hollywood finish". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1, 6A.
  98. ^ "Cards squander 'patented victory'". Southern Illinoisan. AP. November 22, 1976. p. 11.
  99. ^ "Cardinals level blast at referees". Kansas City Star. AP. November 26, 1976. p. 20.
  100. ^ "Cardinals play must-win game". Port Huron Times Herald. Gannett News Service. December 10, 1976. p. FP-1.
  101. ^ "Big Red return six to Pro Bowl". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. December 15, 1976. pp. 1–8C.
  102. ^ "Sports talk". Indianapolis News. December 20, 1977. p. 26.
  103. ^ "Cardinals become Dolphins' turkey". Owen Sound Sun Times. Associated Press. November 25, 1977. p. 8.
  104. ^ "Cards' loss to Buccaneers costly". Naples Daily News. UPI. December 20, 1977. p. 1C.
  105. ^ a b Grow, Doug (December 14, 1977). "Coryell calls San Diego story 'terrible mistake". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1A, 4A.
  106. ^ "Coryell angry in St. Louis". Billings Gazette. AP. December 12, 1977. p. 3-C.
  107. ^ Tomjan, Laszlo K. (December 13, 1977). "Coryell remains upset". Springfield Leader and Press. UPI. p. 14.
  108. ^ Grow, Doug (December 23, 1977). "Coryell's Senior Bowl job may change old answers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1–12B.
  109. ^ "Players surprise coach". Columbia Record. AP. January 9, 1978. p. 6-D.
  110. ^ "Possible LA Rams coaching shift". Santa Cruz Sentinel. AP. January 19, 1978. p. 12.
  111. ^ "Cards' price: No 1 draft pick". Honolulu Advertiser. United Press International. January 12, 1978. p. D-1.
  112. ^ "Don Coryell tops list with Saints". Idaho Statesman. UPI. February 5, 1978. p. 4F.
  113. ^ "Don Coryell loses job with Cards". Odessa American. AP. February 11, 1978. p. 3B.
  114. ^ a b c Harner, Andrew. "Best Head Coaches in Arizona Cardinals History". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  115. ^ a b "Don Coryell's record". Lafayette Journal and Courier. October 30, 1986. p. B2.
  116. ^ "Inside the numbers". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. December 8, 2008. p. 3DD.
  117. ^ "Gold Jack Spotlight: Even Big Men Like Dan Dierdorf Can Create Separation". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  118. ^ "Coryell taking life easy". Escondido Times-Advocate. AP. April 28, 1978. p. B-1.
  119. ^ "Varsity thumps alumni, 37-14". Escondido Times-Advocate. April 30, 1978. p. B-1.
  120. ^ Distel, Dave (July 20, 1978). "Chargers' center lost; hurts knee on opening play". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-8.
  121. ^ a b c Distel, Dave (September 26, 1978). "Prothro retires early as coach of Chargers". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-4.
  122. ^ a b "Prothro Out, Coryell Hired". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. September 26, 1978. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
  123. ^ Pascarelli, Peter (July 24, 1978). "Chargers could jolt AFC". Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. p. 6D.
  124. ^ Klein & Fisher 1987, p. 135.
  125. ^ Klein & Fisher 1987, p. 136.
  126. ^ "From San Diego State to San Diego Chargers". Palm Springs Desert Sun. AP. September 26, 1978. p. B1.
  127. ^ Oates, Bob (October 1, 1978). "Pro football". Los Angeles Times. p. III-2.
  128. ^ a b c "Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers Franchise Encyclopedia". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  129. ^ Kaegel, Dick (October 9, 1978). "Coryell returns, San Diego roars". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 1-BC.
  130. ^ "Chargers dominate Broncos". Berkeley Gazette. AP. October 9, 1978. p. 11.
  131. ^ "Revenge motive for San Diego". Daily Oklahoman. AP. October 29, 1978. p. B12.
  132. ^ "Unknown leads SD to win over Raiders". Salinas Californian. UPI. October 30, 1978. pp. 25, 27.
  133. ^ "Supercharged San Diego runs over playoff-bound Houston". Victor Valley Press. UPI. December 18, 1978. p. 6.
  134. ^ Jaworski, Plaut & Cosell 2011, p. 90.
  135. ^ a b Maffei, John (December 27, 1978). "Chargers end on a high note". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. D-1, D-3.
  136. ^ a b "Chargers appear to be contender". Flat River Daily Journal. UPI. September 17, 1979. p. 17.
  137. ^ "Hanifan comes home to join Chargers". Escondido Times-Advocate. AP. January 18, 1979. p. D-2.
  138. ^ a b Slater, Chuck (December 19, 1979). "Fouts has passed the test; QB's stats say he's no fluke". New York Daily News. p. 72.
  139. ^ Distel, Dave (May 4, 1979). "Fast deal made with the Browns". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-8.
  140. ^ Ruben, Harry (December 21, 1978). "The day the set went off". Chula Vista Star-News. p. B-4.
  141. ^ a b Maffei, John (December 18, 1979). "Chargers turn out the lights with a power surge". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. D-1, D-3.
  142. ^ "Chargermania". Escondido Times-Advocate. December 30, 1979. p. 3.
  143. ^ Elderkin, Phil (September 16, 1980). "Chargers, in passing, write a book". Christian Science Monitor. from the original on February 1, 2014.
  144. ^ Oates, Bob (December 14, 1979). "San Diego's other mountain man". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-16 – via Newspapers.com.
  145. ^ Kenney Jr., Ron (December 18, 1979). "Dee-fense does it for Chargers". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. D-1, D-3.
  146. ^ Oberjuerge, Paul (November 22, 1979). "Steel curtain ripped". Port Huron Times Herald. p. 3B.
  147. ^ Lowitt, Bruce (December 19, 1979). "Commanders' Pardee is Coach of Year". Buffalo News. AP. p. 59.
  148. ^ a b Brady, Dave. "Coryell Scoffs At Reports of Signal Theft". Washington Post. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  149. ^ "Phillips: 'character exhibited'". Lancaster Sunday News. AP. December 30, 1979. p. C-3.
  150. ^ Collett, Ritter (January 4, 1980). "Another controversy for Eddie Biles". Dayton Journal Herald. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  151. ^ Distel, Dave (November 10, 1980). "Denver draws the line on Chargers, 20–13". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-9.
  152. ^ "Benirschke, Fouts pace Chargers to 26–17 win". Sacramento Bee. AP. 23 December 1980. pp. C1, C4.
  153. ^ "Chuck Muncie's arrival delights Charger coach". Berkshire Eagle. UPI. September 30, 1980. p. 25.
  154. ^ a b c "Lowe may miss the playoffs". Escondido Times-Advocate. AP. December 24, 1980. p. D-1 – via Newspapers.com.
  155. ^ Vecsey, George (December 25, 1980). "Warfield says Jefferson best receiver in football". Corvallis Gazette-Times. The New York Times. p. 18.
  156. ^ Caser, Dan (September 28, 1980). "Chargers' Winslow prepares for a Missouri homecoming". St. Joseph News-Press. p. 3F.
  157. ^ a b "Ex-Chargers coach Don Coryell dies". 2010-07-02. Retrieved 2010-07-02.
  158. ^ "Charlie Joiner enjoys his role". Palm Springs Desert Sun. AP. December 22, 1980. p. B5 – via Newspapers.com.
  159. ^ Wassink, Zac (16 July 2021). "NFL not making pre-1982 sack stats official?". MSN.
  160. ^ a b Moore, David Leon (January 11, 1981). "Chargers, Raiders bring intense feud to field". Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Gannett News Service. p. 9D.
  161. ^ "Chargers, Bills to test strength". Moline Dispatch. UPI. January 3, 1981. p. 9.
  162. ^ "'Electric' Chargers shock Bills, 20–-14". Santa Cruz Sentinel. AP. January 4, 1981. pp. 47, 50 – via Newspapers.com.
  163. ^ "Ex-Ram Ron Smith key man for Chargers". Hartford Courant. AP. January 4, 1981. p. D8.
  164. ^ Bock, Hal (January 6, 1980). "Injuries to Eagles, Chargers may force new game plans". Reno Gazette-Journal. p. 32.
  165. ^ Maffei, John (January 12, 1981). "Chargers' story ends on super sour note". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. D-1, D-2 – via Newspapers.com.
  166. ^ Tully, Mike (July 28, 1981). "John Jefferson holds out for more money". St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune. UPI. p. 2.
  167. ^ "Unhappy Fred Dean returns to Chargers". Madison Capital Times. AP. September 26, 1981. p. 17.
  168. ^ "Chargers, Packers complete Jefferson deal". Lebanon Daily News. UPI. September 23, 1981. p. 24.
  169. ^ "Discontented Dean sent by Chargers to 49ers". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. UPI. October 3, 1981. p. 5A.
  170. ^ Klein & Fisher 1987, p. 160.
  171. ^ "Chargers trade John Jefferson". Salinas Californian. AP. October 3, 1981. p. 21.
  172. ^ "San Diego's Fred Dean traded to San Francisco". Palm Beach Post. Post Wire Services. October 3, 1981. p. D6.
  173. ^ Distel, Dave (November 17, 1981). "Seahawks join the crowd, rout Chargers". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-5 – via Newspapers.com.
  174. ^ "Chargers in playoffs". Matton Journal Gazette. December 22, 1981. p. 6.
  175. ^ "Late charge puts San Diego in NFL playoffs". Whitehorse Daily Star. AP. December 31, 1981. p. 21.
  176. ^ "Joe Gibbs leaves Chargers". Hattiesburg American. AP. January 13, 1981. p. 14.
  177. ^ "Saints trade Chandler". St. Joseph News-Press. AP. September 30, 1981. p. B1.
  178. ^ "San Diego at Miami". Wilmington News Journal. Gannett News Service. January 2, 1982. p. B1.
  179. ^ a b Bock, Hal (January 2, 1982). "Cowboys, Dolphins are veteran playoff teams". Winona Daily News. AP. p. 13.
  180. ^ "AFC Championship matchups". Hackensack Record. January 10, 1982. p. B-12.
  181. ^ Janofsky, Michael (December 20, 1982). "Veteran linemen give Fouts protection". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 5C – via Newspapers.com.
  182. ^ Distel, Dave (December 26, 1981). "Coryell says the Chargers weren't so bad after all". Los Angeles Times. p. III-8.
  183. ^ a b Distel, Dave (January 3, 1982). "Chargers pass by Dolphins". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Los Angeles Times News Service. pp. 1B, 12B.
  184. ^ a b Klein & Fisher 1987, p. 138.
  185. ^ Maffei, John (January 4, 1982). "Records, notes and quotes from the Chargers' game". Escondido Times-Advocate. p. D4.
  186. ^ Grimsley, Will (January 10, 1982). "Coryell's nightmares include the weather in Cincinnati". Wilmington News Journal. Associated Press. p. D6.
  187. ^ Carucci, Vic (January 19, 1982). "Fouts couldn't stop the game from slipping away". Fort Myers News-Press. Gannett News Service. p. 3C.
  188. ^ a b "Coryell: warm-weather sites are needed for NFL playoffs". Rapid City Journal. AP. January 12, 1982. p. 18.
  189. ^ Cobbs, Chris (July 14, 1982). "Charger trade catches Shaw by surprise". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-12.
    Dyer, Bob (September 5, 1982). "San Diego". Des Moines Register. p. 5D.
  190. ^ "Charger defense is surprising". San Francisco Examiner. Examiner News Services. September 13, 1982. p. F6.
  191. ^ a b "Tentative agreement reached; NFL to resume play Sunday with nine-week abbreviated season". Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. AP. February 5, 1982. p. 1B – via Newspapers.com.
  192. ^ Distel, Dave (November 5, 1982). "It's not Coryell's style to play a waiting game". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-10.
  193. ^ "Season is over—Don Coryell". Hazelton Standard-Speaker. AP. October 26, 1982. p. 24.
  194. ^ Clark, Peter (January 3, 1982). "NFC seedings still in doubt". Oakland Tribune. p. D-7.
  195. ^ a b "Steelers, Chargers could be offensive". Twin Falls Times-News. UPI. January 9, 1983. p. C-4.
  196. ^ Cobbs, Chris (December 12, 1982). "Chargers win arms race, 41–37". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. p. III-4 – via Newspapers.com.
    Dodd, Mike (December 21, 1982). "Chargers outduel Bengals, 50–34". Ithaca Journal. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  197. ^ Mattiace, Peter (January 5, 1983). "Making playoffs not enough for Pittsburgh". Somerset Daily American. Associated Press. p. 17.
  198. ^ Cobbs, Chris (January 10, 1983). "Chargers boot first play, win on their last". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-8.
  199. ^ "Defense keys Miami charge vs. San Diego". San Francisco Examiner. UPI. January 16, 1983. p. C7.
  200. ^ Bokor, Matt (January 17, 1983). "Beaten Chargers have no excuses". Lansing State Journal. Associated Press. p. 1C.
  201. ^ "Chargers drop Chiefs". Titusville Herald. AP. January 3, 1993. p. B2.
  202. ^ Patton, Gregg (December 19, 1983). "Raiders home for the playoffs". Salinas Californian. Gannett News Service. p. 23.
  203. ^ "San Diego Chargers at Los Angeles Raiders". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. AP. December 18, 1983. p. 12F.
    "1983 San Diego Chargers stats". pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  204. ^ Cobbs, Chris (December 20, 1983). "Chargers' season ends on a high note for Charlie Joiner". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-9.
  205. ^ "Don Coryell to lead Senior's South squad". Johnson City Press. Associated Press. December 21, 1983. p. 44.
  206. ^ Shearer, Ed (January 15, 1984). "South holds on in Senior Bowl". Myrtle Beach Sun-News. AP. p. 6-B.
  207. ^ "Builder seeks to buy Chargers". Sunbury Daily Item. AP. July 31, 1984. p. 17.
  208. ^ Hiserman, Mike (8 October 1984). "Chargers hold off Packers to win, 34–28". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-13.
  209. ^ "Chiefs overwhelm Chargers, 42–21". Longview News-Journal. AP. December 17, 1984. p. 2-B.
  210. ^ a b "Chargers need injured Fouts against Bears". Columbia Record. AP. December 15, 1984. p. 2-D.
  211. ^ Norcross, Don (October 23, 1984). "Winslow's injury could end his career". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. C-1, C-4.
  212. ^ "Muncie leaves treatment centre". Jackson Clarion-Ledger. Associated Press. October 18, 1984. p. 4G.
  213. ^ "NFL records broken in 1984". Mansfield News-Journal. Associated Press. December 20, 1984. p. 8-B.
  214. ^ a b "Don Coryell". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  215. ^ Cobbs, Chris (December 7, 1984). "Spanos denies staff changes". Los Angeles Times. p. III-10.
  216. ^ Posner, Jay (July 10, 1985). "Chargers waive goodbye to veterans". Escondido Times-Advocate. p. D1.
  217. ^ Posner, Jay (January 21, 1985). "Something's changing with the Chargers". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. D1, D3.
  218. ^ Tobias, Todd (2006). "Ray Preston". Bombs Away! Air Coryell and the San Diego Chargers. Bandana. p. 78. ISBN 0-9785729-0-4.
  219. ^ "Chargers owner hopes $8.5 million buys him a winner". San Bernardino County Sun. Associated Press. August 14, 1985. p. C-6.
  220. ^ Posner, Jay (October 31, 1985). "A half-season of disappointment". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. C1, C4.
  221. ^ a b "Pass-happy Chiefs outlast Chargers". San Angelo Standard-Times. AP. December 23, 1985.
  222. ^ "Chargers run and gun with NBA abandon". Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice. Washington Post News Service. December 10, 1985. p. 50.
  223. ^ "Cleveland outruns San Diego after Fouts injures knee". Dayton Journal Herald. AP. September 30, 1985. p. 8 – via Newspapers.com.
  224. ^ Anastasia, Phil (December 12, 1985). "Eagles have to untrack 'Little Train'". Camden Courier-Post. p. 3E.
  225. ^ Posner, Jay (December 23, 1985). "Chargers notes". Escondido Times-Advocate. p. D2 – via Newspapers.com.
  226. ^ a b Posner, Jay (December 25, 1985). "Goodbye to the No-D defense". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. C1, C3.
  227. ^ Cobbs, Chris (September 23, 1985). "Chargers win no a late field goal by Thomas, 44–41". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-4.
    Heisler, Mark (November 11, 1985). "Fouts drives Chargers to win, Raiders to distraction". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-24.
    Posner, Jay (December 9, 1980). "Better than a point a minute". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. C1, C4.
  228. ^ a b c Cobbs, Chris (December 24, 1985). "Coryell's contract extended". Los Angeles Times. p. III-2.
  229. ^ Georgatos, Dennis (December 24, 2000). "Charger owner retains Coryell as head coach". Reno Gazette-Journal. AP. p. 1B.
  230. ^ a b c Posner, Jay (October 30, 1986). "Coryell: coaches, players say he's no quitter". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. D1, D5 – via Newspapers.com.
  231. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hyvonen, Gary (December 13, 1993). "Chargers Hall of Fame to finally admit Coryell". North County Times. p. C-5.
  232. ^ Simers, T.J. (April 26, 2000). "Beathard retires, leaving Chargers in familiar state". Los Angeles Times. p. D14.
  233. ^ Posner, Jay (July 25, 1986). "Linden King is dropped". Escondido Times-Advocate. p. C1.
  234. ^ Heisler, Mark (August 2, 1986). "Chargers' Linden King is acquired by Raiders". Los Angeles Times. p. III-13.
  235. ^ "Air and ground Coryell blast Dolphins". San Pedro News-Pilot. AP. September 8, 1986. p. B5 – via Newspapers.com.
  236. ^ Spanos, Alex; Seal, Mark; Kasparian, Natalia (2002). "11: Learning by Losing". Sharing the Wealth: My Story (Audiobook ed.). Regnery. ISBN 978-0895261588.
  237. ^ Gosselin, Rick (August 2, 1992). "Don Coryell long gone but not forgotten". Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Dallas Morning News. p. C15.
  238. ^ Paris, Jay (6 December 2012). "Ranking the all-time Chargers head coaches". San Diego Union Tribune. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
  239. ^ a b Distel, Dave (December 28, 1979). "San Diego coach specializes in intensity and turnarounds". Los Angeles Times. pp. III-1, III-9, III-10.
  240. ^ a b "Coryell wants NFL to think Canadian". Regina Leader-Post. CP. May 22, 1982. p. A11.
  241. ^ . Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012.
  242. ^ Cothrel, Nick. "Former Chargers Coach Don Coryell Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  243. ^ Kerr, Jeff. "Don Coryell, architect of Air Coryell offense, named coach/contributor finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame". cbssports.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  244. ^ a b . NFL.com. Archived from the original on 2009-03-08. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  245. ^ Watkins, Calvin (2 July 2010). "Don Coryell's offense is Jason Garrett's". espn.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  246. ^ Williams, Eric D. (5 February 2017). "Innovator Don Coryell misses out on Hall of Fame again". espn.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  247. ^ a b Lahman, Sean (2007). The Pro Football Historical Abstract: A Hardcore Fan's Guide to All-Time Player Rankings. Globe Pequot. pp. 279–280. ISBN 9781592289400. Retrieved January 4, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
  248. ^ a b Jaworski, Plaut & Cosell 2011, p. 82.
  249. ^ "Whirlwind finish rallied Staubach". Santa Cruz Sentinel. AP. December 20, 1979. p. 39.
  250. ^ Posner, Jay (September 16, 1985). "Chargers defense seems very familiar". Escondido Times-Advocate. pp. C1, C2.
  251. ^ Thomas, Jim (July 30, 2008). "Fred Dean: Situational pass-rusher made most of his opportunities". The State Journal-Register. from the original on September 19, 2016.
  252. ^ Krasovic, Tom (June 5, 2013). "Chargers had a Fearsome Foursome, too". U-T San Diego. Archived from the original on January 27, 2014.
  253. ^ Murphy, Jack (June 22, 1975). "Cards fall for Coryell". Torrance Daily Breeze. p. E3.
  254. ^ Klein & Fisher 1987, p. 137.
  255. ^ Jaworski, Plaut & Cosell 2011, p. 85.
  256. ^ a b "Hall of Champions names Gwynn, Petranoff '86 stars". Los Angeles Times. February 7, 1987. p. III-18.
  257. ^ a b "Don Coryell (1988)". goaztecs.com. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  258. ^ a b c d e f Fioresi, Dean (February 10, 2023). "Former Chargers Head Coach Don Coryell elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame". CBS News Los Angeles. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  259. ^ a b "Inductees by year". uwtyeeclub.com. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  260. ^ "Becoming a Hall of Famer - FAQs". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
  261. ^ Carroll, Bob; Gershman, Michael; Neft, David; Thorn, John (1999). Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League. HarperCollins Publishers. pp. 1799–1800. ISBN 9780062701749. Retrieved June 6, 2022 – via Internet Archive.
  262. ^ Trotter, Jim (2010-07-02). "Don Coryell's bold approach helped mold the NFL into what it is today". SI.com. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
    Miklasz, Bernie. "Don Coryell changed the NFL". STLToday.com. Retrieved 2010-07-11.
    Carucci, Vic. "Coryell's attacking offense mirrored his attitude on game, life". NFL.com. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  263. ^ Canepa, Nick (February 21, 2010). . San Diego Union Tribune. Archived from the original on January 22, 2011.
  264. ^ "Coryell denied entry to Hall of Fame". 2010-02-06. Retrieved 2010-02-08.
    "Pro Football Hall of Fame must break up traffic jam". wlwt.com. The Sports Xchange. January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
    "Isaac Bruce, Don Coryell among Hall of Fame finalists".
    "Hall of Famers: Yearly Finalists - Hall of Famers | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
  265. ^ "John Madden's Enshrinement Speech Transcript, August 5, 2006 (accessed October 4, 2008)".
  266. ^ "Hall of Fame notes: Gibbs lobbies for Coryell, Thurman for Reed". Archived from the original on 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2008-11-02.
  267. ^ . Archived from the original on September 19, 2008. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
  268. ^ "Innovative coach Coryell finalist for football HOF". ESPN. 2022-08-24. Retrieved 2022-08-24.
  269. ^ a b c d "Pro Football Hall of Fame to enshrine nine in Class of 2023". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  270. ^ Stein & Clark 1976, p. 61.
  271. ^ Evans, Mike (December 29, 1974). "Coryell credits his family". San Antonio Express. p. 22.
  272. ^ "Don Coryell Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  273. ^ "Chargers look back to future". Boca Raton News. Associated Press. November 12, 2000. p. 1B.
  274. ^ Canepa, Nick (November 16, 2009). . The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on January 14, 2010.
  275. ^ a b c "2022 Official National Football League Record & Fact Book" (PDF). nfl.com. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  276. ^ "Jim Mora - Football Coach". uconnhuskies.com. Retrieved March 22, 2023.

Bibliography

Stein, Joe; Clark, Diane (1976). Don Coryell: "Win With Honor" (First printing ed.). Joyce Press. ISBN 978-0-89325-003-4.
Jaworski, Ron; Plaut, David; Cosell, Greg (2011). The Games That Changed the Game: The Evolution of the NFL in Seven Sundays (Paperback ed.). Random House. ISBN 978-0-34551-796-8.
Klein, Gene; Fisher, David (1987). First Down and a Billion: the Funny Business of Pro Football. Morrow. ISBN 0-688-06894-4.

External links

April 16, 2023
coryell, donald, david, coryell, october, 1924, july, 2010, american, football, coach, coached, high, school, college, professional, ranks, most, notable, ncaa, post, with, diego, state, aztecs, then, moved, national, football, league, first, with, louis, card. Donald David Coryell October 17 1924 July 1 2010 was an American football coach He coached in high school college and the professional ranks his most notable NCAA post was with the San Diego State Aztecs then he moved on to the National Football League NFL first with the St Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986 Well known for his innovations in football s passing game in particular the Air Coryell offense he created with the Chargers Coryell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023 Don CoryellCoryell with the San Diego Chargers c 1981Personal informationBorn 1924 10 17 October 17 1924Seattle Washington U S Died July 1 2010 2010 07 01 aged 85 La Mesa California U S Career informationCollege WashingtonCareer historyAs a coach Washington 1950 Assistant coach Punahou HI 1951 Assistant coach Farrington HS HI 1952 Head coach UBC 1953 1954 Head coach Wenatchee Valley College 1955 Head coach Fort Ord 1956 Head coach Whittier 1957 1959 Head coach USC 1960 Assistant coach San Diego State 1961 1972 Head coach St Louis Cardinals 1973 1977 Head coach San Diego Chargers 1978 1986 Head coachCareer highlights and awards3 NCAA College Division champion 1966 1968 3 SCIAC champion 1957 1959 4 CCAA champion 1962 1963 1966 1967 3 PCAA champion 1969 1970 1972 Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers 40th Anniversary Team San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary TeamCareer coaching statisticsRegular season 114 89 1 561 Postseason 3 6 333 Career NFL 117 95 1 552 NCAA 127 24 3 834 Pro Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameBorn in Seattle in 1924 Coryell served in the U S military during World War II and played college football before becoming a coach upon his graduation Between 1950 and 1960 he served as either a head coach or assistant at eight different institutions overseeing rapid improvements in most cases and winning three conference titles with the Whittier Poets He followed this with a twelve year stint at San Diego State 1961 72 in which he led the previously struggling program to seven conference titles three college division titles and victory in three bowl games During this time future Hall of Fame head coaches Joe Gibbs and John Madden served on his staff as assistants Coryell moved into professional coaching in 1973 with the Cardinals where he stayed for five years leading the team to 10 win seasons three times including the only two divisional titles of their 28 year stint in St Louis He left after a dispute with Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill and joined the Chargers early in the 1978 season going on to lead San Diego to three division titles and one further playoff berth over the course of the next eight years During his time with the Chargers Coryell confirmed his reputation as an offensive innovator and passing game specialist San Diego led the NFL in passing yards six times in a row and seven times in total while also leading the league in total yardage five times and scoring three times Coryell s defenses tended to be far weaker and he didn t make it to the Super Bowl with the Chargers losing in the AFC Championship Game following the 1980 and 1981 seasons He was dismissed by owner Alex Spanos following a 1 7 start in 1986 and did not coach again The first head coach to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional level Coryell was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999 In 2023 twenty seven years after his career ended Coryell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Contents 1 Early life 2 Early coaching career 1950 60 3 San Diego State Aztecs 1961 72 4 St Louis Cardinals 1973 77 4 1 1973 season 4 2 1974 season 4 3 1975 season 4 4 1976 season 4 5 1977 season 5 San Diego Chargers 1978 86 5 1 1978 season 5 2 1979 season 5 3 1980 season 5 4 1981 season 5 5 1982 season 5 6 1983 season 5 7 1984 season 5 8 1985 season 5 9 1986 season 6 Legacy 7 Hall of Fame induction 8 Personal life 9 Death 10 Head coaching record 10 1 College 10 2 Professional 10 3 Individual honors 10 4 Titles and championships 10 4 1 College 10 4 2 NFL 10 5 NFL records 11 Coaching tree 12 See also 13 Notes 14 References 15 Bibliography 16 External linksEarly life EditDon Coryell was the youngest of four children all boys born to Julia and George Coryell in Seattle Washington Don initially had no middle name but adopted David at his mother s suggestion as the biblical story of David and Goliath was his favorite as a child 1 Coryell graduated from Lincoln High School in 1943 while World War II was in process and immediately enlisted in the United States Army 2 He joined the newly formed 86th Mountain Infantry a regiment of ski troops training at Camp Hale in Colorado it would later be combined with two others to form the 10th Mountain Division 3 While the bulk of his group joined the war in Italy Coryell was promoted to platoon sergeant and remained in America as an instructor Preferring to see combat he applied for officer s school he was eventually sent to Japan but only after the war had ended Coryell later trained as a paratrooper joined the 11th Airborne Division and rose to the rank of first lieutenant before being discharged at the age of 21 4 5 After leaving the service Coryell enrolled at the University of Washington studying physical education and earning his bachelor s and master s degrees 6 He played as a defensive back for the Washington Huskies lettering as a senior in 1949 and playing in that year s Hula Bowl 7 He also competed as a boxer winning the university s light heavyweight crown in 1947 and 1948 before being defeated in the heavyweight title fight the following year 8 9 10 Early coaching career 1950 60 EditCoryell changed jobs frequently during his first decade as a coach While earning a master s degree at the University of Washington he remained with the Huskies as an assistant coach After completing his studies Coryell took a job at Punahou School in Honolulu Hawaii where he served as both an assistant coach and a biology teacher The following year 1952 he moved to another Honolulu school Farrington High School for his first head coaching post He improved a team that had failed to win a game the previous year 11 In 1953 Coryell moved to the University of British Columbia in Canada where he compiled a 2 16 record over two seasons 12 The university did not prioritize sporting success 11 when Coryell earned his first victory it ended a two year winless drought for the team and prompted the Vancouver Sun to write Don Coryell has carved himself a niche in UBC s not too crowded football hall of fame 13 In 1955 Coryell accepted an offer from Wenatchee Junior College in his home state of Washington The team had gone winless the previous year 14 Coryell bolstered his squad by recruiting nine players from Canada and seven from Hawaii and led Wenatchee to a 7 0 1 record before they lost 33 6 to Bakersfield College in the Potato Bowl 15 During that year Coryell began using what he called the IT formation combining elements of the I formation and the T formation with the intention of having his backs receive the ball closer to the line of scrimmage This is today known as the power I formation 16 17 Coryell changed jobs in both 1956 and 1957 First he left Wenatchee for a military team at Fort Ord 5 Again making use of the I formation he led them to the service football championship with a 9 0 record 18 Next he successfully applied for a vacancy in Whittier California replacing George Allen as the head coach of the Whittier Poets whose most recent Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference SCIAC title had come five years earlier 19 20 Coryell remained at Whittier for three seasons 1957 59 winning SCIAC championships each time 21 The Poets were unbeaten in conference play during his tenure going 12 0 1 against SCIAC teams and 23 5 1 overall 22 Coryell adopted a flexible approach to offensive play based on the abilities of his personnel Early on in his time with Whittier he used a run based attack because his starting quarterback was injured and his backups were less accomplished Later Coryell converted a tailback into a talented quarterback and began passing more often He also kept the program within its budget which his predecessor had failed to do 23 In 1960 he was an assistant coach under John McKay for the USC Trojans where the I formation would be its signature offense for decades 17 While the origin of the I formation is unclear Coryell was one of its pioneers 5 San Diego State Aztecs 1961 72 EditCoryell s next job was as the head coach of the San Diego State Aztecs who had struggled prior to his appointment In 1960 the Aztecs had posted a 1 6 1 record and lost all five games in their conference the California Collegiate Athletic Association CCAA The offense produced under 200 yards per game and scored only 53 points in eight games Only 6 000 fans were in attendance for a 60 0 home defeat against an inter state rival the Fresno State Bulldogs 24 The Aztecs had failed to win the CCAA or make a bowl game since 1951 25 The Aztecs points scored per game above and points conceded per game below from three years before Coryell s arrival at San Diego State to three years after his departure Seasons where Coryell was the head coach are highlighted in green 25 Coryell was named the Aztecs new head coach on January 11 1961 and predicted that San Diego State would be a leading small college by 1963 26 27 He installed the I formation 28 and instituted a policy of recruiting juniors who had played for two years at junior colleges in Southern California reasoning that this policy allowed the Aztecs to study their recruits and be sure of their abilities before signing them avoiding wasting any of their limited budget on substandard players 29 27 Among his first crop of junior recruits was future Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gibbs 30 31 The Aztecs improved rapidly under Coryell as he led the team to a 7 2 1 record in his first season 25 They followed with their first CCAA title for a decade going 8 2 overall and 6 0 in their division 25 The decisive game came against Fresno State who had won the CCAA the previous four seasons in a row Before a capacity crowd of 13 000 the Aztecs ended an eight game losing streak to their rivals winning 29 25 Coryell was carried from the field by his players at the end of the game At this point his offense was based primarily around the run in the game against Fresno State the Aztecs gained only 9 yards passing against 269 rushing 32 Coryell s success led to speculation that he might take a role with the San Diego Chargers or a larger college but he affirmed his intention to stay with the Aztecs 33 San Diego State went 7 2 in 1963 earning a share of the CCAA title They scored at least 30 points in each of their first seven games 25 In 1964 Coryell recruited another future Hall of Fame head coach this time appointing John Madden as his defensive coordinator 34 Gibbs also moved from a playing role to a graduate assistant coaching position both would remain on Coryell s staff for three years 30 The Aztecs went 8 2 in 1964 scoring at least 44 points in all eight of their victories and conceding only 71 points in their ten games 25 The team used a balanced offense with Rod Dowhower at quarterback Gary Garrison the leading receiver and Jim Allison at running back 35 They were unable to continue their run of CCAA titles with a 7 0 loss to the eventual champions Cal State proving costly 36 The Aztecs again finished 8 2 in 1965 They scored 40 plus points in six games and shut their opponents out in five but lost two conference games and finished third in the CCAA 25 San Diego State returned to the top of the CCAA in 1966 posting a perfect 11 0 record 25 They were also voted the No 1 small college side by both the UPI and the Associated Press and won the Camellia Bowl Prompted by the ability of quarterback Don Horn Coryell shifted his offense s emphasis towards the pass adopting the pro set formation and using multiple wingbacks in passing situations 37 San Diego State began the season expected to vie with the Long Beach State 49ers for the conference title 38 the Aztecs beat Long Beach State 21 18 on October 8 to set up the CCAA title win 39 Four weeks later they were ranked No 2 in the UPI and AP small college polls and faced No 1 North Dakota State winning 36 0 to take over the No 1 spot themselves 40 Anticipating muddy conditions in the season ending Camellia Bowl Coryell had his offense practice in the shotgun formation the conditions were as expected and San Diego State defeated Montana State 28 7 41 Coryell came close to leaving the Aztecs in 1967 but ultimately remained and again led them to a CCAA title the No 1 small college ranking and victory in the Camellia Bowl this time with a 10 1 record 25 He was approached by the University of Arizona to coach the Wildcats a post commanding a much higher salary than San Diego State could afford When Coryell mentioned to Jack Murphy a sportswriter for the San Diego Union that he was inclined to accept Arizona s offer Murphy approached the Greater San Diego Sports Association and they agreed to supplement Coryell s salary This was enough to persuade him to stay 42 On the field Horn had graduated and his replacements were less suited to a pass oriented offense so Coryell used a more balanced system 43 Playing in the newly opened San Diego Stadium and drawing crowds that topped 40 000 the Aztecs won their first nine games 44 When they eventually lost their tenth it ended a 25 game winning streak 45 Two weeks after that defeat Coryell had to replace six defensive starters due to eligibility issues but his rebuilt team convincingly won their second straight Camellia Bowl 27 6 against San Francisco State 46 During the season the Aztecs averaged a higher attendance in San Diego Stadium than the Chargers 47 The Aztecs average passing yards per game in blue and average rushing yards per game in orange for each season that Coryell was the head coach 48 In 1968 and 1969 Coryell had future NFL quarterback Dennis Shaw as his starter and his offense shifted back towards the pass 49 50 Coryell was able to lure Shaw away from USC where McKay had used him as a tight end 51 The Aztecs finished 9 0 1 in 1968 25 They declined to accept any bowl invitations and had withdrawn from the CCAA in advance of joining the new Pacific Coast Athletic Association PCAA the following season but were voted the No 1 small college team in the UPI poll and No 2 by the AP 52 In 1969 the team played in the top tier University Division for the first time and faced higher rated teams than in previous years 53 29 Nonetheless the Aztecs posted their second 11 0 record of Coryell s tenure scoring over 40 points in seven of their games and only once winning by fewer than 10 points They became the first PCAA champions with a 6 0 conference record ranked No 18 in the UPI poll and defeated Boston University 28 7 in the Pasadena Bowl 25 Coryell continued to build a reputation as a top passing coach Shaw was the nation s top passer with over 3 000 yards and set NCAA records for touchdown passes in a game 9 and in a season 39 As a team the Aztecs ranked first in the nation in passing yards total yards and points scored 54 Coryell said of his offensive philosophy The quickest way to move the football is with the pass That s the shortest route to the end zone 9 Coryell interviewed for Wisconsin s vacant head coach after the 1969 season but ultimately stayed in San Diego for another three seasons 55 9 With future NFL MVP Brian Sipe the quarterback the Aztecs went 9 2 in 1970 56 winning their first nine games before losing to Long Beach State who shared the PCAA title with them 25 The loss broke a 31 game unbeaten run and ended a 55 1 1 that had begun in 1965 57 The 1971 season was Coryell s worst with San Diego State as they finished with a 6 5 record it was the only time one of his Aztec teams lost more than two games in a season 25 Coryell was hampered by a new rule imposed by the university s Student Council removing preregistration privileges from athletes meaning that they could not be sure of being on the courses they desired This made recruitment much harder for Coryell who needed to replace half his team every season due to his reliance on bringing in juniors with only two years of eligibility He later said I couldn t tolerate having my future riding on the whims of others That s when I started seriously thinking of finding a new job 58 After interviewing for a vacancy with the Denver Broncos but failing to win the job Coryell stayed for one further year in San Diego 59 The Aztecs rebounded to finish 10 1 winning the PCAA with a 4 0 conference record 25 Over twelve seasons with the Aztecs Coryell compiled a record of 104 19 2 combined with his time at Whittier this gave him an overall college record of 126 24 3 His Aztec teams won four CCAA titles including one shared three PCAA titles one shared were voted the No 1 small college three times by the UPI and twice by the AP and won in each of their three bowl appearances On his decision to leave San Diego for the NFL s St Louis Cardinals he said I ve gone as far as I can in the situation I m in I was blessed as a college coach yet there comes a time when you want more 59 St Louis Cardinals 1973 77 Edit1973 season Edit Coryell s first NFL job was with the St Louis Cardinals the Cardinals had a vacancy after dismissing Bob Hollway whose two seasons in charge had produced a pair of 4 9 1 records 60 After his off field difficulties during the 1971 season Coryell had committed to finding a job in the professional ranks where he would be able to focus purely on coaching and not on recruitment 61 He contacted the Cardinals about the vacancy and was named their head coach on January 18 1973 signing a three year contract 62 Team owner Bill Bidwill introduced Coryell as a coach who could improve the offense ranked last in the National Football Conference the previous season Coryell expressed an intention to favor the pass saying I believe in the passing game I ve gradually come about to a wide open style of ball 63 and explaining that a weaker team s best chance of beating a stronger one lay with the pass 64 He brought in several of his former San Diego State assistant coaches including Gibbs Dowhower and Jim Hanifan 65 66 When training camp began several players praised the atmosphere created their new head coach s enthusiasm positive attitude and willingness to offer praise 67 The Cardinals points scored and conceded per game from three years before Coryell s arrival in St Louis to three years after his departure Seasons where Coryell was the head coach are highlighted in green 68 The Cardinals showed no immediate improvement in results as their 1973 season produced a third consecutive 4 9 1 record 69 They began well taking a 21 0 lead less than seven minutes into their opening day win in Philadelphia and following up by beating the defending NFC East champions Washington in Coryell s regular season home debut 70 71 but won only twice more through the rest of the season 69 The team s passing attack did improve Jim Hart who Coryell had committed to as starting quarterback during training camp set new personal bests by completing 55 6 of his passes the second best percentage in franchise history at the time and being intercepted on only 3 1 of his attempts second only to Fran Tarkenton in 1973 72 Despite the losing record Bidwill expressed satisfaction with the improved morale of the team and gave Coryell a new contract on December 27 extended by two years through to the end of the 1977 season 73 1974 season Edit St Louis began their 1974 season with little expectation of a playoff run Coryell expressed concern after a series of weak preseason performances 74 The team improved greatly once the regular season began winning their first seven games en route to an eventual 10 4 record and their first divisional title since 1948 when they were based in Chicago 75 Impressed by his rushing attack s performance in a victory over Atlanta late in the previous season Coryell opted to shift away from his pass heavy offensive philosophy adopting a more run based style that would control the ball for longer and reduce pressure on the defense 76 The new approach yielded Pro Bowl appearances for five players including four on offense 77 Running back Terry Metcalf doubled as a kick returner and became the first Cardinal to gain over 2 000 all purpose yards in a season 78 while Hart won the UPI NFC player of the year award leading the conference with 20 touchdowns while throwing only 8 interceptions from 388 attempts 79 The St Louis defense won a pair of early season games with late stops and conceded their fewest points since the franchise moved to St Louis with 218 78 Coryell considered them his most improved unit 80 St Louis travelled to Minnesota for the divisional playoffs where they were tied 7 7 at halftime but eventually defeated 30 14 by the Vikings Coryell said of the defeat We had a satisfying wonderful season It was great to get here But it s still a disappointing end 81 Despite the defeat Coryell was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year receiving 50 of the 78 available votes 82 He had his contract extended again before the following season running for six more years through to 1980 83 1975 season Edit St Louis repeated as NFC East champions in 1975 finishing 11 3 they were two games behind Dallas and one behind Washington after losing to both those team in the first four weeks of the season 84 but defeated both their rivals while winning nine of their final ten games to top the division 85 86 The team were dubbed the Cardiac Cards after winning a series of close games during their run in 87 While Coryell s defense was worse than the previous season ranking only 10th of 13 NFC teams his offense continued to improve 88 89 they also continued to increase their percentage of rushing plays 555 runs to 355 passes Coryell said of the shift My philosophy is exactly the same If we re capable of running against a good team now we will we ve matured in a lot of ways and now we can run the ball 64 Metcalf set an NFL record with 2 462 all purpose yards and the Cardinals had the NFC leaders for both rushing and receiving yards Otis Smith and Mel Gray 90 With St Louis conceding only eight sacks they had three offensive linemen among their nine Pro Bowlers 91 St Louis were again disappointing in the playoffs losing in the first round at the Los Angeles Rams Hart had been more prone to interceptions than the previous year and he threw two that were returned for touchdowns as the Rams took a 28 6 lead inside twenty minutes eventually winning 35 23 92 The Cardinals defense struggled to stop Rams running back Lawrence McCutcheon who set a playoff record with 203 rushing yards 93 Coryell commented We put our defense in embarrassing positions but I m proud our people had the competitiveness to battle back when we were behind 94 He was again a contender for AP coach of the year gaining eight votes while Tom Landry of the Cowboys won the award with twelve votes 95 The Cardinals average passing yards per game in blue and average rushing yards per game in orange for each season that Coryell was the head coach 68 1976 season Edit Despite a third consecutive season with double digit wins St Louis missed the playoffs at 10 4 96 They again played in a number of close games standing at 8 2 after Jim Bakken kicked late game winning field goals in three consecutive weeks the third of which was a playoff rematch at the Los Angeles Rams 97 This left them one game behind Dallas and two ahead of Washington but they lost to both their rivals in the space of four days both times turning the ball over on downs in opposition territory in the final seconds 98 In the latter of the two losses 19 14 in Dallas there were controversial non calls of pass interference against the Cowboys as St Louis looked for the winning touchdown Coryell claimed The game was taken away from us 99 Despite winning their final two games St Louis lost the NFC s lone wildcard berth to Washington on tiebreakers 96 They had struggled with injuries during the season as well as frequent fumbles on offense 100 but set franchise season records for total yardage and first downs and were again well represented in the Pro Bowl with six nominees including four offensive starters 101 1977 season Edit Cardinals finished 7 7 and missed the playoffs again in Coryell s final season 102 They were again in contention after ten games having won six in a row to stand in the NFC wild card spot at 7 3 but collapsed to lose four in a row beginning with an embarrassing 55 14 loss to the Miami Dolphins on national television 103 While the offense remained strong the defense lacked the depth to overcome a number of injuries and became one of the league s weaker units 104 This place is tearing my life apart A lot of our guys are playing out their options and they would scatter if they could The coaches are all that s holding this team together Coryell in a conversation with Jack Murphy he believed to be off the record 105 St Louis were eliminated from playoff contention following their penultimate game a 26 20 home defeat by Washington Coryell showed anger at the Cardinals fans and organization after the game saying that the fans had verbally abused both himself and his family that he had lower wages and fewer assistant coaches than his rivals and that he should have more of a say over which new players were drafted 106 Following a meeting with Bidwill on December 12 the owner said that he expected Coryell to return as head coach the following season though Coryell stated he was still disappointed and upset 107 The following day what he had believed to be an off the record conversation with Jack Murphy was published in the San Diego Union The piece contained more Coryell quotes critical of the Cardinals organization bemoaning a lack of spending the quality of his defensive players and a restrictive contract that forbade Coryell from having any business interests without Bidwill s permission as well as predicting that the Cardinals would keep getting worse over the next two seasons and stating that he would only stay in St Louis if his salary was increased by enough for his family to live in San Diego Coryell didn t deny the veracity of the quotes describing them as a terrible mistake and stating that he and Bidwill had made progress over his contract concerns during their meeting as well as discussing plans to increase the role of Coryell and his staff in the drafting process 105 Uncertainty as to Coryell s future followed his remarks and continued after a season ending loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers His family s preference for living in San Diego prompted media speculation that he would take the San Diego Chargers head coaching job until the incumbent Tommy Prothro was given an extension for the 1978 season 108 On December 22 Coryell accepted an invitation for himself and his staff to coach in the Senior Bowl having consulted with Bidwill Coryell led the North team to a 17 14 victory on January 7 109 Following a 25 minute conversation on January 9 Bidwill released a statement that his Director of Operations would handle any further meetings with Coryell 110 During the meeting Bidwill had given his head coach permission to talk to other teams and Coryell flew to Los Angeles to talk with the Rams the following day 111 The Rams job went instead to George Allen in part because Bidwill was asking Los Angeles for a 1st round draft pick to release Coryell from the remainder of his contract Coryell also missed out on a vacancy with the New Orleans Saints despite the price being reduced to a 2nd round pick 112 On February 10 1978 Bidwill officially announced that Coryell had been dismissed as head coach of the Cardinals explaining I just don t think it s in the best interest of the football team for a coach to say that he s unhappy and that he wants another job By the terms of their agreement Coryell would still only be able to coach in the NFL in 1978 with Bidwill s permission 113 Coryell compiled a record of 42 27 1 during his five years in St Louis setting a franchise record for wins by a head coach a his postseason record was 0 2 115 The two NFC East titles he won with the Cardinals were their only divisional crowns in the city of St Louis b the previous having come in 1948 as the Chicago Cardinals and the next arriving in 2008 as the Arizona Cardinals 116 A Sports Illustrated article published in 2020 named Coryell as the best head coach in franchise history 114 He is credited with improving offensive stars such as Hart Gray and Hall of Fame offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf 117 San Diego Chargers 1978 86 EditSee also Air Coryell 1978 season Edit Coryell moved back to San Diego in April 1978 having apparently missed out on any head coaching posts for the coming season 118 He coached a San Diego State alumni team in a match against their current varsity losing 37 14 119 and attended a preseason scrimmage between the Chargers and Cowboys 120 With Tommy Prothro s contract set to expire in one more year Coryell was rumored to be a likely replacement in 1979 121 In the event he missed only four regular season games before he was back to work 122 The Chargers after struggling for most of the 1970s had entered their 1978 season with hopes of a playoff push the previous year they had gone 7 7 despite their offense being hampered by a ten game holdout from starting quarterback Dan Fouts 123 They opened with a 1 3 record under Prothro winning their opener before losing three straight culminating in a 24 3 defeat to the Green Bay Packers in which they committed eleven turnovers 122 Believing that the team needed a rude awakening Prothro chose to resign 124 The transition happened quickly on the morning of September 25 Chargers owner Gene Klein accepted Prothro s resignation at 5am and telephoned Coryell at 6am to offer him the job which Coryell enthusiastically accepted By 10am Klein had negotiated Coryell s release from the Cardinals in exchange for a 3rd round draft pick in 1980 125 121 Coryell described the appointment as like a dream come true at his introductory press conference also stating that he would retain Prothro s staff and noting that the outgoing head coach s offensive system was similar to Coryell s own 126 The Los Angeles Times described the appointment as a merger made in Heaven with Coryell s expertise expected to improve the offense to match the already strong defense 127 Charts showing the Chargers points scored and conceded per game from three years before Coryell s arrival in San Diego to three years after his departure Seasons where Coryell was the head coach are highlighted in green light green when he coached for part of a season 128 Coryell lost his first game in charge at New England then won on his return to San Diego Stadium still shared by the Chargers and Aztecs a crowd of 50 000 gave him an ovation at both the start and finish of a 23 0 victory over the Denver Broncos 129 130 San Diego lost their next two games and were 2 6 heading into a game at the Oakland Raiders coached by Coryell s former protege John Madden 131 The Chargers won that game c beginning a run of seven wins in eight weeks to finish with a 9 7 record 133 While they missed the playoffs by one game it was their first winning season since 1969 134 After playing conservatively for much of the season Coryell s offense put up 985 passing yards while scoring a combined 122 points over the final three games 135 Fouts finished with a career high 2 999 yards tying a franchise record with 369 in the finale while wide receiver John Jefferson the Chargers top pick in the 1978 draft had 1 001 yards receiving and tied a rookie record with 13 touchdowns 135 As a team the Chargers led the league with 3 375 passing yards 136 1979 season Edit Coryell added Hanifan and Gibbs to his staff for the third time early in the offseason 137 soon promoting the Gibbs to offensive coordinator d He was more involved in the draft process than he had been in St Louis and instrumental in the Chargers trading up to pick tight end Kellen Winslow in the first round 139 San Diego entered 1979 with high expectations after their strong finish the previous year 140 though Coryell played down their Super Bowl chances noting that they had yet to win even a divisional title since joining the NFL 136 In the event the Chargers did capture their first AFC West title posting a 12 4 record and clinching the division by beating Denver 17 7 in the final game of the regular season 141 Nicknamed Air Coryell 142 their passing attack was the focus of the offense throughout the year as they called more passing plays 541 than rushing 481 unusual for a successful team at the time 143 Fouts broke Joe Namath s single season record with 4 082 and both Jefferson and eleventh year veteran Charlie Joiner went over 1 000 yards receiving 141 Speaking of the success of the passing game Fouts said Ninety percent of it is coaching wanting to pass teaching it properly working on it by the hour 144 The defense was also strong claiming four interceptions of Denver quarterback Craig Morton in the finale and five of Terry Bradshaw in an earlier win over the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers 145 146 Coryell received 10 votes for AP Coach of the Year finishing in third place e We weren t beaten by signals We were beaten by the Oilers We were beaten by a stubborn fine defense and our mistakes We re making no excuses about signals Coryell reacting to reports that Houston had decoded his offensive signals in the Chargers divisional playoff defeat 148 San Diego entered the 1979 80 NFL playoffs having earned home field advantage as the No 1 seed in the AFC and were favored by 8 points in their opening game against the Houston Oilers Despite being without starting quarterback Dan Pastorini and NFL rushing champion Earl Campbell the Oilers won 17 14 Fouts threw five interceptions two of which led to Houston touchdowns 149 It emerged after the game that Houston defensive coordinator Ed Biles had broken the code the Chargers used to hand signal in their offensive plays giving his defense advanced knowledge of what was to come 150 Coryell was sceptical as to the truth of the story and whether any signal stealing would have a major impact on the game believing that Oilers would have needed a high degree of experience with the Chargers system to take advantage of the information He defended the use of hand signals as opposed to having a runner relay the play calls to Fouts as the former system was quicker and less prone to error 148 1980 season Edit Coryell s Chargers repeated as division champions with an 11 5 record in 1980 they stood at 6 4 following a mid season loss to Denver 151 but ran off five victories in their final six games and beat Oakland to the title on tiebreakers 152 While the Chargers improved their running game with the midseason acquisition of Chuck Muncie 153 154 it was their passing attack that continued to dominate described by the New York Times as having more in common with fast break basketball offense than with traditional ball control football 155 Winslow who had missed most of his rookie season with a broken leg was available for all of 1980 156 Coryell had him line up as both a tight end and wide receiver and he led the league in receptions with 89 154 With Winslow Coryell began redefined the tight end position into a deep pass catching threat too fast for a linebacker and too big for a defensive back reasoning that If we re asking Kellen to block a defensive end and not catch passes I m not a very good coach 157 Winslow also joined Jefferson and Joiner in gaining over 1 000 receiving yards the first trio of teammates to achieve that feat in the same season 158 Fouts improved on his own passing yardage record with 4 715 while breaking three other single season records attempts completions and 300 yard games and the Chargers as a team broke the records for most first downs and yards in a season 154 On defense the pass rush provided by defensive linemen Fred Dean Louie Kelcher Gary Big Hands Johnson and Leroy Jones was a strength San Diego had the league leader in sacks Johnson with 17 1 2 and also ranked top as a team with 60 f 160 Again the No 1 seed in the AFC playoffs San Diego opened with a home divisional playoff game against the Buffalo Bills who possessed the league s top ranked defense and had beaten the Chargers earlier in the season 161 Buffalo led 14 3 at halftime before the Chargers came back to win 20 14 the winning touchdown being scored by backup wide receiver Ron Smith with barely two minutes to play 162 San Diego won despite having to change their offensive formation when blocking tight end Gregg McCrary was injured early in the game It took a lot of our offense away from us said Coryell who won his first playoff game at the fourth attempt 163 McCrary would also miss the AFC Championship game against Oakland forcing Winslow to do more blocking and less receiving 164 Despite again having homefield advantage San Diego committed three early turnovers and fell behind 28 7 to the Raiders eventually losing 34 27 Coryell said We didn t play well enough to win Actually I was very proud of our comeback in the second half but it wasn t quite enough 165 1981 season Edit Early in the 1981 season Coryell lost high profile players on both offense and defense with Jefferson and Dean both holding out 166 167 Klein who had a personal rule against renegotiating a contract opted to trade both players g Coryell was not involved in either decision but did not publicly criticize them 170 He said of Jefferson My job is to coach the football players on the field and that s what I m going to do I want to coach the people who want to play 171 and of Dean We regret it but this was his choice 172 Despite the high profile departures and despite an indifferent 6 5 start to the season 173 San Diego eventually finished 10 6 and won their third consecutive AFC West crown edging out Denver on tiebreakers 174 Deprived of Dean s pass rushing ability and hampered by injuries the Charger defense declined sharply rated second worst in the league for total yardage their pass defense was particularly weak as they gave up an NFL record 4 311 yards 175 By contrast and despite Gibbs leaving the coordinator role Coryell s offense continued to break records h They spent some of their capital from the Jefferson trade bringing in his replacement Wes Chandler i who joined Winslow and Joiner in gaining over 1 000 receiving yards 178 As a team the Chargers broke their own records for total yardage and led the league in scoring 179 Individually Fouts again broke the NFL passing yardage record with 4 802 and Muncie tied another record with 19 rushing touchdowns while gaining over 1 000 yards both benefitted from an experienced offensive line who allowed only 19 sacks from 648 pass plays 180 181 After clinching the division Coryell pronounced himself satisfied to have come through the off field distractions blaming the press for stories of discontent within his squad and for criticisms of the defense 182 I have coached for 31 or 32 years and there has never been a game like this It was probably the most exciting game in pro football history Coryell reflecting on the Epic in Miami 183 San Diego entered the postseason with a trip to Miami to face the AFC East champion Dolphins 179 Aware that the game would be played in taxing humid conditions Coryell decided on the flight over that his players should eat bananas beforehand reasoning that they contained potassium and would reduce the risk of cramp 184 In what came to be known as the Epic in Miami San Diego led 24 0 trailed 38 31 and won 41 38 after nearly fourteen minutes of overtime having bloacked two potential game winning field goals by the Dolphins 183 In keeping with their regular season San Diego set several offensive records for a playoff game including most pass attempts completions and yards for Fouts and most receptions for Winslow with the Charger defense struggling to stop Miami the game also set playoff records for combined points and yardage 185 San Diego advanced to the AFC Championship game where they would meet the Cincinnati Bengals in what were expected to be freezing conditions Coryell was concerned that the cold would make the ball heavier and harder affecting the Chargers passing attack 186 Swirling winds on game day made for even colder conditions than expected and added to the difficulty in passing San Diego lost the game which would become known as the Freezer Bowl by a score of 27 7 187 In the aftermath of the game Coryell proposed that playoff games should all be played at neutral warm weather sites 188 1982 season Edit San Diego made numerous changes to try and improve their defense during the offseason 189 They impressed in the first two weeks forcing six turnovers in a 23 3 win at Denver 190 After one more game an NFL players strike interrupted the season 191 With no games to coach Coryell attended some college football and scouted future prospects 192 He expressed his frustration as the strike continued as well as his fears that the whole season would be cancelled wasting a year of his career 193 The strike ended after 57 days resulting in a reduced regular season of nine games 191 San Diego finished with a 6 3 record earning the No 5 seed in an expanded eight team AFC playoff bracket 194 They reverted to their form of the previous season after the resumption both scoring and conceding points at a rapid pace 195 In back to back weeks they beat the San Francisco 49ers and the Bengals by scores of 41 37 and 50 34 with the latter game featuring an NFL record 883 passing yards 196 The Chargers led the league in points total yardage and passing yardage while their defense was the third worst in the AFC explaining the lopsided nature of his team Coryell blamed the lack of time his rebuilt defense had spent playing together 195 San Diego began the playoff tournament with a trip to Pittsburgh 197 Their ability to perform in a cold weather city was questioned after the previous season s Freezer Bowl defeat but they came from eleven points behind in the final quarter to beat the Steelers 31 28 198 The following week they travelled to face the Dolphins in a rematch of the Epic in Miami 199 The game proved anticlimactic as Miami s top ranked defense shut down the Charger offense in an easy 34 13 win with San Diego committing seven turnovers Coryell said afterwards We would have had to play our best game against Miami to have a chance to beat them We didn t do it 200 It would be the last time he coached in the playoffs 201 The Chargers average passing yards per game in blue and average rushing yards per game in orange for each season that Coryell was the head coach 128 1983 season Edit San Diego finished 6 10 in 1983 their first losing record of the Coryell era 202 The Chargers continued to lead the league in total yardage and passing yardage but following a midseason injury to Fouts they could no longer overcome the frailties of the defense 203 Coryell described the disappointment of missing the playoffs as less intense than the depression of losing in them 204 After the season he accepted an invitation to coach in the Senior Bowl for the second time 205 leading the South to a 21 20 victory 206 1984 season Edit Coryell s employer changed shortly before the season when Klein sold the Chargers to builder Alex Spanos previously a minority owner 207 San Diego began the season 4 2 and in the thick of the AFC West race 208 but won only three more games and finished last in the division with a 7 9 record 209 Coryell made over forty roster changes during the season mostly due to injuries and several starters missed time 210 Winslow missed eight games with a shattered knee and Fouts three games with a groin injury 211 while Muncie was suspended for violating the league s drug policy 212 The defense was again a weakness and the pass offense again a strength 210 though for the first time in Coryell s tenure they did not lead the league in passing yardage instead ranking second behind Miami j 214 Spanos gave Coryell a public vote of confidence towards the end of the season 215 1985 season Edit On July 9 1985 the Chargers waived seven veteran players Coryell stated that the move would allow younger players to gain more experience 216 Later that month he denied rumors that the players had been cut without his knowledge he agreed that he had not been part of the decision but publicly claimed to agree with it 217 One of the released players Ray Preston claimed in a 2006 interview that a tearful Coryell had telephoned to tell Preston of his release and assure him that Coryell would have retained him given the choice 218 Spanos invested heavily in new players during the offseason and suggested that Coryell needed to produce at least an 8 8 record to keep his job 219 220 Coryell s Chargers met Spanos requirement with an 8 8 record in 1985 221 The offense bounced back to reclaim their league leading status despite Fouts again missing time through injury 222 despite Fouts again missing time through injury 223 Coryell had a new weapon in 5 foot 6 inch Lionel James 224 whose 2 535 all purpose yards broke the NFL record Metcalf had set for Coryell in 1975 221 He also set a new record for receiving yards by a running back with 1 027 as the Chargers topped the league in passing for the seventh time in eight years 225 214 With the defense again among the league s worst 226 San Diego won games by scores of 44 41 40 34 and 54 44 227 I want to go out on top as a real winner I want to be part of this team when it wins I don t want to wait I want to win now Coryell after signing a one year contract extension He would be dismissed after only eight more games 228 The day after the season finished Spanos pronounced himself satisfied that his goal of an 8 8 record had been met and extended Coryell s contract by a year to run through 1987 though the new contract had no guaranteed money past 1986 229 230 Spanos also promoted receivers coach Al Saunders to assistant head coach where he would act as a liaison for Spanos and a potential heir to the head coach role 228 Coryell welcomed the moves stating that Saunders promotion would give him more time to work with the defense 226 1986 season Edit Coryell had a strained relationship with Spanos 231 who began meeting with Saunders to discuss the future of the team reducing Coryell s authority 232 The Chargers cut starting linebacker Linden King on July 25 only two days after Coryell had praised his progress in a new inside linebacker role 233 King defended Coryell and blamed scouting director Ron Nay an adviser to Spanos for his release 234 San Diego began their 1986 season with an impressive 50 28 win over Miami but it was to be the last victory of Coryell s 37 year coaching career 235 The Chargers lost their next seven games in a row and Spanos dismissed his head coach on October 29 1986 after over nine years in the job replacing him with Saunders 231 While Coryell agreed to put his name to a statement saying that he had resigned and Spanos denied having influenced him 230 This version of events was met with some scepticism by Coryell s former players King declared that Spanos was looking for scapegoats to blame for the team s struggles 230 Coryell remained silent on the matter for several years but stated in a 1992 interview that his exit had been Spanos decision 231 Spanos confirmed this in his 2002 autobiography he also said that he regretted not dismissing Coryell and the rest of Klein s personnel as soon as he took over control of the team noting that Jerry Jones had cleaned house when he bought the Dallas Cowboys in 1989 with good results 236 Coryell never returned to coaching after leaving the Chargers turning down a number of subsequent offers 237 His regular season record with the Chargers was 69 56 giving him an overall NFL record of 111 83 1 in the postseason his record was 3 4 with the Chargers and 3 6 overall 115 The San Diego Union Tribune named him the second best head coach in Charger history in a 2012 article k The Chargers inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1994 231 Legacy EditCoryell was the first head coach to win 100 games at both the collegiate and professional levels 231 He earned a reputation for quickly turning around a losing team doing so with numerous college programs before taking both the Cardinals and Chargers into the playoffs in his second seasons with the franchises 239 Coryell is remembered primarily as an offensive coach who could tailor his offense to suit the skills of the personnel available 240 More specifically he is associated with innovations in the passing game the Air Coryell offense he developed with the Chargers was called one of the most explosive and exciting offenses that ever set foot on an NFL field by the Pro Football Hall of Fame 241 Three principle players from that offense Fouts Winslow and Joiner would go on to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as would Coryell himself 242 San Diego s offense was statistically dominant during Coryell s tenure They led the league in passing yards an NFL record six consecutive years from 1978 to 1983 and again in 1985 they also led the league in total yards and first downs in 1980 1983 and 1985 and in scoring in 1981 1982 and 1985 243 During his career Coryell advocated for the league to adopt rules changes that would assist offenses as well as wanting playoff games to be played in neutral warm weather cities 188 Coryell suggested widening the field and allowing multiple men in motion as in the CFL 240 Air Coryell remained influential in the league after Coryell s retirement with Washington Dallas and the St Louis Rams all winning Super Bowls while using versions of the offense 244 245 246 Detractors of Coryell point to the Chargers defensive shortcomings given that his defenses were in the bottom five league wide in points allowed from 1981 to 1986 128 247 Tom Bass who was a defensive coordinator for Coryell with both SDSU and the Chargers said Coryell focused on offense during practice He left the coaching of defensive players and the defensive game plan to Bass In planning and designing defense he simply had no interest said Bass 248 However in 1979 the Chargers allowed the fewest points 246 in the AFC 249 while their defense led the NFL with 60 sacks in 1980 160 They declined quickly after the trade of Dean in 1981 becoming a frequent liability for the next five seasons 250 Meanwhile Dean would go on in the same year to win UPI NFC Defensive Player of the Year while playing in only 11 games and help lead the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl both that year and again in 1984 Dean was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 251 The San Diego Union Tribune in 2013 called the trade perhaps the biggest blunder in Chargers franchise history 252 As a character Coryell was known as a scowling intense presence on gamedays 239 His focus on football would often lead him to walk straight by friends or players without noticing them or responding when they greeted him 184 he worked late hours and would sleep at his team s training facility two or three times a week while the season was ongoing 253 Coryell s team talks on the eve of a game were described as highly motivational despite being difficult to follow Klein Players loved playing for him He was so sincere that even if the things he said sometimes made no sense they didn t care 254 His relaxed approach to discipline and willingness to forge personal connections made him popular with his players The most important thing to me about Don Coryell is him as a person He actually cared about us as players A lot of coaches don t even know who you are said Fouts 248 Coryell did not want to intimidate his players and instead treated his players with respect allowing them to showcase their strengths I don t think a coach has to be a son of a bitch to be successful I think you can treat men like men he said 255 Hall of Fame induction EditAfter his retirement Coryell was inducted into the Halls of Fame of the city of San Diego 256 San Diego State 257 the San Diego Chargers 231 college football 258 and the University of Washington 259 In 1993 the Chargers inducted Fouts and Joiner but not Coryell this embarrassed Fouts who publicly stated that the coach should have gone in before any of his players Coryell was inducted the following year 247 Coryell took far longer to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame his election coming in 2023 after he had first become eligible in 1992 l Possible reasons for the long delay include Coryell s failure to lead his teams to a Super Bowl a 3 6 postseason record and his perceived weakness in the defensive side of the game 261 262 Sports Illustrated writer Jim Trotter a voter on the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors said selectors were hesitant to vote for coaches while there was a backlog of deserving players 263 Shortly before his death in 2010 he was among the 15 finalists considered by the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee on the Saturday before the Super Bowl He was not selected that year and was also a losing finalist in 2015 2016 2017 2019 and 2020 264 Advocates for Coryell s inclusion included Madden and Gibbs both Hall of Fame inductees and former members of his San Diego State staff and his former players Fouts and Winslow 265 266 Fouts said He influenced offensive and defensive football because if you are going to have three or four receivers out there you better have an answer for it on the other side of the ball If it wasn t for Don I wouldn t be in the Hall of Fame 267 Winslow noted that Coryell s influence on the game with his basic offensive scheme still in use years later It s just a personnel change but it s the same thing When the Rams won their Super Bowl it was the same offense same terminology For Don Coryell to not be in the Hall of Fame is a lack of knowledge of the voters That s the nicest way that I can put that A lack of understanding of the legacy of the game 244 The selection committee chose him as the finalist out of a group of 12 coaches and contributors for induction in the class of 2023 268 In February 2023 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame his formal induction will take place on August 5 269 Personal life EditCoryell met his future wife Aliisa during his year coaching Fort Ord she worked as a recreation director at the facility 270 The couple had a son and a daughter Mike and Mindy 271 After leaving the Chargers Coryell and his wife spent time backpacking and fishing while not at their home on the island of Friday Harbor in the State of Washington 231 Often living without a telephone or television Coryell did not follow football closely during his retirement 231 Death EditDon Coryell died on July 1 2010 at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa California The cause of death was not officially released but Coryell had been in poor health for some time 157 Head coaching record EditCollege Edit Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl playoffs Coaches AP Whittier Poets Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference 1957 1959 1957 Whittier 6 2 1 3 0 1 1st1958 Whittier 8 1 4 0 1st1959 Whittier 8 2 5 0 1stWhittier 22 5 1 12 0 1San Diego State Aztecs California Collegiate Athletic Association 1961 1967 1961 San Diego State 7 2 1 2 2 1 T 3rd1962 San Diego State 8 2 6 0 1st1963 San Diego State 7 2 4 1 T 1st1964 San Diego State 8 2 4 1 2nd1965 San Diego State 8 2 3 2 3rd1966 San Diego State 11 0 5 0 1st W Camellia1967 San Diego State 10 1 5 0 1st W CamelliaSan Diego State Aztecs NCAA College Division independent 1968 1968 San Diego State 9 0 1San Diego State Aztecs Pacific Coast Athletic Association 1969 1972 1969 San Diego State 11 0 6 0 1st W Pasadena 181970 San Diego State 9 2 5 1 T 1st1971 San Diego State 6 5 2 3 T 4th1972 San Diego State 10 1 4 0 1st 20San Diego State 104 19 2 46 10 1Total 126 24 3 National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berthProfessional Edit Team Year Regular Season Post SeasonWon Lost Ties Win Finish Won Lost Win ResultSTL 1973 4 9 1 308 4th in NFC East STL 1974 10 4 0 714 1st in NFC East 0 1 000 Lost to Minnesota Vikings in Divisional GameSTL 1975 11 3 0 786 1st in NFC East 0 1 000 Lost to Los Angeles Rams in Divisional GameSTL 1976 10 4 0 714 2nd in NFC East STL 1977 7 7 0 500 3rd in NFC East STL Total 42 27 1 607 0 2 000 SD 1978 8 4 0 667 3rd in AFC West SD 1979 12 4 0 750 1st in AFC West 0 1 000 Lost to Houston Oilers in Divisional GameSD 1980 11 5 0 688 1st in AFC West 1 1 500 Lost to Oakland Raiders in AFC ChampionshipSD 1981 10 6 0 625 1st in AFC West 1 1 500 Lost to Cincinnati Bengals in AFC ChampionshipSD 1982 6 3 0 667 2nd in AFC West 1 1 500 Lost to Miami Dolphins in Divisional GameSD 1983 6 10 0 375 4th in AFC West SD 1984 7 9 0 438 5th in AFC West SD 1985 8 8 0 500 3rd in AFC West SD 1986 1 7 0 125 5th in AFC West SD Total 69 56 0 552 3 4 429 NFL Total 272 111 83 1 572 3 6 333 Individual honors Edit AP NFL Coach of the Year 1974 258 UPI NFC Coach of the Year 1974 258 PFWA NFC Coach of the Year 1974 258 PFWA AFC Coach of the Year 1979 258 Breitbard Hall of Fame class of 1987 256 San Diego State Aztecs Hall of Fame class of 1988 257 San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame class of 1994 231 College Football Hall of Fame class of 1999 258 Washington Huskies class of 2000 259 Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2023 269 San Diego Chargers 40th Anniversary Team 273 San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team 274 Titles and championships Edit College Edit 3 SCIAC champion 1957 1959 21 4 CCAA champion 1962 1963 1966 1967 25 3 UPI NCAA College Division champion 1966 1968 25 3 AP NCAA College Division champion 1966 1967 25 2x Camellia Bowl winner 1966 1967 25 3 PCAA champion 1969 1970 1972 25 1x Pasadena Bowl winner 1969 25 NFL Edit 2x NFC East champion 1974 1975 269 3x AFC West champion 1979 1981 269 NFL records Edit The following records set during Coryell s tenure with the San Diego Chargers remain in the NFL Record amp Fact Book as of 2023 update 275 Most consecutive seasons leading league first downs 4 1980 1983 Most consecutive seasons leading league net yards gained rushing and passing 4 1980 1983 m Most consecutive seasons leading league passing yards 6 1978 1983 n Most consecutive games 400 yards gained rushing and passing 11 1982 1983 Most touchdown passes game 7 Week 12 1981 o Coaching tree EditAssistant coaches under Coryell who subsequently become college or professional head coaches John Madden Oakland Raiders 1969 1978 34 Ray Perkins New York Giants 1979 1982 Alabama 1983 1986 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1987 1990 138 Joe Gibbs Washington Redskins 1981 1992 2004 2007 30 Jim Hanifan St Louis Cardinals 1980 1985 Atlanta Falcons 1989 65 Rod Dowhower Indianapolis Colts 1985 1986 65 Al Saunders San Diego Chargers 1986 1988 228 Jim L Mora Atlanta Falcons 2004 2006 Seattle Seahawks 2009 UCLA 2012 2017 UConn 2022 present 276 See also EditList of National Football League head coaches with 50 winsNotes Edit Ken Whisenhunt broke this record in 2012 114 The Cardinals played in St Louis from 1960 87 114 The 27 23 victory was the Chargers first in Oakland for ten years 132 Gibbs replaced Ray Perkins who left to coach the New York Giants 138 Washington head coach Jack Pardee won the award with 30 votes 147 While the NFL did not keep sack statistics until 1982 they were unofficially reported in 1980 159 Jefferson was traded to the Packers for one 1st round pick two 2nd round picks two opportunities to swap 1st round picks and wide receiver Aundra Thompson Dean went to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2nd round pick and one chance to swap 1st round picks 168 169 Gibbs left to take the available head coach job at Washington 176 San Diego acquired Chandler from the Saints in exchange for 1st and 3rd round draft picks and Thompson 177 The Dolphins broke San Diego s team record set in 1981 while their quarterback Dan Marino broke Fouts individual record from the same season 213 Sid Gillman was ranked above him 238 Coaches and players become eligible once they have been retired for five years 260 Tied with Chicago Bears 1941 44 275 Tommy Prothro was the head coach for the first four games in 1978 121 Tied with numerous other teams 275 References Edit Stein amp Clark 1976 pp 27 28 Stein amp Clark 1976 pp 41 42 Stein amp Clark 1976 pp 43 44 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 45 a b c Layden Tim Don Coryell 1924 2010 SI com Retrieved 2010 07 07 Farmer Sam 2010 07 02 Don Coryell dies at 85 longtime coach of the San Diego Chargers Los Angeles Times Retrieved 2010 07 03 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 48 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 49 a b c Smith Rick December 18 1969 Coryell looms as Badgers football coach Madison Capital Times San Diego Evening Tribune pp 36 37 Stan Burke wins heavy crown in Husky ring meet Tacoma News Tribune February 25 1949 p 27 a b Stein amp Clark 1976 p 50 UBC Sports Hall of Fame Inductees Archived from the original on 2012 04 15 Retrieved 2012 04 28 Howitt Eaton September 28 1953 Coryell king of campus as Birds thump Cubs Vancouver Sun p 13 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 53 Bakersfield outscores Wenatchee Honolulu Advertiser UP December 5 1955 p B2 Stein amp Clark 1976 pp 54 55 a b Center Bill Don Coryell ex Chargers Aztecs coach dies at 85 San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved 2010 07 03 Stein amp Clark 1976 pp 60 61 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 62 SCIAC Football Champions thesciac org Retrieved September 29 2022 a b Former Poets coach Don Coryell dies at 85 Whittier College Poets 2010 07 02 Retrieved 2010 07 03 Sanders Roger Air Coryell will it land in the NFL Hall of Fame HOF this time morningsentinel com Retrieved September 29 2022 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 63 Fresno dumps Aztecs 60 0 Los Angeles Times October 30 1960 p H9 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Aztecs Football 2021 Media Guide PDF PDF ed 2021 pp 204 205 Coryell new Aztecs head grid coach Los Angeles Times January 12 1961 p IV 1 a b Nettleship Johnny September 11 1961 Bulldogs CCA pick but beware spoilers San Luis Obispo Tribune p 12 Bulldogs face Aztecs in win string quest Hanford Sentinel October 25 1961 p 13 a b Aztec s Coryell to feel at home at Times banquet Los Angeles Times December 5 1968 p III 4 a b c Distel Dave January 30 1988 Coryell knew what he had in Joe Gibbs Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 5 Joe Gibbs pro football reference com Retrieved September 18 2022 Farris Bruce October 28 1962 Vengeful Aztecs edge FSC 29 26 Fresno Bee pp 1 S 2 S Allen John November 7 1962 Gypsy Aztec coach finds home Los Angeles Times p III 7 a b Coryell s SDSU Legacy Includes Madden Voice of San Diego 21 April 2009 Retrieved September 19 2022 Hoyt William September 3 1965 Aztecs few but packed Arizona Daily Sun p 8 Sprenger Bob November 28 1964 Mighty Aztecs at S J San Francisco Examiner p 42 Stein amp Clark 1976 pp 74 75 McCormack Jim September 11 1966 49ers pick for CCAA Long Beach Independent p C 3 McCormack Jim October 9 1966 Aztecs hold off 49ers Long Beach Independent pp C 1 C 2 Azteca smash Bison 36 0 Billings Gazette AP November 6 1966 p 23 Don Horn dazzles fans Billings Gazette UPI December 11 1966 p 21 Stein amp Clark 1976 pp 78 79 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 80 45 296 see S D State win 16 8 Long Beach Independent UPI September 16 1967 p C 1 Cats fall to nation s No 1 small college team Great Falls Tribune November 19 1967 p 17 Late Utah State TD ends Aztec s string Los Angeles Times November 27 1967 p III 5 Top rated Aztecs Camellia victors Tallahassee Democrat AP December 10 1967 p 1C Hall John December 2 1969 Human after all Los Angeles Times p III 3 Aztecs Football 2021 Media Guide PDF PDF ed 2021 p 172 Gamage Walt December 23 1968 Sports shots Peninsula Times Tribune p 25 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 81 Orach Ron December 29 1969 Brash passer Shaw looks at pro draft Greenfield Recorder Associated Press p 21 Nettleship Johnny October 24 1968 JRB drops CCAA as West team San Luis Obispo Tribune p 7 Sakamoto Gordon December 11 1968 Jacks Burman Fresno duo are on Little All Coast team Sacramento Bee UPI p E4 Aztecs win triple crown San Francisco Valley Times UPI December 15 1969 p 10 Aztec Don Coryell wanted by Badgers Arizona Republic AP December 5 1969 p 72 Former NFL MVP named assistant football coach San Diego State University Retrieved October 16 2022 McCormack Jim November 21 1970 Cal State intercepts Aztecs on way to bowl Long Beach Independent pp C 1 C 2 Stein amp Clark 1976 pp 89 90 a b Coryell takes pro job Fresno Bee AP January 19 1973 p C1 Coach Hollway sacked by Cardinals Hartford Courant AP December 19 1972 p 48 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 96 Football Cardinals name Don Coryell as head coach St Louis Post Dispatch January 18 1973 pp 1A 5A Coryell selected as Cardinal coach Springfield Leader and Press AP January 19 1973 p 16 a b Meyers Jeff December 23 1975 Improbable Big Red are playoff mystery team St Louis Post Dispatch p 2C a b c Hog aid Joe Gibbs to Cardinals Victoria Advocate AP March 8 1973 p 3B Two join Coryell Wisconsin State Journal AP January 31 1973 p II 2 Meyers Jeff July 23 1973 Coryell s wild enthusiasm rubbing off on Big Red St Louis Post Dispatch p 4C a b Chicago St Louis Phoenix Arizona Cardinals franchise encyclopedia pro football reference com Retrieved March 4 2023 a b Cowboys win Eastern title Miami Herald AP December 17 1973 p 3 F Cards trim Eagles on fast start 34 23 Idaho Statesman AP September 17 1973 p 19 Cardinals stun Washington behind Anderson Shy Pensacola News Journal AP September 24 1973 p 1C Writers to salute Big Red s Smith Hart St Louis Post Dispatch January 9 1974 p 5C Coryell signs new four year contract Moberly Monitor Index UPI December 28 1973 p 7 Meyers Jeff December 17 1974 Coryell in September Team will come together St Louis Post Dispatch pp 1 8B Meyers Jeff December 14 1974 Big Red can clinch East title again St Louis Post Dispatch p 5A Meyers Jeff September 5 1974 Coryell s lofty thoughts brought back to ground St Louis Post Dispatch p 2B Vikes out pro Big Red 7 5 St Louis Post Dispatch News services December 19 1976 p 2C a b Big Red go for second title Flat River Daily Journal 4 September 1975 p 2 B Hart selected player of year St Louis Post Dispatch December 18 1974 p 2G Coryell would like to improve defense Sedalia Democrat January 6 1975 p 8 St Louis retains pride despite defeat Palm Beach Post AP December 22 1974 p E5 Coryell receives top honor Sedalia Democrat AP January 5 1974 p 6B Big Red extends pact with Coryell to 1980 Flat River Daily Journal UPI January 21 1977 p 7 Fake punt touchdown leads the way Jefferson City Daily Capital AP October 15 1975 p 9 Cards prevail in overtime St Joseph Gazette AP November 17 1975 p 1B Otis chalks up 147 yards as Cards clinch division St Joseph Gazette AP December 15 1975 p 1B Cardiac Cards roll Arlington Heights Daily Herald December 8 1975 p IV 2 Coryell denies rift with management St Louis Post Dispatch January 2 1976 p 15A Broeg Bob July 27 1976 No losers in Big red s benefit game with the Jets St Louis Post Dispatch p 2C Football Cardinals open camp Saturday Flat River Daily Journal July 8 1975 p 7 Grow Doug December 24 1975 No Pro Bowl for Young St Louis Post Dispatch pp 1C 2C Grow Doug December 26 1975 Cards have confidence up their sleeves St Louis Post Dispatch pp 1 16D Cards out of playoffs Sedalia Democrat AP December 28 1975 p 6B Touchdown double sweet Oakland Tribune Associated Press December 28 1975 p 5C Dallas coach Landry gets honor Flat River Daily Journal UPI January 2 1976 p 7 a b Cards defeat Giants 17 14 Escondido Times Advocate AP December 13 1976 p A 10 Meyers Jeff November 15 1976 Big Red Hollywood finish St Louis Post Dispatch pp 1 6A Cards squander patented victory Southern Illinoisan AP November 22 1976 p 11 Cardinals level blast at referees Kansas City Star AP November 26 1976 p 20 Cardinals play must win game Port Huron Times Herald Gannett News Service December 10 1976 p FP 1 Big Red return six to Pro Bowl St Louis Post Dispatch December 15 1976 pp 1 8C Sports talk Indianapolis News December 20 1977 p 26 Cardinals become Dolphins turkey Owen Sound Sun Times Associated Press November 25 1977 p 8 Cards loss to Buccaneers costly Naples Daily News UPI December 20 1977 p 1C a b Grow Doug December 14 1977 Coryell calls San Diego story terrible mistake St Louis Post Dispatch pp 1A 4A Coryell angry in St Louis Billings Gazette AP December 12 1977 p 3 C Tomjan Laszlo K December 13 1977 Coryell remains upset Springfield Leader and Press UPI p 14 Grow Doug December 23 1977 Coryell s Senior Bowl job may change old answers St Louis Post Dispatch pp 1 12B Players surprise coach Columbia Record AP January 9 1978 p 6 D Possible LA Rams coaching shift Santa Cruz Sentinel AP January 19 1978 p 12 Cards price No 1 draft pick Honolulu Advertiser United Press International January 12 1978 p D 1 Don Coryell tops list with Saints Idaho Statesman UPI February 5 1978 p 4F Don Coryell loses job with Cards Odessa American AP February 11 1978 p 3B a b c Harner Andrew Best Head Coaches in Arizona Cardinals History Sports Illustrated Retrieved February 19 2023 a b Don Coryell s record Lafayette Journal and Courier October 30 1986 p B2 Inside the numbers Fort Worth Star Telegram December 8 2008 p 3DD Gold Jack Spotlight Even Big Men Like Dan Dierdorf Can Create Separation Pro Football Hall of Fame Retrieved February 19 2023 Coryell taking life easy Escondido Times Advocate AP April 28 1978 p B 1 Varsity thumps alumni 37 14 Escondido Times Advocate April 30 1978 p B 1 Distel Dave July 20 1978 Chargers center lost hurts knee on opening play Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 8 a b c Distel Dave September 26 1978 Prothro retires early as coach of Chargers Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 4 a b Prothro Out Coryell Hired The Washington Post Washington D C September 26 1978 ISSN 0190 8286 OCLC 1330888409 Pascarelli Peter July 24 1978 Chargers could jolt AFC Rochester Democrat and Chronicle p 6D Klein amp Fisher 1987 p 135 Klein amp Fisher 1987 p 136 From San Diego State to San Diego Chargers Palm Springs Desert Sun AP September 26 1978 p B1 Oates Bob October 1 1978 Pro football Los Angeles Times p III 2 a b c Los Angeles San Diego Chargers Franchise Encyclopedia pro football reference com Retrieved February 24 2023 Kaegel Dick October 9 1978 Coryell returns San Diego roars St Louis Post Dispatch p 1 BC Chargers dominate Broncos Berkeley Gazette AP October 9 1978 p 11 Revenge motive for San Diego Daily Oklahoman AP October 29 1978 p B12 Unknown leads SD to win over Raiders Salinas Californian UPI October 30 1978 pp 25 27 Supercharged San Diego runs over playoff bound Houston Victor Valley Press UPI December 18 1978 p 6 Jaworski Plaut amp Cosell 2011 p 90 a b Maffei John December 27 1978 Chargers end on a high note Escondido Times Advocate pp D 1 D 3 a b Chargers appear to be contender Flat River Daily Journal UPI September 17 1979 p 17 Hanifan comes home to join Chargers Escondido Times Advocate AP January 18 1979 p D 2 a b Slater Chuck December 19 1979 Fouts has passed the test QB s stats say he s no fluke New York Daily News p 72 Distel Dave May 4 1979 Fast deal made with the Browns Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 8 Ruben Harry December 21 1978 The day the set went off Chula Vista Star News p B 4 a b Maffei John December 18 1979 Chargers turn out the lights with a power surge Escondido Times Advocate pp D 1 D 3 Chargermania Escondido Times Advocate December 30 1979 p 3 Elderkin Phil September 16 1980 Chargers in passing write a book Christian Science Monitor Archived from the original on February 1 2014 Oates Bob December 14 1979 San Diego s other mountain man Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 16 via Newspapers com Kenney Jr Ron December 18 1979 Dee fense does it for Chargers Escondido Times Advocate pp D 1 D 3 Oberjuerge Paul November 22 1979 Steel curtain ripped Port Huron Times Herald p 3B Lowitt Bruce December 19 1979 Commanders Pardee is Coach of Year Buffalo News AP p 59 a b Brady Dave Coryell Scoffs At Reports of Signal Theft Washington Post Retrieved February 25 2023 Phillips character exhibited Lancaster Sunday News AP December 30 1979 p C 3 Collett Ritter January 4 1980 Another controversy for Eddie Biles Dayton Journal Herald p 13 via Newspapers com Distel Dave November 10 1980 Denver draws the line on Chargers 20 13 Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 9 Benirschke Fouts pace Chargers to 26 17 win Sacramento Bee AP 23 December 1980 pp C1 C4 Chuck Muncie s arrival delights Charger coach Berkshire Eagle UPI September 30 1980 p 25 a b c Lowe may miss the playoffs Escondido Times Advocate AP December 24 1980 p D 1 via Newspapers com Vecsey George December 25 1980 Warfield says Jefferson best receiver in football Corvallis Gazette Times The New York Times p 18 Caser Dan September 28 1980 Chargers Winslow prepares for a Missouri homecoming St Joseph News Press p 3F a b Ex Chargers coach Don Coryell dies 2010 07 02 Retrieved 2010 07 02 Charlie Joiner enjoys his role Palm Springs Desert Sun AP December 22 1980 p B5 via Newspapers com Wassink Zac 16 July 2021 NFL not making pre 1982 sack stats official MSN a b Moore David Leon January 11 1981 Chargers Raiders bring intense feud to field Sioux Falls Argus Leader Gannett News Service p 9D Chargers Bills to test strength Moline Dispatch UPI January 3 1981 p 9 Electric Chargers shock Bills 20 14 Santa Cruz Sentinel AP January 4 1981 pp 47 50 via Newspapers com Ex Ram Ron Smith key man for Chargers Hartford Courant AP January 4 1981 p D8 Bock Hal January 6 1980 Injuries to Eagles Chargers may force new game plans Reno Gazette Journal p 32 Maffei John January 12 1981 Chargers story ends on super sour note Escondido Times Advocate pp D 1 D 2 via Newspapers com Tully Mike July 28 1981 John Jefferson holds out for more money St Mary and Franklin Banner Tribune UPI p 2 Unhappy Fred Dean returns to Chargers Madison Capital Times AP September 26 1981 p 17 Chargers Packers complete Jefferson deal Lebanon Daily News UPI September 23 1981 p 24 Discontented Dean sent by Chargers to 49ers St Louis Post Dispatch UPI October 3 1981 p 5A Klein amp Fisher 1987 p 160 Chargers trade John Jefferson Salinas Californian AP October 3 1981 p 21 San Diego s Fred Dean traded to San Francisco Palm Beach Post Post Wire Services October 3 1981 p D6 Distel Dave November 17 1981 Seahawks join the crowd rout Chargers Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 5 via Newspapers com Chargers in playoffs Matton Journal Gazette December 22 1981 p 6 Late charge puts San Diego in NFL playoffs Whitehorse Daily Star AP December 31 1981 p 21 Joe Gibbs leaves Chargers Hattiesburg American AP January 13 1981 p 14 Saints trade Chandler St Joseph News Press AP September 30 1981 p B1 San Diego at Miami Wilmington News Journal Gannett News Service January 2 1982 p B1 a b Bock Hal January 2 1982 Cowboys Dolphins are veteran playoff teams Winona Daily News AP p 13 AFC Championship matchups Hackensack Record January 10 1982 p B 12 Janofsky Michael December 20 1982 Veteran linemen give Fouts protection Fort Worth Star Telegram Fort Worth Star Telegram p 5C via Newspapers com Distel Dave December 26 1981 Coryell says the Chargers weren t so bad after all Los Angeles Times p III 8 a b Distel Dave January 3 1982 Chargers pass by Dolphins Fort Worth Star Telegram Los Angeles Times News Service pp 1B 12B a b Klein amp Fisher 1987 p 138 Maffei John January 4 1982 Records notes and quotes from the Chargers game Escondido Times Advocate p D4 Grimsley Will January 10 1982 Coryell s nightmares include the weather in Cincinnati Wilmington News Journal Associated Press p D6 Carucci Vic January 19 1982 Fouts couldn t stop the game from slipping away Fort Myers News Press Gannett News Service p 3C a b Coryell warm weather sites are needed for NFL playoffs Rapid City Journal AP January 12 1982 p 18 Cobbs Chris July 14 1982 Charger trade catches Shaw by surprise Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 12 Dyer Bob September 5 1982 San Diego Des Moines Register p 5D Charger defense is surprising San Francisco Examiner Examiner News Services September 13 1982 p F6 a b Tentative agreement reached NFL to resume play Sunday with nine week abbreviated season Eau Claire Leader Telegram AP February 5 1982 p 1B via Newspapers com Distel Dave November 5 1982 It s not Coryell s style to play a waiting game Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 10 Season is over Don Coryell Hazelton Standard Speaker AP October 26 1982 p 24 Clark Peter January 3 1982 NFC seedings still in doubt Oakland Tribune p D 7 a b Steelers Chargers could be offensive Twin Falls Times News UPI January 9 1983 p C 4 Cobbs Chris December 12 1982 Chargers win arms race 41 37 Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times p III 4 via Newspapers com Dodd Mike December 21 1982 Chargers outduel Bengals 50 34 Ithaca Journal p 17 via Newspapers com Mattiace Peter January 5 1983 Making playoffs not enough for Pittsburgh Somerset Daily American Associated Press p 17 Cobbs Chris January 10 1983 Chargers boot first play win on their last Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 8 Defense keys Miami charge vs San Diego San Francisco Examiner UPI January 16 1983 p C7 Bokor Matt January 17 1983 Beaten Chargers have no excuses Lansing State Journal Associated Press p 1C Chargers drop Chiefs Titusville Herald AP January 3 1993 p B2 Patton Gregg December 19 1983 Raiders home for the playoffs Salinas Californian Gannett News Service p 23 San Diego Chargers at Los Angeles Raiders St Louis Post Dispatch AP December 18 1983 p 12F 1983 San Diego Chargers stats pro football reference com Retrieved March 6 2023 Cobbs Chris December 20 1983 Chargers season ends on a high note for Charlie Joiner Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 9 Don Coryell to lead Senior s South squad Johnson City Press Associated Press December 21 1983 p 44 Shearer Ed January 15 1984 South holds on in Senior Bowl Myrtle Beach Sun News AP p 6 B Builder seeks to buy Chargers Sunbury Daily Item AP July 31 1984 p 17 Hiserman Mike 8 October 1984 Chargers hold off Packers to win 34 28 Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 13 Chiefs overwhelm Chargers 42 21 Longview News Journal AP December 17 1984 p 2 B a b Chargers need injured Fouts against Bears Columbia Record AP December 15 1984 p 2 D Norcross Don October 23 1984 Winslow s injury could end his career Escondido Times Advocate pp C 1 C 4 Muncie leaves treatment centre Jackson Clarion Ledger Associated Press October 18 1984 p 4G NFL records broken in 1984 Mansfield News Journal Associated Press December 20 1984 p 8 B a b Don Coryell Pro Football Hall of Fame Retrieved March 8 2023 Cobbs Chris December 7 1984 Spanos denies staff changes Los Angeles Times p III 10 Posner Jay July 10 1985 Chargers waive goodbye to veterans Escondido Times Advocate p D1 Posner Jay January 21 1985 Something s changing with the Chargers Escondido Times Advocate pp D1 D3 Tobias Todd 2006 Ray Preston Bombs Away Air Coryell and the San Diego Chargers Bandana p 78 ISBN 0 9785729 0 4 Chargers owner hopes 8 5 million buys him a winner San Bernardino County Sun Associated Press August 14 1985 p C 6 Posner Jay October 31 1985 A half season of disappointment Escondido Times Advocate pp C1 C4 a b Pass happy Chiefs outlast Chargers San Angelo Standard Times AP December 23 1985 Chargers run and gun with NBA abandon Wilkes Barre Citizens Voice Washington Post News Service December 10 1985 p 50 Cleveland outruns San Diego after Fouts injures knee Dayton Journal Herald AP September 30 1985 p 8 via Newspapers com Anastasia Phil December 12 1985 Eagles have to untrack Little Train Camden Courier Post p 3E Posner Jay December 23 1985 Chargers notes Escondido Times Advocate p D2 via Newspapers com a b Posner Jay December 25 1985 Goodbye to the No D defense Escondido Times Advocate pp C1 C3 Cobbs Chris September 23 1985 Chargers win no a late field goal by Thomas 44 41 Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 4 Heisler Mark November 11 1985 Fouts drives Chargers to win Raiders to distraction Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 24 Posner Jay December 9 1980 Better than a point a minute Escondido Times Advocate pp C1 C4 a b c Cobbs Chris December 24 1985 Coryell s contract extended Los Angeles Times p III 2 Georgatos Dennis December 24 2000 Charger owner retains Coryell as head coach Reno Gazette Journal AP p 1B a b c Posner Jay October 30 1986 Coryell coaches players say he s no quitter Escondido Times Advocate pp D1 D5 via Newspapers com a b c d e f g h i Hyvonen Gary December 13 1993 Chargers Hall of Fame to finally admit Coryell North County Times p C 5 Simers T J April 26 2000 Beathard retires leaving Chargers in familiar state Los Angeles Times p D14 Posner Jay July 25 1986 Linden King is dropped Escondido Times Advocate p C1 Heisler Mark August 2 1986 Chargers Linden King is acquired by Raiders Los Angeles Times p III 13 Air and ground Coryell blast Dolphins San Pedro News Pilot AP September 8 1986 p B5 via Newspapers com Spanos Alex Seal Mark Kasparian Natalia 2002 11 Learning by Losing Sharing the Wealth My Story Audiobook ed Regnery ISBN 978 0895261588 Gosselin Rick August 2 1992 Don Coryell long gone but not forgotten Corpus Christi Caller Times Dallas Morning News p C15 Paris Jay 6 December 2012 Ranking the all time Chargers head coaches San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved March 12 2023 a b Distel Dave December 28 1979 San Diego coach specializes in intensity and turnarounds Los Angeles Times pp III 1 III 9 III 10 a b Coryell wants NFL to think Canadian Regina Leader Post CP May 22 1982 p A11 Air Coryell Pro Football Hall of Fame Archived from the original on June 6 2012 Cothrel Nick Former Chargers Coach Don Coryell Elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 Sports Illustrated Retrieved March 18 2023 Kerr Jeff Don Coryell architect of Air Coryell offense named coach contributor finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame cbssports com Retrieved March 18 2023 a b Hall of Fame enshrinement weekend blog NFL com Archived from the original on 2009 03 08 Retrieved 2008 11 02 Watkins Calvin 2 July 2010 Don Coryell s offense is Jason Garrett s espn com Retrieved March 18 2023 Williams Eric D 5 February 2017 Innovator Don Coryell misses out on Hall of Fame again espn com Retrieved March 18 2023 a b Lahman Sean 2007 The Pro Football Historical Abstract A Hardcore Fan s Guide to All Time Player Rankings Globe Pequot pp 279 280 ISBN 9781592289400 Retrieved January 4 2021 via Internet Archive a b Jaworski Plaut amp Cosell 2011 p 82 Whirlwind finish rallied Staubach Santa Cruz Sentinel AP December 20 1979 p 39 Posner Jay September 16 1985 Chargers defense seems very familiar Escondido Times Advocate pp C1 C2 Thomas Jim July 30 2008 Fred Dean Situational pass rusher made most of his opportunities The State Journal Register Archived from the original on September 19 2016 Krasovic Tom June 5 2013 Chargers had a Fearsome Foursome too U T San Diego Archived from the original on January 27 2014 Murphy Jack June 22 1975 Cards fall for Coryell Torrance Daily Breeze p E3 Klein amp Fisher 1987 p 137 Jaworski Plaut amp Cosell 2011 p 85 a b Hall of Champions names Gwynn Petranoff 86 stars Los Angeles Times February 7 1987 p III 18 a b Don Coryell 1988 goaztecs com Retrieved March 17 2023 a b c d e f Fioresi Dean February 10 2023 Former Chargers Head Coach Don Coryell elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame CBS News Los Angeles Retrieved 11 February 2023 a b Inductees by year uwtyeeclub com Retrieved March 24 2023 Becoming a Hall of Famer FAQs Pro Football Hall of Fame Retrieved March 24 2023 Carroll Bob Gershman Michael Neft David Thorn John 1999 Total Football The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League HarperCollins Publishers pp 1799 1800 ISBN 9780062701749 Retrieved June 6 2022 via Internet Archive Trotter Jim 2010 07 02 Don Coryell s bold approach helped mold the NFL into what it is today SI com Retrieved 2010 07 10 Miklasz Bernie Don Coryell changed the NFL STLToday com Retrieved 2010 07 11 Carucci Vic Coryell s attacking offense mirrored his attitude on game life NFL com Retrieved 2010 07 12 Canepa Nick February 21 2010 Canepa NFL Hall of Fame tough nut to crack San Diego Union Tribune Archived from the original on January 22 2011 Coryell denied entry to Hall of Fame 2010 02 06 Retrieved 2010 02 08 Pro Football Hall of Fame must break up traffic jam wlwt com The Sports Xchange January 29 2015 Retrieved January 31 2015 Isaac Bruce Don Coryell among Hall of Fame finalists Hall of Famers Yearly Finalists Hall of Famers Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site John Madden s Enshrinement Speech Transcript August 5 2006 accessed October 4 2008 Hall of Fame notes Gibbs lobbies for Coryell Thurman for Reed Archived from the original on 2013 01 05 Retrieved 2008 11 02 Shannhan Tom 2008 Don Coryell Belongs in the Hall of Fame July 1 accessed October 4 2008 Archived from the original on September 19 2008 Retrieved October 5 2008 Innovative coach Coryell finalist for football HOF ESPN 2022 08 24 Retrieved 2022 08 24 a b c d Pro Football Hall of Fame to enshrine nine in Class of 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame Retrieved March 20 2023 Stein amp Clark 1976 p 61 Evans Mike December 29 1974 Coryell credits his family San Antonio Express p 22 Don Coryell Record Statistics and Category Ranks Pro Football Reference com Chargers look back to future Boca Raton News Associated Press November 12 2000 p 1B Canepa Nick November 16 2009 Greatest Chargers list rings true The San Diego Union Tribune Archived from the original on January 14 2010 a b c 2022 Official National Football League Record amp Fact Book PDF nfl com Retrieved March 22 2023 Jim Mora Football Coach uconnhuskies com Retrieved March 22 2023 Bibliography EditStein Joe Clark Diane 1976 Don Coryell Win With Honor First printing ed Joyce Press ISBN 978 0 89325 003 4 Jaworski Ron Plaut David Cosell Greg 2011 The Games That Changed the Game The Evolution of the NFL in Seven Sundays Paperback ed Random House ISBN 978 0 34551 796 8 Klein Gene Fisher David 1987 First Down and a Billion the Funny Business of Pro Football Morrow ISBN 0 688 06894 4 External links EditDon Coryell at the College Football Hall of Fame Don Coryell at Pro Football Reference Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Don Coryell amp oldid 1148182574, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.