Joseph Dennis Fitzgerald was an American freestyle wrestler and football player and coach.
38 Facts About Dennis Fitzgerald
1.
2.
Dennis Fitzgerald holds the University of Michigan record for the longest kickoff return at 99 yards.
3.
Dennis Fitzgerald competed as a wrestler, winning Big Ten Conference championships in 1960 and 1961 and winning a gold medal representing the United States as the 1963 Pan American Games in Sao Paulo.
4.
Dennis Fitzgerald spent more than 35 years working as a football coach for several university and professional football teams.
5.
Dennis Fitzgerald held assistant coaching positions at, among others, the University of Michigan, University of Kentucky, Syracuse University, Tulane University and Grand Valley State University.
6.
Dennis Fitzgerald was the head football coach at Kent State University from 1975 to 1977 and spent seven years as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers under head coach Chuck Noll.
7.
Dennis Fitzgerald's final coaching position was as the defensive coordinator for the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League.
8.
Dennis Fitzgerald served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1957.
9.
Dennis Fitzgerald was a member of the Camp LeJeune wrestling team in 1956 and 1957.
10.
Dennis Fitzgerald was a starting halfback for Michigan in 1959 and 1960.
11.
In October 1960, Dennis Fitzgerald had a 99-yard kickoff return against Michigan State.
12.
Dennis Fitzgerald set the record for the longest kickoff return in University of Michigan history, though Tyrone Wheatley tied the record in September 1992 against Houston.
13.
Dennis Fitzgerald was among the last American football players to play the game wearing a leather helmet with no face guard.
14.
Dennis Fitzgerald caught a touchdown pass in the game but reported that he was not feeling well.
15.
Dennis Fitzgerald never gives anything less than all he's got.
16.
Dennis Fitzgerald was a member of the Michigan Wolverines football and wrestling teams.
17.
Dennis Fitzgerald was a member of the Michigan Wolverines wrestling team from 1959 to 1961.
18.
Dennis Fitzgerald was the runner up in the 1959 Big Ten championship at 167 pounds, an NCAA semifinalist in 1960 and 1961, an AAU national finalist in 1961, and the AAU runner up in 1963.
19.
Dennis Fitzgerald was captain of Michigan's wrestling team during his junior and senior years.
20.
Dennis Fitzgerald continued to participate in amateur wrestling even after receiving his degree at Michigan.
21.
Dennis Fitzgerald won a gold medal representing the United States as the 1963 Pan American Games in Sao Paulo, and participated in the 1963 World Games in Bulgaria.
22.
Dennis Fitzgerald received his master's degree from the University of Michigan in 1963.
23.
Dennis Fitzgerald was an assistant football coach at Michigan, the University of Kentucky, and Kent State University.
24.
In January 1975, Dennis Fitzgerald replaced Don James as Kent State's head football coach.
25.
In March 1978, Dennis Fitzgerald resigned his position at Kent State to become an assistant coach at Syracuse University.
26.
Dennis Fitzgerald remained with Syracuse as linebackers coach and defensive coordinator for three years from 1978 to 1980.
27.
In March 1981, Dennis Fitzgerald was hired as the defensive coordinator for Tulane University.
28.
In July 1982, Dennis Fitzgerald was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers following an interview with head coach Chuck Noll.
29.
He's to coach the linebackers, one of whom, All-Pro Jack Lambert when Dennis Fitzgerald was an assistant at Kent State.
30.
Dennis Fitzgerald spent nine years as an assistant coach under Noll, serving as the linebackers coach from 1982 to 1986 and special tams coach from 1987 to 1988.
31.
Dennis Fitzgerald came within one game of the Super Bowl in 1984, when the Steelers lost to the Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game.
32.
In 1994, Dennis Fitzgerald served as the defensive line coach at Grand Valley State University.
33.
Dennis Fitzgerald continued to coach at Grand Valley through the 1996 season.
34.
Dennis Fitzgerald was the defensive coordinator for the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League from 1995 to 1996 and 1998 to 1999.
35.
In between stints with the Firebirds, Dennis Fitzgerald spent the 1997 season as defensive coordinator for the James Madison Dukes.
36.
Dennis Fitzgerald was diagnosed with lymphoma before the 1999 season, but remained with the team as he underwent chemotherapy treatments.
37.
Dennis Fitzgerald died on January 14,2001, at his home in Allison Park, Pennsylvania.
38.
Dennis Fitzgerald was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, five daughters, and a son, Timothy.