87 Facts About Don Coryell

1.

Donald David Coryell was an American football coach.

2.

Don Coryell 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, first with the St Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986.

3.

Don Coryell followed this with a twelve-year stint at San Diego State in which he led the previously-struggling program to seven conference titles, three college division titles and victory in three bowl games.

4.

Don 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.

5.

Don Coryell 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.

6.

Don 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.

7.

The first head coach to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional level, Don Coryell was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

8.

In 2023, twenty-seven years after his career ended, Don Coryell was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

9.

Don Coryell was the youngest of four children, all boys, born to Julia and George Coryell in Seattle, Washington.

10.

Don Coryell 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.

11.

Don Coryell graduated from Lincoln High School in 1943 while World War II was in process, and immediately enlisted in the United States Army.

12.

Don Coryell 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.

13.

Don 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.

14.

Don Coryell played as a defensive back for the Washington Huskies, lettering as a senior in 1949 and playing in that year's Hula Bowl.

15.

Don Coryell 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.

16.

Don Coryell changed jobs frequently during his first decade as a coach.

17.

Don Coryell improved a team that had failed to win a game the previous year.

18.

In 1955, Don Coryell accepted an offer from Wenatchee Junior College in his home state of Washington.

19.

Don Coryell remained at Whittier for three seasons, winning SCIAC championships each time.

20.

Don Coryell adopted a flexible approach to offensive play, based on the abilities of his personnel.

21.

Later, Don Coryell converted a tailback into a talented quarterback and began passing more often.

22.

Don Coryell kept the program within its budget, which his predecessor had failed to do.

23.

Don 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.

24.

Don Coryell installed the I formation, 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.

25.

Don Coryell was carried from the field by his players at the end of the game.

26.

Don 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.

27.

In 1964, Don Coryell recruited another future Hall of Fame head coach, this time appointing John Madden as his defensive coordinator.

28.

Don Coryell was approached by the University of Arizona to coach the Wildcats, a post commanding a much higher salary than San Diego State could afford.

29.

When Don Coryell mentioned to Jack Murphy that he was inclined to accept Arizona's offer, Murphy approached the Greater San Diego Sports Association and they agreed to supplement Don Coryell's salary.

30.

In 1968 and 1969 Don Coryell had future NFL quarterback Dennis Shaw as his starter, and his offense shifted back towards the pass.

31.

Don Coryell was able to lure Shaw away from USC, where McKay had used him as a tight end.

32.

Don 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 and in a season.

33.

Don Coryell interviewed for Wisconsin's vacant head coach after the 1969 season, but ultimately stayed in San Diego for another three seasons.

34.

Don 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.

35.

Don Coryell contacted the Cardinals about the vacancy and was named their head coach on January 18,1973, signing a three-year contract.

36.

Don Coryell brought in several of his former San Diego State assistant coaches, including Gibbs, Dowhower and Jim Hanifan.

37.

St Louis began their 1974 season with little expectation of a playoff run; Don Coryell expressed concern after a series of weak preseason performances.

38.

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; Don Coryell considered them his most improved unit.

39.

Don Coryell had his contract extended again before the following season, running for six more years through to 1980.

40.

Don 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".

41.

Don Coryell 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.

42.

Don 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.

43.

Uncertainty as to Don Coryell's future followed his remarks, and continued after a season-ending loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

44.

Don Coryell is credited with improving offensive stars such as Hart, Gray, and Hall of Fame offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf.

45.

Don Coryell moved back to San Diego in April 1978, having apparently missed out on any head coaching posts for the coming season.

46.

Don Coryell described the appointment as "like a dream come true" at his introductory press conference, stating that he would retain Prothro's staff and noting that the outgoing head coach's offensive system was similar to Don Coryell's own.

47.

The Los Angeles Times described the appointment as "a merger made in Heaven", with Don Coryell's expertise expected to improve the offense to match the already-strong defense.

48.

Don Coryell added Hanifan and Gibbs to his staff for the third time early in the offseason, soon promoting the Gibbs to offensive coordinator.

49.

Don Coryell 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.

50.

San Diego entered 1979 with high expectations after their strong finish the previous year, though Don Coryell played down their Super Bowl chances, noting that they had yet to win even a divisional title since joining the NFL.

51.

Don Coryell received 10 votes for AP Coach of the Year, finishing in third place.

52.

Don 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.

53.

Don Coryell 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.

54.

Don Coryell had him line up as both a tight end and wide receiver, and he led the league in receptions with 89.

55.

Early in the 1981 season, Don Coryell lost high-profile players on both offense and defense, with Jefferson and Dean both holding out.

56.

Don Coryell was not involved in either decision, but did not publicly criticize them.

57.

Aware that the game would be played in taxing, humid conditions, Don 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.

58.

San Diego advanced to the AFC Championship game, where they would meet the Cincinnati Bengals in what were expected to be freezing conditions; Don Coryell was concerned that the cold would make the ball heavier and harder, affecting the Chargers' passing attack.

59.

Don Coryell 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.

60.

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, Don Coryell blamed the lack of time his rebuilt defense had spent playing together.

61.

Don Coryell's employer changed shortly before the season when Klein sold the Chargers to builder Alex Spanos, previously a minority owner.

62.

Don Coryell made over forty roster changes during the season, mostly due to injuries, and several starters missed time; Winslow missed eight games with a shattered knee and Fouts three games with a groin injury, while Muncie was suspended for violating the league's drug policy.

63.

On July 9,1985, the Chargers waived seven veteran players; Don Coryell stated that the move would allow younger players to gain more experience.

64.

One of the released players, Ray Preston, claimed in a 2006 interview that a tearful Don Coryell had telephoned to tell Preston of his release and assure him that Don Coryell would have retained him given the choice.

65.

Don Coryell had a new weapon in 5 foot 6 inch Lionel James, whose 2,535 all-purpose yards broke the NFL record Metcalf had set for Don Coryell in 1975.

66.

Don Coryell 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.

67.

Don Coryell would be dismissed after only eight more games.

68.

Don Coryell welcomed the moves, stating that Saunders' promotion would give him more time to work with the defense.

69.

Don Coryell had a strained relationship with Spanos, who began meeting with Saunders to discuss the future of the team, reducing Don Coryell's authority.

70.

King defended Don Coryell and blamed scouting director Ron Nay for his release.

71.

Don Coryell remained silent on the matter for several years, but stated in a 1992 interview that his exit had been Spanos' decision.

72.

Don Coryell never returned to coaching after leaving the Chargers, turning down a number of subsequent offers.

73.

Don Coryell was the first head coach to win 100 games at both the collegiate and professional levels.

74.

Don Coryell 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.

75.

Don Coryell is remembered primarily as an offensive coach who could tailor his offense to suit the skills of the personnel available.

76.

Air Don Coryell remained influential in the league after Don Coryell's retirement, with Washington, Dallas and the St Louis Rams all winning Super Bowls while using versions of the offense.

77.

Don Coryell left the coaching of defensive players and the defensive game plan to Bass.

78.

Don Coryell's focus on football would often lead him to walk straight by friends or players without noticing them or responding when they greeted him; he worked late hours, and would sleep at his team's training facility two or three times a week while the season was ongoing.

79.

Don Coryell did not want to intimidate his players and instead treated his players with respect, allowing them to showcase their strengths.

80.

In 1993, the Chargers inducted Fouts and Joiner but not Don Coryell; this embarrassed Fouts, who publicly stated that the coach should have gone in before any of his players.

81.

Don 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.

82.

Don Coryell was not selected that year, and was a losing finalist in 2015,2016,2017,2019 and 2020.

83.

Advocates for Don 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.

84.

For Don Coryell to not be in the Hall of Fame is a lack of knowledge of the voters.

85.

Don Coryell met his future wife Aliisa during his year coaching Fort Ord; she worked as a recreation director at the facility.

86.

Don Coryell died on July 1,2010, at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, California.

87.

The cause of death was not officially released, but Don Coryell had been in poor health for some time.