12 Facts About Tyrone Willingham

Lionel Tyrone Willingham was born on December 30,1953 and is a former American football player and coach.

Tyrone Willingham went on to Michigan State University, where he played football and baseball and graduated in 1977 with a degree in physical education.

Tyrone Willingham held assistant coaching positions at his alma mater, Central Michigan University, North Carolina State University, Rice University, and Stanford University.

When Stanford head coach Dennis Green was hired as the Minnesota Vikings head coach in 1992, Tyrone Willingham followed him as running backs coach.

On December 31,2001, Tyrone Willingham was hired as head coach at Notre Dame.

On December 13,2004, Tyrone Willingham was hired as the new head coach at Washington, succeeding Keith Gilbertson.

Tyrone Willingham instituted a strict hair policy and was known to occasionally show up in his players' classes unannounced to make sure they were attending.

On October 27,2008, seven games into the 2008 season, Tyrone Willingham announced that his contract was being terminated and he would be leaving UW after the regular season.

In 2014, Tyrone Willingham was named as a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee.

Tyrone Willingham volunteered as a coach on the Stanford women's golf team in 2011.

Tyrone Willingham served as president on the American Football Coaches Association Board of Trustees in 2008.

On July 18,2010, at the age of 56 and nearly two years after he had coached his last game, Tyrone Willingham announced he was retired from coaching.