The NFL lost one of its legends on Thursday when former San Diego Chargers coach Don Coryell died at the age of 85 after a long illness.
Coryell was one of the most innovative coaches the NFL has ever had, revolutionizing the passing game and turning hapless franchises into Super Bowl contenders.
Nicknamed Air Coryell during his coaching tenure with the Chargers, he guided San Diego to three AFC West titles and two AFC Championship appearances.
He first achieved prominence at San Diego State where he coached from 1961-72 and then took his first NFL coaching job with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973, where he guided the team to NFC East division titles in 1975 and 1976.
He was named AFC Coach of the Year in 1979 and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1994.
Under Coryell’s guidance, four of his former players in San Diego – Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, Fred Dean and Kellen Winslow – became members of the NFL Hall of Fame.
[...] Legendary NFL Coach Don Coryell Passes Away. (MoonDog [...]