NCAA Football and NFL Football Collides in San Diego
There is a time when college football and professional football meet and it’s usually in the coaching ranks. There have been many very talented coaches that have started their careers in college football and then have made a successful transition to the pros. There is a university in Southern California that has had a record amount of coaches make that jump. Over the past fifty years, San Diego State University has never been rated in the top ten in football. They have won only two football Conference titles: the WAC in 1986 and again in 98. They have just one bowl victory, last year’s Poinsettia Bowl win over Navy. But they have supplied the NFL with ten head coaches that have accounted for six Super Bowl titles.
It all began with Don Coryell in 1961. He led the Aztecs to 104 wins before taking over as head coach with the St. Louis Cardinals. He then moved on to the San Diego Chargers and from the late 70′s through the mid 80′s his Air Coryell offense dominated the NFL. By the time he was done Coryell became the only coach in football history to win 100 games in both college and pro football.
From Coryell’s early football staff at San Diego State came John Madden and Joe Gibbs. Madden won a Super Bowl with the Raiders in 1976. His ten year record of 103-32-7 is the best winning percentage in NFL history and led him to the NFL Hall of Fame. Gibbs went on to lead the Washington Redskins to four Super Bowls, winning three of them. Gibbs was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1996. Rod Dowhower was a quarterback for Coryell at SDSU. After six years as an assistant coach he moved to the NFL and later was head coach of the Colts in 1985 and 86. Jim Hanifan spent the 1972 season with Coryell at SDSU. Then served as offensive line coach under Coryell with the Chargers before becoming a head coach with the Cardinals and then later with the Atlanta Falcons.
The post Coryell football era at San Diego State also provided many qualified NFL head coaches. Brian Billick was on the SDSU staff from 1981 to 85. Billick took over as head coach of the Baltimore Ravens in 1999 and in 2000 led them to the Super Bowl. Another Super Bowl winning football coach, is the New Orleans Saints Sean Payton. Payton was an Aztecs assistant coach in 1992 and 93. Current Denver Broncos head coach and former head coach of the Carolina Panthers, John Fox started as a defensive back at San Diego State and spent a season as a graduate assistant before moving on to the NFL. Another former Aztec defensive back also made his mark in the NFL. Herman Edwards went on to lead the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs. Wrapping up the list is former Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable. Cable was an assistant coach for the Aztecs in 1989.
When you talk about football superiority of NCAA college sports teams you think of USC, Ohio State, Florida and LSU. But for the past 50 years, San Diego State has made a major impact in the NFL coaching ranks. So show your football sports pride San Diego. Go Aztecs!
About the Author
Ellen Meador is a sports enthusiast. She currently manages a series of online retail stores. If you are a sports fan and want to show your pride and fly a sports team flag and banners you’ll find a variety of collegiate and pro banners, car flags, and garden flags from leading manufacturers at www.flagandpennantstore.com
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