The Old Salt resurrected two football programs. His alma mater, Navy, floundered in the decade after Roger Staubach, but by the late '70s he turned them into a winner, going 31-15-1 in his last four seasons and making three bowl games. Phil McConkey played for him there.
Then, he took over a moribund UVA program in 1982 that had just gone 1-10 and posted just two winning seasons in 28 years. He went 2-9 that first year and then had just one other losing season in the next 18 years. Won 7+ games for 13 straight seasons, always with dignity and class. Never a hint of any impropriety in the program.
He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004, a richly deserved honor. Also was a damned fine player in his own right, a first team All-American QB at Navy and 3rd in the 1955 Heisman voting.
Fair winds and following seas, Coach.
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A great coach and an even better man.
I was there to see the likes of Shawn Moore, Herman Moore, Terry Kirby, Chris Slade, Matt Blundin, Yusef Jackson, Greg Jeffries, etc.
Despite losing to GT, that game of Nationally Ranked #1 teams was soooo much fun.
Wahoowa.
RIP Coach.