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Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell (/kɔːrˈjɜːl/ kor-YEL; October 17, 1924 – July 1, 2010) was an American football coach. He coached in high school, college, and the professional ranks; his most notable NCAA post was with the San Diego State Aztecs for 12 seasons from 1961 to 1972 before he moved on to the National Football (NFL), first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986. Well known for his innovations in football's passing game, in particular the Air Coryell offense he created with the Chargers, Coryell was the first head coach to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional levels. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1994, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Born in Seattle, Coryell served in the U.S. military during World War II and played college football before becoming a coach upon his graduation. Between 1950 and 1960 he served as either a head coach or assistant at eight different institutions, overseeing rapid improvements in most cases and winning three conference titles with the Whittier Poets. He followed this with a 12-year stint at San Diego State, from 1961 to 1972, in which he led them to seven conference titles, three NCAA College Division titles and victory in three bowl games. During this time, future Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches John Madden and Joe Gibbs served on his staff as assistants.
Coryell moved into professional coaching in 1973 with the St. Louis 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. He left after a dispute with Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill and joined the San Diego Chargers in 1978, leading them to three division titles over the course of eight years. During his time with the Chargers, his teams led the NFL in passing yards six years in a row and seven times in total, while also leading the league in total yardage five times and scoring three times. Coryell retired from coaching after being fired following a 1–7 start in 1986.
Don Coryell was born October 17, 1924, to Julia and George Coryell in Seattle, Washington. He was the youngest of four children, all boys. Don 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.
Coryell graduated from Lincoln High School in 1943 while World War II was in process, and immediately enlisted in the United States Army. He 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. While the bulk of his group joined the war in Italy, Coryell was promoted to platoon sergeant and remained in America as an instructor. Preferring to see combat, he applied for officer's school; he was eventually sent to Japan, but only after the war had ended. 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.
After leaving the service, Coryell enrolled at the University of Washington, studying physical education and earning his bachelor's and master's degrees. He played as a defensive back for the Washington Huskies, lettering as a senior in 1949 and playing in that year's Hula Bowl. He also 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.
Coryell changed jobs frequently during his first decade as a coach. While earning a master's degree at the University of Washington, he remained with the Huskies as an assistant coach. After completing his studies, Coryell took a job at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he served as both an assistant coach and a biology teacher. The following year, 1952, he moved to another Honolulu school, Farrington High School, for his first head coaching post. He improved a team that had failed to win a game the previous year. In 1953, Coryell moved to the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he compiled a 2–16 record over two seasons. The university did not prioritize sporting success; when Coryell earned his first victory it ended a two-year winless drought for the team, and prompted the Vancouver Sun to write, "Don Coryell has carved himself a niche in UBC's not-too-crowded football hall of fame."
In 1955, Coryell accepted an offer from Wenatchee Junior College in his home state of Washington. The team had gone winless the previous year. Coryell bolstered his squad by recruiting nine players from Canada and seven from Hawaii and led Wenatchee to a 7–0–1 record, before they lost, 33–6, to Bakersfield in the Potato Bowl. During that year, Coryell began using what he called the "IT formation", combining elements of the I formation and the T formation, with the intention of having his backs receive the ball closer to the line of scrimmage. This is today known as the power I formation.
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Don Coryell
Donald David Coryell (/kɔːrˈjɜːl/ kor-YEL; October 17, 1924 – July 1, 2010) was an American football coach. He coached in high school, college, and the professional ranks; his most notable NCAA post was with the San Diego State Aztecs for 12 seasons from 1961 to 1972 before he moved on to the National Football (NFL), first with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1973 to 1977 and then the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1986. Well known for his innovations in football's passing game, in particular the Air Coryell offense he created with the Chargers, Coryell was the first head coach to win more than 100 games at both the collegiate and professional levels. He was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame in 1994, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.
Born in Seattle, Coryell served in the U.S. military during World War II and played college football before becoming a coach upon his graduation. Between 1950 and 1960 he served as either a head coach or assistant at eight different institutions, overseeing rapid improvements in most cases and winning three conference titles with the Whittier Poets. He followed this with a 12-year stint at San Diego State, from 1961 to 1972, in which he led them to seven conference titles, three NCAA College Division titles and victory in three bowl games. During this time, future Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches John Madden and Joe Gibbs served on his staff as assistants.
Coryell moved into professional coaching in 1973 with the St. Louis 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. He left after a dispute with Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill and joined the San Diego Chargers in 1978, leading them to three division titles over the course of eight years. During his time with the Chargers, his teams led the NFL in passing yards six years in a row and seven times in total, while also leading the league in total yardage five times and scoring three times. Coryell retired from coaching after being fired following a 1–7 start in 1986.
Don Coryell was born October 17, 1924, to Julia and George Coryell in Seattle, Washington. He was the youngest of four children, all boys. Don 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.
Coryell graduated from Lincoln High School in 1943 while World War II was in process, and immediately enlisted in the United States Army. He 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. While the bulk of his group joined the war in Italy, Coryell was promoted to platoon sergeant and remained in America as an instructor. Preferring to see combat, he applied for officer's school; he was eventually sent to Japan, but only after the war had ended. 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.
After leaving the service, Coryell enrolled at the University of Washington, studying physical education and earning his bachelor's and master's degrees. He played as a defensive back for the Washington Huskies, lettering as a senior in 1949 and playing in that year's Hula Bowl. He also 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.
Coryell changed jobs frequently during his first decade as a coach. While earning a master's degree at the University of Washington, he remained with the Huskies as an assistant coach. After completing his studies, Coryell took a job at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he served as both an assistant coach and a biology teacher. The following year, 1952, he moved to another Honolulu school, Farrington High School, for his first head coaching post. He improved a team that had failed to win a game the previous year. In 1953, Coryell moved to the University of British Columbia in Canada, where he compiled a 2–16 record over two seasons. The university did not prioritize sporting success; when Coryell earned his first victory it ended a two-year winless drought for the team, and prompted the Vancouver Sun to write, "Don Coryell has carved himself a niche in UBC's not-too-crowded football hall of fame."
In 1955, Coryell accepted an offer from Wenatchee Junior College in his home state of Washington. The team had gone winless the previous year. Coryell bolstered his squad by recruiting nine players from Canada and seven from Hawaii and led Wenatchee to a 7–0–1 record, before they lost, 33–6, to Bakersfield in the Potato Bowl. During that year, Coryell began using what he called the "IT formation", combining elements of the I formation and the T formation, with the intention of having his backs receive the ball closer to the line of scrimmage. This is today known as the power I formation.
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