Don Coryell

Don Coryell

Coryell with the San Diego Chargers c. 1981
Personal information
Born:	(1924-10-17)October 17, 1924 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Died:	July 1, 2010(2010-07-01) (aged 85) La Mesa, California, U.S.
Career information
College:	Washington
Career history
As a coach:
Washington (1950) Assistant coach Punahou (HI) (1951) Assistant coach Farrington HS (HI) (1952) Head coach UBC (1953–1954) Head coach Wenatchee Valley (1955) Head coach Fort Ord (1956) Head coach Whittier (1957–1959) Head coach USC (1960) Assistant coach San Diego State (1961–1972) Head coach St. Louis Cardinals (1973–1977) Head coach San Diego Chargers (1978–1986) Head coach
Career highlights and awards
AP NFL Coach of the Year (1974) Los Angeles Chargers Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers 40th Anniversary Team San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team 3× NCAA College Division champion (1966–1968) 3× SCIAC champion (1957–1959) 4× CCAA champion (1962, 1963, 1966–1967) 3× PCAA champion (1969–1970, 1972)
Career coaching statistics
Regular season: 114–89–1 (.561) Postseason: 3–6 (.333) Career: NFL: 117–95–1 (.552) NCAA: 127–24–3 (.834)
Record at Pro Football Reference
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Donald David Coryell (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, then he moved on to the National Football League (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.