| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 26, 1927 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 14, 2019 (aged 92) Sunnyvale, California, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1948–1950 | California |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1953–1954 | San Lorenzo HS (CA) |
| 1956–1958 | California (assistant) |
| 1959–1962 | Utah State |
| 1963–1971 | Stanford |
| 1972–1976 | Denver Broncos |
| 1978 | Philadelphia Eagles (OC) |
| 1981 | Toronto Argonauts (assistant) |
| 1983–1984 | Oakland Invaders |
| 1993–1996 | San Jose State |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1979–1980 | San Francisco 49ers (VP of admin.) |
| 1997–2013 | San Jose State (special asst.) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 97–81–4 (college) 34–33–3 (NFL) 9–12 (USFL) |
| Bowls | 2–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 Skyline (1960–1961) 2 AAWU/Pac-8 (1970–1971) | |
| Awards | |
| Sporting News College Football COY (1970) | |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1992 (profile) | |
John R. Ralston (April 26, 1927 – September 14, 2019) was an American football player, coach, and sports executive. He served as the head football coach at Utah State University (1959–1962), Stanford University (1963–1971), and San Jose State University (1993–1996), compiling a career college football record of 97–81–4. Ralston also coached the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1972 to 1976, amassing a record of 34–33–3, and the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League (USFL) in 1983 and part of the 1984 season, tallying a mark of 9–12. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1992.