Legendary former BYU coach LaVell Edwards dead at 86

By Barry Werner
Published

Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport

Former BYU football coach LaVell Edwards died Thursday at the age of 86.

Edwards coached the Cougars for 29 years, compiling a 257-101-3 record. During his time at BYU, the school went to 22 bowl games, earned 20 conference titles and won the national championship in 1984.

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"LaVell's humble, humorous and loving character inspired not only his players, but countless others as well," BYU president Kevin J. Worthen said in a statement. "His positive impact reached well beyond BYU and well beyond college football."

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Edwards was the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1979 and the AFCA National Coach of the Year in 1984. After his retirement in 2000, BYU named its football stadium after him. Edwards was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

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Under his leadership, BYU produced a Heisman Trophy winner in Ty Detmer (1990), two Outland Trophy winners, four Davey O'Brien award winners, 31 All-Americans and four College Football Hall of Famers.

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Per the Salt Lake Tribune:

He coached seven quarterbacks who became All-Americans: Gifford Nielsen, Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Marc Wilson, Robbie Bosco, Detmer and Steve Sarkisian. ...

The list of notables who played or coached under Edwards includes current BYU coach Kalani Sitake, former Washington and USC coach Sarkisian, former Hawaii coach Norm Chow, current Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, former Oregon State coach Dave Kragthorpe and NFL coaches Brian Billick, Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid. Washington State coach Mike Leach has often attributed his offensive success to details he learned from Edwards, although Leach never played or coached under the man credited by many for implementing the foundations for the West Coast Offense.

Only Penn State's Joe Paterno (409) and Florida State's Bobby Bowden (304) have more wins at one school than Edwards had at BYU (257).