Prior to coaching in the NFL, Coryell coached in the college
ranks for 24 years with his last stop at San Diego State where he coached the
Aztecs. While there he developed and
refined what is now known as the Power-I formation. Coryell also featured the passing game
prominently in his later years with the Aztecs and with both the Cardinals and
Chargers.
In 1975 the Cardinals finished 11-3 while again winning the
NFC Eastern Division. I recall seeing three
games at Old Busch Stadium that year (Busch Stadium II) and the team continued
to live up to its name of "The Cardiac Cardinals". Coryell and the Big Red snatched victory from
defeat in the closing seconds of a number of games including over the Redskins
at Busch with Mel Gray's "Immaculate Reception". Even though the Rams had an 11-3 record the
team had to travel to Los Angeles for the first round of playoffs. The Rams jumped on the Cardinals early
intercepting two Jim Hart passes and never looked back. The Rams ended up winning that game 35-23.
In 1976 Coryell and the Cardiac Cardinals posted a 10-4
record. But, due to the National
Football League's tie breaking provisions the Big Red missed out to the Washington
Red Skins. The Cardinals were riddled with
injuries and had problems holding onto the ball on offense. Despite the setbacks the Cardinals set team
records for most first downs and total yards.
I can say this was due to Coryell's offense and the players on that side
of the ball.
In 1977 it all came crashing down. The Cardinals and Coryell had a 7-3 record and were in first place in the NFC East going into a Thanksgiving Day game against the Miami Dolphins. I had a chance to go to the game but it snowed about six inches the night before the game and it was very cold. I decided to stay home with family and watch it on TV. That, and as a college student, I looked forward to loading up on turkey and the trimmings rather than eating hot dogs at Busch Stadium. The Big Red were blown out by the Dolphins 55-14. Following that loss the Grid Birds lost their final three games and missed the playoffs. At the end of the season Coryell talked with San Diego writer Jack Murphy in a conversation, he mistakenly thought was off the record. Coryell wasn't happy and his remarks, which ended up being published, cost him his job when Cardinal owner Bill Bidwill fired him. This created a backlash with St. Louis fans who became even more critical of Bidwill than they had been previously. Coryell ended his years in St. Louis with a win-loss record of 42-27-1.
Coryell landed on his feet in San Diego in 1978 and took the Chargers to the playoffs four times in the next nine years. While there he compiled a record of 69-56 with a playoff record of 3-4. If you do the math, his final professional coaching record was 111-83-1.
I loved those days of watching the "Cardiac Cards" and "Air Coryell" win in the final seconds. With the Cardinal offenses they were never out of a game until the final second had ticked off the clock. I count myself fortunate to have seen them play in person and see Coryell and his offensive innovations. Those teams featured some very good players from the entire offensive line that rarely gave up a sack, to Jim Hart, Mel Gray, Terry Metcalf, Roger Wehrli and Jim Bakken.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame's recognition of coach Don Coryell is well deserved and long overdue.
