2020 NFF In Memoriam
The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame remembered today those who passed away since December 2019 and played a role in improving the game of college football for future generations.
It is always important at this time of year to reflect on those who have left us. Part of the mission of the National Football Foundation is to shine a light on the good in the game and to preserve its history. We lost some great ones in 2020, and our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends and universities. We will work hard to ensure that their contributions are not forgotten.
We would be remiss if we did not pay special tribute to former NFF Board Members Jesse Arnelle and Gene Corrigan, who for nearly a quarter of a century served as chairman of the NFF Honors Court, which annually selects the College Football Hall of Fame Class. We also want to remember Jimmie McDowell, the longtime NFF Executive Director who served the organization for more than 25 years. They all left the NFF and the world a better place, and they will truly be missed.
– NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell
Fred Akers
Head Football Coach
Wyoming, Texas, Purdue
March 17, 1938 – Dec. 7, 2020
LaDell Andersen
Athletics Director
Utah State University
Oct. 25, 1929 – Dec. 29, 2019
H. Jesse Arnelle
NFF Board Member
Prominent Attorney
Penn State University
Dec. 30, 1933 – Oct. 21, 2020
Edward Aschoff
ESPN College Football Reporter
Dec. 24, 1985 – Dec. 24, 2019
Jim Bartko
Athletics Director
Fresno State
May 13, 1965 – March 16, 2020
Bill Belknap
Athletics Director – Idaho, Wichita State
Commissioner – Southland Conference
March 18, 1939 – July 17, 2020
Ed Biles
Head Football Coach
Xavier University
Oct. 18, 1931 – April 5, 2020
John Blake
Head Football Coach
University of Oklahoma
March 6, 1961 – July 23, 2020
Morgan Burke
Athletics Director
Purdue University
Dec. 17, 1951 – June 15, 2020
* Marino Casem
2003 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
1998 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award
Head Football Coach – Alabama State, Alcorn State, Southern
Athletics Director – Alcorn State, Southern
June 23, 1934 – April 25, 2020
* Gene Corrigan
NFF Board Member
NFF Honors Court Chairman
1996 NFF Gold Medal
NCAA President
ACC Commissioner
Athletics Director – Washington and Lee (VA), Virginia, Notre Dame
April 14, 1928 – Jan. 24, 2020
Dick Coury
Head Football Coach
Cal State Fullerton
Sept. 29, 1929 – Aug. 15, 2020
* Fred Dean
2009 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
Louisiana Tech University
Feb. 24, 1952 – Oct. 14, 2020
* Arthur J. Decio
2000 NFF Distinguished American Award
Skyline Corporation Chairman
DePaul University
Oct. 19, 1930 – Nov. 6, 2020
King Dixon
Athletics Director
University of South Carolina
Dec. 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020
* Rickey Dixon
2019 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
University of Oklahoma
Dec. 26, 1966 – Aug. 1, 2020
Chris Dufresne
Los Angeles Times Sports Writer
California State University, Fullerton
April 11, 1958 – May 25, 2020
* Pat Dye
2005 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
Head Football Coach – East Carolina, Wyoming, Auburn
Athletics Director – Auburn
Nov. 6, 1939 – June 1, 2020
* Hayden Fry
2003 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
Head Football Coach – Southern Methodist, North Texas, Iowa
Athletics Director – Southern Methodist, North Texas
Feb. 28, 1929 – Dec. 17, 2019
Phyllis George
Sports Television Pioneer
June 25, 1949 – May 14, 2020
Glenna Goodacre
Renowned Sculptor
Aug. 28, 1939 – April 13, 2020
* W. C. Gorden
2008 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
Head Football Coach, Athletics Director
Jackson State University
June 30, 1930 – Oct. 23, 2020
Lee Grosscup
Longtime ABC Sports College Football Broadcaster
Former Utah Football Player
Dec. 27, 1936 – June 1, 2020
Sid Hartman
Legendary Sports Journalist
March 15, 1920 – Oct. 18, 2020
* Paul Hornung
1985 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
University of Notre Dame
Dec. 23, 1935 – Nov. 13, 2020
* Tom Jernstedt
2010 NFF Legacy Award
NCAA Executive
Nov. 24, 1944 – Sept. 5, 2020
Jim Jones
Athletics Director
Ohio State University
June 23, 1936 – April 22, 2020
T. Jones
Athletics Director
Texas Tech University
Jan. 10, 1931 – Sept. 15, 2020
John Kasser
Athletics Director
California, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State
c. 1937 – April 30, 2020
Phil Krueger
Head Football Coach
Fresno State, Utah State
Oct. 6, 1929 – June 22, 2020
Jim Lambright
Head Football Coach
University of Washington
April 26, 1942 – March 29, 2020
Roy Lester
Head Football Coach
University of Maryland
Oct. 3, 1923 – May 3, 2020
* Johnny Majors
1987 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee – University of Tennessee
Head Football Coach – Iowa State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee
May 21, 1935 – June 3, 2020
Frank Maloney
Head Football Coach
Syracuse University
Sept. 26, 1940 – March 30, 2020
Jimmie McDowell
Former NFF Executive Director
Sports Writer
2000 FWAA Bert McGrane Award
March 26, 1926 – March 5, 2020
Charlie Moore
Athletics Director
Cornell University
Aug. 12, 1929 – Oct. 8, 2020
Merritt Norvell
Athletics Director
Michigan State University
c. 1941 – Oct. 19, 2020
Murray Olderman
Sports Cartoonist and Writer
1991 FWAA Bert McGrane Award
March 27, 1922 – June 10, 2020
* Herb Orvis
2016 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
University of Colorado
October 17, 1946 – August 14, 2020
Ray Perkins
Head Football Coach
Alabama, Arkansas State
Dec. 6, 1941 – Dec. 9, 2020
George Perles
Head Football Coach, Athletics Director
Michigan State University
July 16, 1934 – Jan. 7, 2020
Seaver Peters
Athletics Director
Dartmouth College
Aug. 10, 1932 – Feb. 23, 2020
* Loyd Phillips
1992 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
University of Arkansas
May 2, 1945 – Dec. 27, 2020
* Bob Reade
1998 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
Head Football Coach
Augustana College (IL)
July 22, 1932 – July 5, 2020
Ken Riley
Head Football Coach, Athletics Director
Florida A&M University
Aug. 6, 1947 – June 7, 2020
Joe Roberson
Athletics Director
University of Michigan
Sept. 22, 1935 – Jan. 13, 2020
* Bob Robertson
2004 NFF Schenkel Award
Voice of the Washington State Cougars
March 14, 1929 – Sept. 6, 2020
Pepper Rodgers
Head Football Coach
Kansas, UCLA, Georgia Tech
Oct. 8, 1931 – May 14, 2020
* Gale Sayers
1977 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee – University of Kansas
Athletics Director – Southern Illinois, Tennessee State
May 30, 1943 – Sept. 23, 2020
* Jack Scarbath
1983 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
University of Maryland
Aug. 12, 1930 – Dec. 6, 2020
* Jake Scott
2011 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
University of Georgia
July 20, 1945 – Nov. 19, 2020
Chuck Shelton
Head Football Coach
Drake, Utah State, Pacific (CA)
Aug. 16, 1935 – Feb. 13, 2020
Don Shula
Legendary NFL Coach
John Carroll University (OH)
Jan. 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020
Dick Tamburo
Athletics Director
Texas Tech, Arizona State, Missouri
Feb. 6, 1930 – Feb. 24, 2020
Dick Trachok
Head Football Coach, Athletics Director
University of Nevada
Dec. 27, 1925 – Aug. 2, 2020
David Walker
Athletics Director
University of Louisiana
Sept. 3, 1950 – Dec. 31, 2019
Woody Widenhofer
Head Football Coach
Missouri, Vanderbilt
Jan. 20, 1943 – March 22, 2020
* Gov. William Winter
1983 NFF Outstanding Contribution to Amateur Football Award
58th Governor of Mississippi
NFF Central Mississippi Chapter President
Feb. 21, 1923 – Dec. 18, 2020
Sam Wyche
Head Football Coach
Indiana University
Jan. 5, 1945 – Jan. 2, 2020
* Bill Yeoman
2001 College Football Hall of Fame Inductee
Head Football Coach
University of Houston
Dec. 26, 1927 – Aug. 12, 2020
* College Football Hall of Fame inductee or NFF Award recipient
About The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame
Founded in 1947 with early leadership from General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army coach Earl “Red” Blaik and immortal journalist Grantland Rice, The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame is a non-profit educational organization that runs programs designed to use the power of college football in developing scholarship, citizenship and athletic achievement in young people. With 120 chapters and 12,000 members nationwide, NFF programs include the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Future For Football, The William V. Campbell Trophy® Presented by Mazda, the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class Presented by Fidelity Investments and a series of initiatives to honor the legends of the past and inspire the leaders of the future.
Tom covers UFC, NFL and MLB for Vegas-odds.com. When he's not writing about sports, he's usually playing poker or betting on the spread. Contributor at GamblingIndustryNews.com and PokerIndustryNews.com
