Don Coryell is a member of the 2023 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He never won a Super Bowl, which is why it as long as it did to be enshrined, but his contributions to the NFL are found in every offensive playbook today. For that reason, he is known as the Father of the Modern Passing Game.
Don Coryell is Hired as the Head Coach of the St. Louis Cardinals
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The Cardinals are one of the oldest sports franchises in existence, with their history dating back to 1898 when they were the Morgan Athletic Club. They were a founding member of the National Football League, one of only two surviving members dating back to 1920. In over a century of existence, the Cardinals have had 42 head coaches, of which, only five had a winning record of over 60%. Three of those coaches were between the 1920-1926 seasons. The Cardinals had to wait 47 years for another quality coach to arrive, and his name was Don Coryell.
After a 4-9-1 season in 1972, the St. Louis Cardinals hired Don Coryell to build back up their franchise. They lacked stars, and the offense had finished last in the NFC, averaging less than 13.8 points per game, but they had a young core of serviceable offensive linemen, that included a 23-year-old offensive tackle named Dan Dierdorf. They also had Hall of Fame Tight End Jackie Smith, who fit the mold of the "Joker" tight end that was paramount to Coryell's offensive system. In his first NFL Draft, Coryell drafted Defensive Tackle Dave Butz, Running Back Terry Metcalf, and Center Tom Brahaney. The turnaround did not happen in his first year, as the Cardinals finished with the same record, but they did improve by 6.6 points per game with essentially the same core of offensive players.
The next season, the Cardinals improved to a 10-4 record, winning the NFC East division for the first time since 1948, but losing in the divisional round to the Minnesota Vikings. The Cardinals moved Dan Dierdorf from left tackle to right tackle and added running back Jim Otis, and wide receivers Mel Gray, and Earl Thomas. They had four players make the Pro Bowl on offense, with Jim Hart becoming the 1974 UPI NFC MVP. Don Coryell won the Associated Press Coach of the Year after turning around the Cardinals franchise.
During the 1975 season, the Cardinals improved to 11-3, winning the NFC East again and scoring 25.4 points per game. They became known as the Cardiac Cards for narrowly winning 9 of their last 10 games. Wide receiver Mel Gray was named 1st-Team All-Pro after he set an NFL record with 2,462 all-purpose yards., Seven offensive players made the Pro Bowl, and Jim Hart won the NFLPA Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award (now known as the Alan Page Community Award), which recognizes one player who goes above and beyond to perform community service in their hometown or city. The Cardinals were eliminated from the post-season by the Los Angeles Rams, unable to overcome three interceptions, two of which were returned for defensive touchdowns. This game also saw seven total fumbles in a single game.
In 1976, the Cardinals finished 10-4, though 3rd in a strong NFC East that included the 11-3 Dallas Cowboys and the 10-4 Washington Redskins. The Cardinals narrowly missed playoffs with a strong record. The following season, they regressed to 7-7, though still had six pro bowlers and Dan Dierdorf made 1st-Team All-Pro. It would be Coryell's final season with the Cardinals
Don Coryell is Hired as the San Diego Chargers Head Coach
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After the San Diego Chargers started 1-3 during the 1978 season, head coach Tommy Prothro resigned, leaving an opening for Don Coryell. In a season where Coryell was unable to install his offensive scheme, the Chargers still closed the season winning seven of their last eight games, and an overall winning record of 9-7. Coryell inherited quarterback Dan Fouts, wide receivers John Jefferson and Charlie Joiner, and a great offensive line consisting of offensive tackles Billy Shields and Russ Washington, Guards Doug Wilkerson and Ed White, and center Don Macek. Along with Kellen Winslow who was drafted the next season, this made up the core of the Air Coryell offense.
In 1979, the Chargers improved to 12-4, winning the AFC West Division with a high-powered offense the NFL had never seen before. Dan Fouts threw for 4,082 yards, breaking the record set by Joe Namath for most passing yards in a single season 12 years earlier. Fouts was named 1st-Team All-Pro, along with John Jefferson who had 1,090 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. Charlie Joiner made a pro bowl with 72 receptions for 1,008 yards receiving. Unfortunately, Kellen Winslow was lost early in the season to injury, and the Chargers were eliminated from playoffs in the divisional round to the Houston Oilers. It was the first time the Chargers made the postseason since 1965.
During the 1980 and 1981 seasons, the Air Coryell offense reached its pinnacle. Dan Fouts continued to break his own single-season passing records, throwing for 4,715 yards and 30 touchdowns in 1980, and 4,802 yards and 33 touchdowns in 1981. John Jefferson, Kellen Winslow, and Charlie Joiner became the first trio to each produce 1,000-yard seasons in a single year, and their 3,762 combined yards during the 1980 season is still the highest total of any trio today. The feat of having a 1,000 trio has only been completed five times in the history of the NFL, but none did it better than the first trio to accomplish it. The 1980 Chargers beat the Buffalo Bills 20-14 in the divisional round of the playoffs but lost to their division rival Oakland Raiders in the Conference Championship. The Raiders would go on to win the Super Bowl.
The Epic in Miami
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The next season, the Chargers met the Miami Dolphins in the divisional round of the playoffs. This game famously became known as the Epic in Miami, a game that was ranked 4th in the NFL's 100 Greatest Games. The Chargers jumped out to a 24-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Dolphins climbed back into the game after benching their starting quarterback David Woodley for Don Strock. After a Dan Fouts fumble, and a missed field goal, the Dolphins ran a hook and lateral for a touchdown, sending the game to halftime with a score of 24-17.
In the 3rd quarter, the Dolphins tied the game 24-24 after driving 74 yards, and capping the drive with a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Joe Rose. The Chargers answered two drives later with a touchdown to Kellen Winslow. On the ensuing drive, the Dolphins found tight end Bruce Hardy with a 50-yard touchdown to tie the game 31-31 to start the 4th quarter. The Dolphins extended the lead for the first time in the game after Fouts threw an interception intended for Charlie Joiner. On the Dolphin's next drive, the Chargers forced a fumble and set the offense up on the Charger's 18-yard line. Fouts threw a pass intended for Winslow in the endzone, but the pass sailed over his head into the arms of tight end James Brooks to tie the game.
The Dolphins had a chance to win the game on a last-second field goal in the 4th-quarter, but the kick was blocked, sending the game to overtime. Both teams had marched into field goal territory in overtime, and both missed field goals to send themselves to the Conference Championship. In the end, the Chargers would win, and head to the frozen tundra in Cincinnati, a game that became known as the Freezer Bowl. The Bengals beat the Chargers 27-7 in the coldest game in NFL history (-59°F wind chill). The Bengals would lose to the Joe Montana-led San Francisco 49ers 26-21.
The game set numerous playoff records including the most combined points (79), most combined total yards (1,036), and most combined passing yards (809). Kellen Winslow in particular had the best game of his Hall of Fame Career. He set a playoff record for most receptions (13) for 166 yards and a touchdown. He blocked what would have been a game-winning field goal by the Dolphins to send the game to overtime. All this while being treated for a pinched nerve in his shoulder, battling dehydration, severe cramps, and receiving stitches mid-game on his lip. Many consider Winslow's performance as the single greatest playoff performance in the history of the NFL.
Don Coryell Changed the Game!
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Under Don Coryell, the Chargers continued to lead the NFL in passing yards for an NFL record six consecutive years, from 1978-1983, and again in 1985. Dan Fouts, Charlie Joiner, and Kellen Winslow were all voted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. For as great as the Don Coryell offense was, those defenses under Coryell never found a way to even out the team. From 1981-1986, the Chargers consistantly found themselves as a bottom five defense in points allowed per game. Back then, there were only 28 teams in the NFL.
Coryell had inherited defensive end Fred Dean, and defensive tackles Gary "Big hands" Johnson and Louie Kelcher early in their careers. Dean was traded away during the 1981 season, and the Chargers failed to bring in pro bowl level talent on the defensive side of the ball toward the end of Coryell's tenure. By 1983, four rookies found themselves as starters on the Chargers defense, and while Billy Ray Smith and Gil Byrd turned out to have outstanding careers, they were not supported with the defensive personal to keep up with the high scoring offense on the other side of the ball. Toward the end of Coryell's career, the Chargers continued to overhaul the defense through the draft, starting three more rookies during the 1985 and 1986 seasons.
The Chargers finished 6-10 in 1983, 7-9 in 1984, and 8-8 in 1985. During the 1986 season, Coryell was fired after starting the season 1-7. From 1973 when Coryell took over the Cardinals position to the last time he made playoffs in 1981, Coryell had boasted a career record of (89-49), with a 64% win percentage. Don Coryell started his coaching career in 1952 for Farrington High School in Honolulu, and coached his last game in 1986 for the Los Angeles Chargers, a total of 34 years. He made popular the I-formation, Power I Formation, "Joker" Tight End, Pre-snap motion, runningback screens, option routes, and using the pass as a focal point in an offensive scheme.
Coryell never made it to the Super Bowl, but he was an early innovator in the NFL, consistantly staying ahead of his peers. NFL offenses are pass heavy today because of the tactics Coryell put together during his collegiate and professional career. His contributions are found everywhere. Great passers like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, and Payton Manning would never have reached their career passing yard milestones without playbooks based on Coryell's philosophy. Great Tight Ends like Antonio Gates, Tony Gonzales, and Travis Kelce never become the receivers they are today at that position. Even the best and most innovative coaches, like Bill Belicheck, Joe Gibbs, and Bill Walsh, owe their coaching success to Don Coryell. This is why Don Coryell is a Hall of Famer. He changed the game!
Love the graph!