Sport(s) Football 1961–1965 Cal State Hayward (DB) 1973–1975 San Jose State Name Darryl Rogers Weight 45 kg | 1955–1957 Fresno State 1966–1972 Fresno State 1976–1979 Michigan State Role American football player Past teams coached Detroit Lions (1985–1988) | |
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Born May 28, 1935 (age 88)
Los Angeles, California ( 1935-05-28 ) Positions Wide receiver, Defensive back | ||
American football coach Darryl Rogers Died at 83
Darryl Dale Rogers (born May 28, 1935) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at California State University, Fresno (1966–1972), San Jose State University (1973–1975), Michigan State University (1976–1979), and Arizona State University (1980–1984), compiling a career college football record of 126–77–7. Rogers was then the head coach of the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1985 to 1988, where his record was 18–40. In 1991, served as head coach of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League (CFL) coaching the Blue Bombers to a 9–9 record and an appearance in the East Final. After the CFL stint, Rogers was named head coach of the Arkansas Miners of the fledgling Professional Spring Football League. However, the league never made it out of its first training camp and folded just ten days before the start of the 1992 season.
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College football coaching career
Rogers' career as a head football coach started when he became the head coach of Fresno State in 1966. Rogers holds the distinction of being the head coach at 4 different schools over 18 seasons without being fired at any point. He moved to San Jose State Spartans football, Michigan State, Arizona State, and then the NFL's Detroit Lions over that time.
Professional football coaching career
Rogers was hired by the Detroit Lions in 1985 as head coach. He went 7–9 in 1985 (with home wins over four playoff teams), 5–11 in 1986, 4–11 in 1987, and 2–9 in 1988, for a career record with the Lions of 18–40. One of his more famous quotes during his unsuccessful tenure with the Lions was when he once wondered aloud to reporters after a loss, "What does a coach have to do around here to get fired?" He was succeeded by Wayne Fontes.