| Date of birth | March 26, 1932 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Date of death | November 11, 2007 (aged 75) |
| — No. | |
| Position | Safety |
| College | Maryland |
| NFL Draft | 1954 / Round 4 / Pick 41 / Pick: by the |
| Career coaching record | 69-82-5 |
| Coaching stats | Pro Football Reference |
| Coaching stats | DatabaseFootball |
| Career player statistics (if any) | |
| ' | |
| ' | |
| ' | |
| More stats at: | |
| Playing stats | Pro Football Reference |
| Playing stats | DatabaseFootball |
| Team(s) as a player (if any) | |
| Team(s) as a coach/administrator (if any) | |
| 1962–1967 1968-1975 1978-1980 |
Dallas Cowboys (DC) San Francisco 49ers New Orleans Saints |
Richard Charles "Dick" Nolan (March 26, 1932 – November 11, 2007) was an American football player and head coach in the National Football League.
He was the father of college and NFL coach Mike Nolan.
Biography[]
Playing career[]
In his youth, Nolan was quarterback at White Plains High School and later a standout at the University of Maryland.[1] In the NFL, he played for a total of nine seasons (1954–62) in the safety, and defensive back positions.[2] He was drafted in the fourth round (41st overall) of the 1954 NFL Draft by the New York Giants.[3] He later went on to play for the Chicago Cardinals and, finally, the Dallas Cowboys in 1962. Head coach Tom Landry used Nolan as a "player-coach". When Nolan was injured halfway through his first season, he took over defensive coaching duties.[4]
Coaching career[]
For six seasons, he was an assistant to Coach Tom Landry in Dallas, and afterwards, he was head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for eight seasons from 1968 through 1975, noted for developing the defense and taking the team to three straight NFC West division titles (1970–72), twice missing the Super Bowl by only one game (1970–71). Additionally, he was head coach for the New Orleans Saints from 1978–80 going 15–29. He was the first Saints head coach to win six, seven, and eight games in a single season, going 7–9 in 1978 and 8–8 in 1979.[5] Nolan was fired by the Saints in 1980 after an 0–12 start. His last game was on November 24 of that season, a 27–7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football. The Saints finished the 1980 season 1–15, as interim coach Dick Stanfel won only one of his four games, a 21–20 victory over the New York Jets in week 15.
His alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park, interviewed Nolan for the head coach vacancy created when Jerry Claiborne left for Kentucky, but ultimately, chose Bobby Ross, instead.[6]
References[]
- ↑ >DICK NOLAN:1932-2007 / Coach established 49ers as a winner
- ↑ Former NFL Player and 49ers Head Coach Dick Nolan Passes Away
- ↑ http://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/NolaDi0.htm
- ↑ Dick Nolan 1932–2007, Sports Illustrated, November 19, 2007.
- ↑ New Orleans Saints (1967-Present)
- ↑ Nolan among prospects for Maryland vacancy, The Free-Lance Star, December 29, 1981.