Provo • Former BYU football coach LaVell Edwards, a Utah sports icon who revolutionized college football for nearly three decades with his wide-open offensive approach and dominant passing attack, died Thursday. He was 86.
Edwards, a soft-spoken, gentle man with a wry sense of humor and self-deprecating style that won him legions of admirers throughout the world, turned BYU's football program into a winner after years of mediocrity. He was so successful the school named its football stadium after him following his retirement in 2000.
Edwards compiled a 257-101-3 record in 29 seasons at BYU, a tenure that ranks him fifth all-time for coaches at one school. The Cougars won or shared 20 conference titles in his 29 seasons, went to 22 bowl games — winning seven — and were crowned the 1984 national champions. His 257 victories ranks him seventh among coaches in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history.
He coached Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer in 1990, along with two Outland Trophy winners, four Davey O'Brien award winners, 31 All-Americans and four College Football Hall of Famers. He was named the Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year in 1979 and the AFCA National Coach of the Year in 1984, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.
He was inducted into the Utah Sports Hall of Fame, named the state's Coach of the Century, and coached seven quarterbacks who became All-Americans: Gifford Nielsen, Steve Young, Jim McMahon, Marc Wilson, Robbie Bosco, Detmer and Steve Sarkisian.
Born as Reuben LaVell Edwards in Orem on Oct. 11, 1930, the legendary coach was the eighth of 14 children and worked on the family farm throughout his teenage years. He would often say that work ethic established on a farm in his early years prepared him to become a successful coach.
Edwards graduated from Lincoln High in Orem before attending Utah State University, where he was an all-conference lineman. He earned a Masters degree from the University of Utah before coaching at BYU, where he earned a doctorate degree.
The list of notables who played or coached under Edwards includes current BYU coach Kalani Sitake, former Washington and USC coach Sarkisian, former Hawaii coach Norm Chow, current Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, former Oregon State coach Dave Kragthorpe and NFL coaches Brian Billick, Mike Holmgren and Andy Reid. Washington State coach Mike Leach has often attributed his offensive success to details he learned from Edwards, although Leach never played or coached under the man credited by many for implementing the foundations for the West Coast Offense.
Only Penn State's Joe Paterno (409) and Florida State's Bobby Bowden (304) have more wins at one school than Edwards had at BYU (257).
During his retirement, Edwards has resided in Provo and Saint George, and remained a prominent figure within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns and operates BYU. Edwards and his wife, Patti, whom he met at Utah State, served an 18-month church mission to New York City in 2002-03. The couple celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in July of 2016.
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