Dick Nolan (football)
Encyclopedia
Richard Charles Nolan was an American football
player and head coach
in the National Football League
.
He was the father of college and NFL coach Mike Nolan
.
at White Plains High School
and later a standout at the University of Maryland
. In the NFL, he played for a total of nine seasons (1954–62) in the defensive halfback
, safety, and defensive back
positions. He was drafted
in the fourth round (41st overall) of the 1954 NFL Draft
by the New York Giants
. 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.
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. 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.
Nolan was well known for wearing business suits while coaching, a practice that the league has since disallowed in most circumstances due to the league signing exclusive apparel deals with sportswear companies (specifically Reebok
). The league made an exception after Nolan's death in 2007, allowing Nolan's son Mike and Jack Del Rio
, coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars
, to wear suits in the elder Nolan's honor.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
.
He was the father of college and NFL coach Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan
Mike Nolan is an American football coach and the current defensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins...
.
Playing career
In his youth, Nolan was quarterbackQuarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
at White Plains High School
White Plains, New York
White Plains is a city and the county seat of Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in south-central Westchester, about east of the Hudson River and northwest of Long Island Sound...
and later a standout at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. In the NFL, he played for a total of nine seasons (1954–62) in the defensive halfback
Halfback (Canadian football)
The halfback in Canadian football, and most commonly the Canadian Football League, refers to the defensive back rather than the running back, as in American football. The defensive halfback lines up inside covering the slotback. They are usually slightly larger than the cornerback to assist the...
, safety, and defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
positions. He was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the fourth round (41st overall) of the 1954 NFL Draft
1954 NFL Draft
The 1954 National Football League Draft was held on January 28, 1954.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:-Round eleven:...
by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He later went on to play for the Chicago Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and, finally, the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in 1962. Head coach Tom Landry
Tom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
used Nolan as a "player-coach". When Nolan was injured halfway through his first season, he took over defensive coaching duties.
Coaching career
For six seasons, he was an assistant to Coach Tom LandryTom Landry
Thomas Wade "Tom" Landry was an American football player and coach. He is ranked as one of the greatest and most innovative coaches in National Football League history, creating many new formations and methods...
in Dallas, and afterwards, he was head coach of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
for eight seasons from 1968 through 1975, noted for developing the defense and taking the team to three straight NFC West
NFC West
The NFC West is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It currently has four members: Arizona Cardinals, St...
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
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
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. 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
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. The Saints finished the 1980 season 1–15, as interim coach Dick Stanfel
Dick Stanfel
Richard Anthony "Dick" Stanfel is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at the University of San Francisco and was drafted in the second round of the 1951 NFL Draft...
won only one of his four games, a 21–20 victory over the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in week 15.
His alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, interviewed Nolan for the head coach vacancy created when Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne
Jerry Claiborne was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Virginia Tech , the University of Maryland, College Park , and his alma mater, the University of Kentucky , compiling a career college football record of 179–122–8...
left for Kentucky, but ultimately, chose Bobby Ross
Bobby Ross
Robert Joseph Ross is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at The Citadel , the University of Maryland, College Park , the Georgia Institute of Technology , and the United States Military Academy , compiling a career college football record of 103–101–2...
, instead.
Nolan was well known for wearing business suits while coaching, a practice that the league has since disallowed in most circumstances due to the league signing exclusive apparel deals with sportswear companies (specifically Reebok
Reebok
Reebok International Limited, a subsidiary of the German sportswear company Adidas since 2005, is a producer of Athletic shoes, apparel, and accessories. The name comes from the Afrikaans spelling of rhebok, a type of African antelope or gazelle...
). The league made an exception after Nolan's death in 2007, allowing Nolan's son Mike and Jack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio is an American football coach and former player. Del Rio played both football and baseball for the University of Southern California Trojans, and then spent eleven years playing linebacker in the National Football League . He retired from playing in 1996 and went into coaching,...
, coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, to wear suits in the elder Nolan's honor.