Nick Skorich
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Leonard Skorich (June 26, 1921 – October 2, 2004) was an American football
offensive lineman and coach
.
Skorich played guard
at Bellaire High School
and the University of Cincinnati
before joining the Navy
in 1943. After the end of World War II
, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
, who had drafted
him in 1943
. He played three years for the Steelers.
Skorich then went into coaching, first at the high school
level, then as an assistant with the Steelers from 1954 to 1957. After one year with the Green Bay Packers
, he moved to the Philadelphia Eagles
, who promoted him to head coach after Buck Shaw
retired following the Eagles' 1960 championship season
.
The Eagles remained competitive in 1961, winning 10 of 14 games, but fell to 3-10-1 in 1962 and 2-10-2 in 1963. Fired from the Eagles, Skorich took a job as a defensive assistant under Cleveland Browns
coach Blanton Collier
in 1964. The Browns promoted him to offensive coordinator
four years later and head coach
upon Collier's retirement after the 1970 season.
In 1970, the Browns had gone 7-7 in only their second non-winning season since beginning play in 1946. Under Skorich, the Browns went 9-5 in 1971, winning the AFC
Central Division before losing to the Baltimore Colts
in the divisional playoffs. The following year, the Browns earned a wild card spot with a 10-4 record. In the playoffs, they came as close as anyone else that season did to beating the Miami Dolphins
in that team's perfect season, losing 20-14 on a late Jim Kiick
touchdown
.
But by then Browns greats like Leroy Kelly
, Gary Collins and Gene Hickerson
had retired or were winding down their careers, and quarterback
Mike Phipps
was proving to be a disappointment. Cleveland dropped to 7-5-2 in 1973 and, in its first last-place finish ever, 4-10 in 1974. The Browns replaced Skorich with former Green Bay Packers
star Forrest Gregg
. Several players drafted under Skorich, including Brian Sipe
, Doug Dieken
and Greg Pruitt
would play well for Gregg and his successor, Sam Rutigliano
.
After leaving Cleveland, Skorich served as supervisor of officials
for the National Football League
. He is credited with developing mechanics for umpires, the most demanding position on an officiating crew since the umpire is positioned behind the defensive line and is often caught in the middle of heavy traffic during play. The mechanics for umpires was changed by the NFL for the 2010 season
, moving the umpire behind the quarterback, parallel to the referee, except for the last two minutes of each half.
He died in 2004, after complications from heart surgery. In his memory his family started the Nicholas L. Skorich scholarship fund, which, holds a yearly golf outing.
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...
offensive lineman and coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
.
Skorich played guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
at Bellaire High School
Bellaire High School (Bellaire, Ohio)
Bellaire High School is a public high school located in Bellaire, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Bellaire Local School District. Bellaire's sports and other extracurricular teams are known by the mascot "Big Reds."-History:...
and the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
before joining the Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1943. After the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, who had 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...
him in 1943
1943 NFL Draft
The 1943 National Football League Draft was held on April 8, 1943.This draft is the first and oldest NFL Draft not to produce a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:...
. He played three years for the Steelers.
Skorich then went into coaching, first at the high school
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
level, then as an assistant with the Steelers from 1954 to 1957. After one year with the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, he moved to the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who promoted him to head coach after Buck Shaw
Buck Shaw
Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach for Santa Clara University, the University of California, Berkeley, the San Francisco 49ers, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Philadelphia Eagles...
retired following the Eagles' 1960 championship season
1960 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1960 Philadelphia Eagles season, their 28th in the league, resulted in defeating the Green Bay Packers to win their third NFL Championship. It was their only postseason appearance in the twenty-eight seasons from 1950 to 1977.-Off Season:...
.
The Eagles remained competitive in 1961, winning 10 of 14 games, but fell to 3-10-1 in 1962 and 2-10-2 in 1963. Fired from the Eagles, Skorich took a job as a defensive assistant under Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
coach Blanton Collier
Blanton Collier
Blanton Long Collier was an American football coach who led the University of Kentucky and the Cleveland Browns...
in 1964. The Browns promoted him to offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
four years later 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...
upon Collier's retirement after the 1970 season.
In 1970, the Browns had gone 7-7 in only their second non-winning season since beginning play in 1946. Under Skorich, the Browns went 9-5 in 1971, winning the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Central Division before losing to the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
in the divisional playoffs. The following year, the Browns earned a wild card spot with a 10-4 record. In the playoffs, they came as close as anyone else that season did to beating the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in that team's perfect season, losing 20-14 on a late Jim Kiick
Jim Kiick
James Forrest Kiick is a former professional American football running back, who is best known for playing halfback for the Miami Dolphins in the American Football League from 1968 to 1969 and in the National Football League from 1970 through 1974...
touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
.
But by then Browns greats like Leroy Kelly
Leroy Kelly
Leroy Kelly was an American football player. A Pro Football Hall of Fame running back, he played for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League from 1964-73....
, Gary Collins and Gene Hickerson
Gene Hickerson
Robert Gene Hickerson was a former American Football offensive guard who played for the Cleveland Browns in a fifteen-year career from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1973. Hickerson was a six-time Pro Bowler from 1965 to 1970...
had retired or were winding down their careers, and quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Mike Phipps
Mike Phipps
Michael Elston Phipps is a former professional American football quarterback who played collegiately for the Purdue University Boilermakers , and professionally for both the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears .-College career:After playing high school for Columbus High School in Columbus,...
was proving to be a disappointment. Cleveland dropped to 7-5-2 in 1973 and, in its first last-place finish ever, 4-10 in 1974. The Browns replaced Skorich with former Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
star Forrest Gregg
Forrest Gregg
Alvis Forrest Gregg is a former American football player and coach in the National Football League. During a Pro Football Hall of Fame playing career, he was a part of six championships, five of them with the Green Bay Packers before closing out his tenure with the Dallas Cowboys with a win in...
. Several players drafted under Skorich, including Brian Sipe
Brian Sipe
Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985....
, Doug Dieken
Doug Dieken
Douglas Heye Dieken is a former American football offensive tackle who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns....
and Greg Pruitt
Greg Pruitt
Gregory Donald Pruitt is a former American football running back in the NFL from 1973 through 1984. He was selected to five Pro Bowls, four as a member of the Cleveland Browns and one as a member of the Los Angeles Raiders, the last one as a kick returner...
would play well for Gregg and his successor, Sam Rutigliano
Sam Rutigliano
Sam Rutigliano is a former National Football League head coach.Rutigliano, the son of Italian immigrants, played high school football at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. He played college football at Tennessee and Tulsa. He coached at the high school level in New York...
.
After leaving Cleveland, Skorich served as supervisor of officials
Official (American football)
In American football, an official is a person who has responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game.During professional and college football games, seven officials operate on the field...
for 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 is credited with developing mechanics for umpires, the most demanding position on an officiating crew since the umpire is positioned behind the defensive line and is often caught in the middle of heavy traffic during play. The mechanics for umpires was changed by the NFL for the 2010 season
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
, moving the umpire behind the quarterback, parallel to the referee, except for the last two minutes of each half.
He died in 2004, after complications from heart surgery. In his memory his family started the Nicholas L. Skorich scholarship fund, which, holds a yearly golf outing.