Ray Malavasi
Encyclopedia
Ray Malavasi was a former football
coach who served as head coach of two National Football League
teams: the Denver Broncos
and the Los Angeles Rams.
A native of Passaic
, New Jersey
, Malavasi entered the U.S. Military Academy, starting at offensive guard for the Black Knight football team. Under head coach Earl Blaik
and line coach Vince Lombardi
, Malavasi played two years, with Blaik rating him as the greatest line prospect during his tenure at the Academy. That potential disappeared when Malavasi was one of 90 cadets who left in the wake of a cheating scandal in August 1951.
Malavasi left to attend Mississippi State University
, earning a degree in engineering while serving as an assistant under head coach Murray Warmath
in 1952 and also receiving an Army ROTC commission. In 1953, he tried out and was released by the NFL Philadelphia Eagles
, then served as line coach with the Fort Belvoir
army unit for two years beginning in 1954.
Upon his release in 1956, Malavasi accepted an assistant's role with the University of Minnesota
, spending two seasons with the Golden Gophers until taking a similar position with Memphis State University in 1958. Three years in Tennessee led to a single year with the Wake Forest University
Demon Deacons in 1961, followed by his first professional position the following year: personnel director of the American Football League
's Denver Broncos
.
In 1963, Malavasi also took on the duties of defensive line coach for the Broncos, and shifted to the offensive line prior to the start of the 1966 season. After Denver dropped their first two games, head coach Mac Speedie
was fired, with Malavasi chosen to replace him. In the final 12 games, Malavasi managed just four wins and was let go in favor of Lou Saban
at the conclusion of the season.
For the next two years, Malavasi coached on the defensive side of the ball with the Canadian Football League
's Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, then accepted the defensive line assistant's position with the Buffalo Bills
on February 3, 1969. Just over two years later, Malavasi left to work for the Oakland Raiders
, but resigned after just two years, citing the frustration with the team keeping him from advancing his career.
Malavasi's resignation caused controversy when Raiders' head coach John Madden accused another team of tampering with Malavasi's services. While he denied the charges, Malavasi was hired on June 5, 1973 as a defensive assistant with the Los Angeles Rams
. Over the next five years, Malavasi rose to become defensive coordinator
, and was under consideration for head coaching positions with both the Eagles and Chicago Bears
. He also was looked at as head coach for the Rams after the departure of Chuck Knox
following the 1977 NFL season
, but instead stayed as an assistant under new coach George Allen
.
However, after just two exhibition games, Allen was fired and Malavasi became the team's head coach, then led the team to their sixth straight NFC West Title with 12-4 record, reaching the NFC Championship game
. The following year, the team barely finished above .500 with a 9-7 mark, but won the weak NFC Western Division. In the playoffs, the team upset the Cowboys, then shut down the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9-0 in the conference title game to give the franchise its first Super Bowl berth ever. After entering the fourth quarter with a lead over the heavily-favored Pittsburgh Steelers
, the Rams' upset bid died when they dropped a 31-19 decision in Super Bowl XIV
.
An 11-5 mark in 1980 was a two-game improvement over 1979, but it was only good enough for second place behind the Atlanta Falcons
in the NFC West, and the Rams fell in the wild-card round to the Cowboys. The following year, the rise of the San Francisco 49ers ended the Rams' reign and saddled them with a 6–10 record. Following a 2–7 mark during the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season, the worst record in the 14-team NFC, Malavasi was dismissed on January 4, 1983.
Malavasi served as a consultant and unofficial spokesman for the proposed International Football League, a league that served the dual purpose of introducing professional football abroad as well as serving as an antagonist to the United States Football League
(Malavasi vowed that the league would hold its draft and opening kickoff one week before the USFL's respective dates, no matter what the USFL did). The IFL folded without any teams organizing; after the league's failure, Malavasi resurfaced as an assistant with the USFL's Oakland Invaders
in early 1984. He left that position just after the start of the season to become defensive coordinator of the league's Los Angeles Express, but the financial woes of the team ended his brief tenure in the final weeks of the season.
Malavasi would never again be on the sidelines for an NFL team but he did coach the first ever Australian national American Football team in 1987. The Australian Kookaburras did a week-long training camp at Dominguez Hills in California before heading off for a tour of Europe where they played three games. Malavasi was assisted with the team by Johnny Johnson. Malavasi died of a sudden heart attack
on December 15, 1987, aged 57, less than two months after returning from that tour.
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...
coach who served as head coach of two 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...
teams: the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Los Angeles Rams.
A native of Passaic
Passaic, New Jersey
Passaic is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 69,781, maintaining its status as the 15th largest municipality in New Jersey with an increase of 1,920 residents from the 2000 Census population of 67,861...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Malavasi entered the U.S. Military Academy, starting at offensive guard for the Black Knight football team. Under head coach Earl Blaik
Earl Blaik
Earl Henry "Red" Blaik was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and United States Army officer. He served as the head football coach at Dartmouth College from 1934 to 1940 and at the United States Military Academy from 1941 to 1958, compiling a career college...
and line coach Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
, Malavasi played two years, with Blaik rating him as the greatest line prospect during his tenure at the Academy. That potential disappeared when Malavasi was one of 90 cadets who left in the wake of a cheating scandal in August 1951.
Malavasi left to attend Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
, earning a degree in engineering while serving as an assistant under head coach Murray Warmath
Murray Warmath
Murray Warmath was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Mississippi State University from 1952 to 1953 and at the University of Minnesota from 1954 to 1971, compiling a career college football record of 97–84–10...
in 1952 and also receiving an Army ROTC commission. In 1953, he tried out and was released by the NFL 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...
, then served as line coach with the Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir
Fort Belvoir is a United States Army installation and a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Originally, it was the site of the Belvoir plantation. Today, Fort Belvoir is home to a number of important United States military organizations...
army unit for two years beginning in 1954.
Upon his release in 1956, Malavasi accepted an assistant's role with the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
, spending two seasons with the Golden Gophers until taking a similar position with Memphis State University in 1958. Three years in Tennessee led to a single year with the Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
Demon Deacons in 1961, followed by his first professional position the following year: personnel director of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In 1963, Malavasi also took on the duties of defensive line coach for the Broncos, and shifted to the offensive line prior to the start of the 1966 season. After Denver dropped their first two games, head coach Mac Speedie
Mac Speedie
Mac Speedie was a football player who starred as a wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns in both the All-America Football Conference and National Football League for seven years, and later served for two years as head coach of the American Football League's Denver Broncos.-Early life:Speedie was...
was fired, with Malavasi chosen to replace him. In the final 12 games, Malavasi managed just four wins and was let go in favor of Lou Saban
Lou Saban
Louis Henry Saban was an American football player and coach. Saban played for Indiana University in college and as a pro for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference...
at the conclusion of the season.
For the next two years, Malavasi coached on the defensive side of the ball with the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
, then accepted the defensive line assistant's position with the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on February 3, 1969. Just over two years later, Malavasi left to work for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but resigned after just two years, citing the frustration with the team keeping him from advancing his career.
Malavasi's resignation caused controversy when Raiders' head coach John Madden accused another team of tampering with Malavasi's services. While he denied the charges, Malavasi was hired on June 5, 1973 as a defensive assistant with 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,...
. Over the next five years, Malavasi rose to become defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
, and was under consideration for head coaching positions with both the Eagles and Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He also was looked at as head coach for the Rams after the departure of Chuck Knox
Chuck Knox
Charles Robert "Chuck" Knox is a former American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He is best remembered as head coach of three National Football League teams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, serving two separate stints with...
following the 1977 NFL season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, but instead stayed as an assistant under new coach George Allen
George Allen (football)
George Herbert Allen was an American football coach in the National Football League and the United States Football League. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.-Early life:...
.
However, after just two exhibition games, Allen was fired and Malavasi became the team's head coach, then led the team to their sixth straight NFC West Title with 12-4 record, reaching the NFC Championship game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
. The following year, the team barely finished above .500 with a 9-7 mark, but won the weak NFC Western Division. In the playoffs, the team upset the Cowboys, then shut down the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
9-0 in the conference title game to give the franchise its first Super Bowl berth ever. After entering the fourth quarter with a lead over the heavily-favored 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...
, the Rams' upset bid died when they dropped a 31-19 decision in Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV
Super Bowl XIV was an American football game played on January 20, 1980 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1979 regular season...
.
An 11-5 mark in 1980 was a two-game improvement over 1979, but it was only good enough for second place behind the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFC West, and the Rams fell in the wild-card round to the Cowboys. The following year, the rise of the San Francisco 49ers ended the Rams' reign and saddled them with a 6–10 record. Following a 2–7 mark during the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season, the worst record in the 14-team NFC, Malavasi was dismissed on January 4, 1983.
Malavasi served as a consultant and unofficial spokesman for the proposed International Football League, a league that served the dual purpose of introducing professional football abroad as well as serving as an antagonist to the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
(Malavasi vowed that the league would hold its draft and opening kickoff one week before the USFL's respective dates, no matter what the USFL did). The IFL folded without any teams organizing; after the league's failure, Malavasi resurfaced as an assistant with the USFL's Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:...
in early 1984. He left that position just after the start of the season to become defensive coordinator of the league's Los Angeles Express, but the financial woes of the team ended his brief tenure in the final weeks of the season.
Malavasi would never again be on the sidelines for an NFL team but he did coach the first ever Australian national American Football team in 1987. The Australian Kookaburras did a week-long training camp at Dominguez Hills in California before heading off for a tour of Europe where they played three games. Malavasi was assisted with the team by Johnny Johnson. Malavasi died of a sudden heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on December 15, 1987, aged 57, less than two months after returning from that tour.