Ron Erhardt
Encyclopedia
Ron Erhardt is a former football
coach at both the collegiate and professional levels, and from 1979-1981 served as head coach of the National Football League
's New England Patriots
.
, the outgoing Erhardt graduated from Jamestown College
in 1953, then spent the next two years serving in the military. After leaving the service, he was hired in 1956 as an assistant coach at Williston High School in North Dakota
. The following year, he began an outstanding six-year run as a head coach at two North Dakota Catholic
high schools: from 1957–1959, his teams at St. Mary's of New England compiled a mark of 25-3-1, followed by another three-year run at Bishop Ryan High School
in Minot
, where he was 20-6-1 from 1960–62
for three years beginning in 1963. On February 10, 1966, he became head coach at the school, setting the stage for another strong tenure in which he put together a record of 61-7-1 in his seven years. Erhardt would also serve as the Bisons' athletic director, winning a pair of college national championships.
, a post he served in for four years before being promoted to offensive coordinator on February 1, 1977, following the departure of Red Miller
. After missing the playoffs that year, the Patriots seemed ready to challenge for a Super Bowl
berth in 1978. However, prior to the last regular season game on December 18, head coach Chuck Fairbanks
announced he was leaving the team to accept a contract offer from the University of Colorado
. In response, the team suspended Fairbanks and made Erhardt and fellow assistant Hank Bullough
co-coaches for the final game. The Patriots dropped that contest, then lost their opening round matchup to the Houston Oilers
.
Fairbanks was allowed to leave for Colorado, with Erhardt officially taking the reins of the team on April 6, 1979. Noting his .890 winning percentage at North Dakota State upon taking the position, Erhardt said, "I've never been a loser in football and I don't intend to start now." The Patriots underachieved to a 19-13 record in the 1979 and 1980 seasons, missing the playoffs by one game each year; the 441 points scored in 1980 was a club record not broken until 2007. But then the Patriots finished with a 2-14 record in 1981. Citing the fact that Erhardt "was just too nice a guy," owner Billy Sullivan
dismissed him on December 22, two days after the conclusion of the season.
by head coach, and former fellow Patriots assistant Ray Perkins, the first since Joe Walton
filled the position under head coach Alex Webster in 1973. During the latter portion of that first season, Perkins announced he was leaving to become head coach at the University of Alabama
, with Bill Parcells
replacing him. Parcells had been Erhardt's linebackers coach with the Patriots in 1980, and kept his former boss in the same position.
That decision would prove to be the right one as the Giants went on to win two Super Bowl
s, with Erhardt working around a key injury during the run toward Super Bowl XXV
. Quarterback Phil Simms
had suffered a season-ending injury late in the season, but his replacement, Jeff Hostetler
, navigated the team to the title.
Parcells retired after that game, with Ray Handley
being promoted to head coach. Handley then demoted Erhardt, which resulted in the latter's departure for a similar position with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992. Emphasizing the run, Erhardt ran the offense for four years, helping the team reach Super Bowl XXX
in 1996. However, after the season, the conflict over the offensive philosophy between Erhardt and Steelers' head coach Bill Cowher
resulted in Erhardt's resignation.
Erhardt returned to New York, this time working as offensive coordinator under Rich Kotite
of the Jets. A disastrous 1-15 mark marked the end of Kotite's brief era, with Parcells replacing Kotite. Erhardt announced his retirement on January 12, 1998.
He now resides in Florida with his wife Anita.
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 at both the collegiate and professional levels, and from 1979-1981 served as head coach of 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...
's New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
College assistant and high school head coach
A native of Mandan, North DakotaMandan, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 16,718 people, 6,647 households, and 4,553 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,642.8 per square mile . There were 6,958 housing units at an average density of 683.7 per square mile...
, the outgoing Erhardt graduated from Jamestown College
Jamestown College
Jamestown College is a private liberal arts college founded by the Presbyterian Church located in Jamestown, North Dakota. It has about 1,000 students enrolled today and has been co-educational from its founding....
in 1953, then spent the next two years serving in the military. After leaving the service, he was hired in 1956 as an assistant coach at Williston High School in North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
. The following year, he began an outstanding six-year run as a head coach at two North Dakota Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
high schools: from 1957–1959, his teams at St. Mary's of New England compiled a mark of 25-3-1, followed by another three-year run at Bishop Ryan High School
Bishop Ryan High School
Bishop Ryan High School is a Catholic high school in Minot, North Dakota. It is located in the Diocese of Bismarck, and is a part of Minot Catholic Schools. The school opened in 1959, replacing St. Leo's, and was named for Vincent James Ryan, the second bishop of the diocese...
in Minot
Minot, North Dakota
Minot is a city located in north central North Dakota in the United States. It is most widely known for the Air Force base located approximately 15 miles north of the city. With a population of 40,888 at the 2010 census, Minot is the fourth largest city in the state...
, where he was 20-6-1 from 1960–62
College head coach
That success elevated him to the collegiate level, where he served as an assistant at North Dakota State UniversityNorth Dakota State University
North Dakota State University of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, more commonly known as North Dakota State University , is a public university in Fargo, North Dakota. NDSU has about 14,000 students and it is the largest university in North Dakota based on full time students and land size...
for three years beginning in 1963. On February 10, 1966, he became head coach at the school, setting the stage for another strong tenure in which he put together a record of 61-7-1 in his seven years. Erhardt would also serve as the Bisons' athletic director, winning a pair of college national championships.
New England Patriots
On March 14, 1973, he moved on to become backfield coach of the New England PatriotsNew England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, a post he served in for four years before being promoted to offensive coordinator on February 1, 1977, following the departure of Red Miller
Red Miller
Robert "Red" Miller is a former professional football coach with the Denver Broncos.- Early life and career :Miller was born and raised in Macomb, Illinois and attended Macomb Public Schools and Western Illinois University, where he was later a star player and coach for the Leathernecks football...
. After missing the playoffs that year, the Patriots seemed ready to challenge for a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
berth in 1978. However, prior to the last regular season game on December 18, head coach Chuck Fairbanks
Chuck Fairbanks
Chuck Fairbanks is a former American football coach, a head coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. The offensive and defensive systems he introduced and helped develop have proven influential in the NFL....
announced he was leaving the team to accept a contract offer from the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. In response, the team suspended Fairbanks and made Erhardt and fellow assistant Hank Bullough
Hank Bullough
Henry Charles "Hank" Bullough is a former American Football player and coach. He played college football at Michigan State and graduated in 1954. Bullough was a starting guard for the Spartans team that won the 1952 Rose Bowl...
co-coaches for the final game. The Patriots dropped that contest, then lost their opening round matchup to the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
.
Fairbanks was allowed to leave for Colorado, with Erhardt officially taking the reins of the team on April 6, 1979. Noting his .890 winning percentage at North Dakota State upon taking the position, Erhardt said, "I've never been a loser in football and I don't intend to start now." The Patriots underachieved to a 19-13 record in the 1979 and 1980 seasons, missing the playoffs by one game each year; the 441 points scored in 1980 was a club record not broken until 2007. But then the Patriots finished with a 2-14 record in 1981. Citing the fact that Erhardt "was just too nice a guy," owner Billy Sullivan
Billy Sullivan (American football)
William Hallissey "Billy" Sullivan, Jr. was an American businessman who owned the Boston Patriots franchise from their inception in the American Football League until their sale, as the New England Patriots of the NFL, to Victor Kiam in 1988.-Early life:Sullivan was born in Lowell, Massachusetts...
dismissed him on December 22, two days after the conclusion of the season.
New York Giants
Just over a month later, Erhardt was hired as offensive coordinator of the New York GiantsNew 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...
by head coach, and former fellow Patriots assistant Ray Perkins, the first since Joe Walton
Joe Walton
Joseph Frank Walton is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Robert Morris University. Walton played eight seasons in the National Football League and served as head coach of the New York Jets for seven seasons...
filled the position under head coach Alex Webster in 1973. During the latter portion of that first season, Perkins announced he was leaving to become head coach at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
, with Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
replacing him. Parcells had been Erhardt's linebackers coach with the Patriots in 1980, and kept his former boss in the same position.
That decision would prove to be the right one as the Giants went on to win two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s, with Erhardt working around a key injury during the run toward Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV was an American football game played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1990 regular season. The National Football Conference Champion New York Giants defeated the American Football Conference ...
. Quarterback Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
had suffered a season-ending injury late in the season, but his replacement, Jeff Hostetler
Jeff Hostetler
William Jeffrey Hostetler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the New York Giants, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders, and Washington Redskins. His nickname is "Hoss".-Penn State:...
, navigated the team to the title.
Parcells retired after that game, with Ray Handley
Ray Handley
Ray Handley is a former American football player and coach who is best remembered for his stormy two seasons as head coach of the National Football League's New York Giants in the early 1990s.-Collegiate career:...
being promoted to head coach. Handley then demoted Erhardt, which resulted in the latter's departure for a similar position with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1992. Emphasizing the run, Erhardt ran the offense for four years, helping the team reach Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
in 1996. However, after the season, the conflict over the offensive philosophy between Erhardt and Steelers' head coach Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
resulted in Erhardt's resignation.
Erhardt returned to New York, this time working as offensive coordinator under Rich Kotite
Rich Kotite
Richard Edward "Rich" Kotite is a former National Football League player and coach.-Playing career:Kotite was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a tight end who played collegiately at Wagner College on Staten Island. Kotite was drafted in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota...
of the Jets. A disastrous 1-15 mark marked the end of Kotite's brief era, with Parcells replacing Kotite. Erhardt announced his retirement on January 12, 1998.
He now resides in Florida with his wife Anita.