Obituaries
Purdue college football players Mike Phipps, left, and Leroy Keys, second from left, are congratulated by Purdue alumni astronauts Neil Armstrong, second from right, and Eugene Cernan, right, following Purdue's victory over Texas A&M in Dallas, in this Sept. 24, 1967, file photo. Purdue football star Leroy Keyes, a two-time All-American and one of the greatest players in school history, has died. He was 74. Keyes' family said he died at his home in Indiana Thursday morning, April 15, 2021, surrounded by his wife and children. (AP Photo/Ferd Kaufman)
Leroy Keyes, gold standard of Purdue football, dies at 74

By Michael Marot Apr. 15, 2021 12:56 PM EDT

In this Dec. 23, 2014 photo, former Florida Atlantic and Miami head coach, Howard Schnellenberger holds the game balls prior to the start of the Boca Raton Bowl NCAA college football game between Marshall and Northern Illinois at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton, Fla. Schnellenberger, who coached Miami to the 1983 national championship and built programs at Louisville and Florida Atlantic, died Saturday, March 27, 2021, at the age of 87, Florida Atlantic announced. (AP Photo/Joel Auerbach)
Howard Schnellenberger, 87, Miami, Louisville coach, dies

By Steven Wine Mar. 27, 2021 09:54 AM EDT

Father of boy who stole show at '13 Huskers spring game dies

Mar. 01, 2021 10:13 PM EST
ATKINSON, Neb. (AP) — Andy Hoffman, father of the young cancer patient who captured the hearts of college football fans when he ran for a touchdown in Nebraska...

Former Arkansas football great Loyd Phillips has died at 75.

Dec. 28, 2020 06:10 PM EST
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Former Arkansas defensive lineman Loyd Philips, an Outland Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Fame inductee, has died from...

FILE - In this Dec. 26, 1971, file photo, Baltimore wide receiver Ray Perkins is surrounded by Cleveland Browns defenders including Jim Houston (82) and John Garlington (50) after picking up 13-yards in the second half of the AFC Championship game in Cleveland. Perkins, who replaced Hall of Famer Bear Bryant as Alabama’s football coach and started the transition with the New York Giants that led to two Super Bowl titles, died Wednesday morning, Dec. 9, 2020, in Tuscaloosa. He was 79. The school announced his passing on Wednesday, and daughter Rachael Perkins posted news of his death on her Facebook page. (AP Photo/File)
Former Alabama, NY Giants coach Ray Perkins dies at 79

Dec. 09, 2020 02:40 PM EST

Former Maryland QB Scarbath, a star in the early 1950s, dies

Dec. 08, 2020 02:26 PM EST
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Jack Scarbath, a star quarterback for Maryland in the early 1950s and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, has died. He was...

FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2016, file photo, former Texas football coach Fred Akers autographs a football during the Texas Sports Hall of Fame induction class news conference in Waco, Texas. Akers died Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, at age 82, his family said. Akers twice led the Longhorns to undefeated regular seasons before Cotton Bowl losses each time denied Texas a chance for a national championship. (Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune Herald, via AP, File)
Fred Akers, Texas coach who flirted with glory, dies at 82

By Jim Vertuno Dec. 07, 2020 09:12 PM EST

Marv Marinovich, former USC football captain, dies at 81

Dec. 04, 2020 06:37 PM EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Marv Marinovich, who captained Southern California’s national championship football team in 1962 and famously employed his strength and...

Kentucky O-line coach John Schlarman dies of cancer at 45

Nov. 12, 2020 11:00 AM EST
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — John Schlarman, the Kentucky offensive line coach who was an All-Southeastern Conference player for the Wildcats, has died after a two...

Hall of Fame Jackson State coach W.C. Gorden, 90, dies

Oct. 26, 2020 04:45 PM EDT
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — W.C. Gorden, a Hall of Fame coach who led Jackson State to a 28-game Southwestern Athletic Conference winning streak while building a...

Merritt Norvell, first Black AD at Michigan State, has died

Oct. 21, 2020 06:29 PM EDT
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Merritt Norvell Jr., the first Black athletic director at Michigan State, has died. He was 79. A spokesman at...

Former AP sports writer Ken Rappoport dead at age 85

By Barry Wilner Oct. 13, 2020 06:24 PM EDT
Some people light up a room with their smile. Ken Rappoport could energize an entire arena or stadium with his laugh. Not to mention his...

Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Robertson passes away at age 91

Sep. 07, 2020 05:05 PM EDT
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. (AP) — Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Robertson, who called Washington State football for more than 50 years, has died at the age of 91. ...

Longtime Cal football staffer Bud Turner dies at age 84

Sep. 04, 2020 10:14 PM EDT
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — Bud “Dog” Turner, who worked in various roles for the California football program for a half-century, has died. He was 84. ...

This Oct. 8, 2006 photo shows Tom Vint, who covered the dominant Nebraska football teams of the 1980s and '90s as an Associated Press sports writer. Vint died Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2020, after a monthlong battle with COVID-19, his daughter Mandy Troia said. He was 72. Vint retired from the AP after 25 years working in multiple roles in the Omaha bureau. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Tom Vint, retired AP sports writer, dies of COVID-19 at 72

By Eric Olson Sep. 02, 2020 04:30 PM EDT

FILE - In this 1981 file photo, Houston coach Bill Yeoman watches the football team practice in Houston. Yeoman, the longtime Houston football coach who led the Cougars to four Southwest Conference titles and a school-record 160 victories, has died. He was 92. The university announced the death Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2020, without providing details. Son, Bill Jr., told ESPN his father died of pneumonia and kidney failure. (Larry Reese/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)
Yeoman, who coached Houston for 25 seasons, dead at 92

By Kristie Rieken Aug. 12, 2020 07:14 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2011, file photo, fans fill Ohio Stadium as Ohio State takes on Akron in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State will limit home crowds to about 20,000 and prohibit tailgating if the football season is played this fall. Fans inside Ohio Stadium will be required to wear masks and observe social distancing to help stem the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta, File)
The Latest: Colorado State pauses football after 8 positives

By The Associated Press Jul. 28, 2020 12:54 PM EDT

FILE - In this Thursday, July 24, 1997 file photo, University of Oklahoma head coach John Blake ponders a question from the media during Big 12 Conference football media day in Irving, Texas. Blake, a former Oklahoma football player and Oklahoma's first Black head coach in any sport, has passed away. He was 59. (AP Photo/Tim Sharp, File)
Former Oklahoma football coach John Blake dies at 59

By Cliff Brunt Jul. 23, 2020 08:23 PM EDT

Former South Carolina football star, AD Dixon dead at 83

Jul. 07, 2020 01:03 PM EDT
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Former South Carolina running back, athletic director and board of trustees member King Dixon died Monday. He was 83. ...

FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2012, file photo, Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke speaks during a news conference in West Lafayette, Ind. Burke, the longest serving athletic director in Purdue history, died at his home Monday, June 15, 2020, after battling a rare disease for the last year. He was 68. University officials said in a statement Burke had been diagnosed with amyloidosis, an ailment caused by an the build-up of an abnormal protein in the body’s organs. (John Terhune/Journal & Courier via AP, File)
Boilermakers' longest-tenured AD, Morgan Burke, dies at 68

Jun. 15, 2020 06:00 PM EDT