Just received word of Corky Nelson's passing this AM

FirefightnRick · November 18, 2014

An inspiring coach who loved overcoming the odds. Gave us some our most exciting wins. He will be missed.

God bless, and ..."I Hear Ya!"

Rick

SilverEagle · November 18, 2014

This is a good commentary from the Tyler television sports reporter.

TYLER (KETK) — I was filling-in on a radio talk-show one day and a caller said coaches don't really make a difference.

I said yes they do.

Just ask Earl Campbell.

Earl's high school coach at John Tyler was Corky Nelson.

Coach Nelson passed away Monday. He was 75-years-old.

Campbell credited Nelson for being proactive in getting black athletes comfortable with Nelson's predominately white coaching staff.

Nelson played Campbell at running back in 1973 and together they brought the state championship back home.

Campbell went on to win the Heisman Trophy at Texas and he had a Hall of Fame career with the Houston Oilers.

It all started with the late Corky Nelson.

Coaches do make a difference.

I read the story years ago about Earl Campbell and Coach Nelson. Not many people know that Campbell was an outstanding LB until Coach Nelson decided to move him to RB. Earl did not want to make the move as he thought his best chance to play in college would be at LB. Earl thought his college playing career would be over.

I wonder how many times through the years that he has said "thanks Coach Nelson" .

untjim1995 · November 18, 2014

In the DMN this morning, the article quoted Scott Davis as saying that Corky helped save the program, that "North Texas was looking at dropping football and he steered us through that timeframe when we went down to i-aa.". Has anyone else ever heard that we were considering dropping football in 1982? I just assumed the i-aa drop was forced on us and we gladly accepted because the costs would be lower. But did the administration and BOR want football to fail and go away in that i-aa fiasco? It makes sesnse to me if that was the thought of that timeframe and why they wouldn't even try to give the program any funding, but I had never heard that before...

FirefightnRick · November 18, 2014

Good stuff, hat tip to AGC on the M&G board....

A few things some of you might not know:
1) Coach Nelson was hired like in June or July of 1982 (replacing Bob Tyler). So he had no spring ball with his team...and had to assemble a staff in the summer. A few months later....he goes down to Waco and almost beats Grant Teaff......21-17 was the final, as I recall.
2) He was sort of doing a spread before others had caught on to it (in modern times). His first year, we had a WR that I think was the leader in the nation....with 91 catches (Marvin Walker). That was unheard of...back then.
3) Talk about a guy who wasn't stuck into doing things only one way. The same QB.....Scott Davis "beat" Texas.....for all intents and purposes....throwing for 400+ yards
Two years later, that same QB.....did beat SMU.....by running for 200 yards.

What I remember the most about Nelson's teams, other than outstandingly tough defenses, was that our offense was constantly changing. We would come out in an i formation one play and motion into a single back spread or pound it inside. Or a no back spread, or we might start a series in a wishbone, or a single back option, and Davis could run them all very well at times.

It was exciting cause you never knew what we were going to throw at the other team.

Rick

drex · November 19, 2014

You can bet your bottom dollar that Al Hurley would have dropped football in a New York minute. As it turned out, he just decided to give us 'football lite' with our Southland Conference nightmare.

GreenEggs&Ham™ · November 19, 2014

I was the last recruiting class of Corky. I will always be thankful for the faith and trust he placed in me. First, by giving me a scholarship and the ability to play college football at a school I wanted to attend. Second, by starting me as a true freshman during a time when NT didn't play freshman. Although I only had one season with him, he became a good friend and someone I will always remember and cherish.

I'll end by saying, he had his rough times at NT like any coach. However, he did more with less than any coach in NT history. He'll be missed.

Well said . Coach Nelson really did amazing things with limited resources. As a student at the time, I always felt NT had a chance to win any game we played, even against Texas. He will always be a North Texas legend.

DallasGreen · November 19, 2014

Al Hurley only gave us the SLC to appease " the diehards" as he called us. I was there in the KALK Room @ Fouts when he announced the decision to drop down. He lamented the cost of a FB program and stated that lacrosse was big at Air Force. The only reason we ever went back up was that Steve Sloan said we could play enough body bag games that it would cost nothing to be D-1. Make no mistake FB was a step child unwanted by the administration, but at least we won as a member of the SLC and did not feel the need to be ashamed of the program. In retrospect maybe the SLC or below is where we have chosen to be. By fearing a real student fee of $20. per semester hour we give the impression that we intend to stay below TSU@SM and UTSA

SilverEagle · November 19, 2014

Al Hurley only gave us the SLC to appease " the diehards" as he called us. I was there in the KALK Room @ Fouts when he announced the decision to drop down. He lamented the cost of a FB program and stated that lacrosse was big at Air Force.

...so is sexually assaulting female cadets.

UNT90 · November 20, 2014

Al Hurley only gave us the SLC to appease " the diehards" as he called us. I was there in the KALK Room @ Fouts when he announced the decision to drop down. He lamented the cost of a FB program and stated that lacrosse was big at Air Force. The only reason we ever went back up was that Steve Sloan said we could play enough body bag games that it would cost nothing to be D-1. Make no mistake FB was a step child unwanted by the administration, but at least we won as a member of the SLC and did not feel the need to be ashamed of the program. In retrospect maybe the SLC or below is where we have chosen to be. By fearing a real student fee of $20. per semester hour we give the impression that we intend to stay below TSU@SM and UTSA

Good post.

You would think the powers that be would have some historical perspective and realize how the refusal to raise the fee will be perceived, which is that we still don't put the proper priority on athletics.

It's amazing that we are able to get 17k into the stadium considering the willful ignorance of history of our leaders.

wardly · November 20, 2014

I was Corky's cart partner at the Don January. The next week he got fired.I called to offer my condolences, and he said something to the effect that "damn, I didn't think we played that bad" referring to the golf tournament. Al Hurley fired Corky because he got a divorce and married Judy, our women's basketball coach. Hurley had previously fired a new A.D. whose last name was "White" for divorcing his wife and dating our ticket manager, whom he later married. White didn't last a year.This was about 1988. Hurley did a lot for the University, but nothing for athletics, and was a real puritan. Having said that, he was a hell of a lot better than Frank Vandiver[sic], who nearly destroyed the football program. I am really glad that I got to see him inducted into our Hall of Fame. In my opinion, he did more with less than any football coach in our modern era. Just an old man's opinion.

gruu · November 21, 2014

I was Corky's cart partner at the Don January. The next week he got fired.I called to offer my condolences, and he said something to the effect that "damn, I didn't think we played that bad" referring to the golf tournament. Al Hurley fired Corky because he got a divorce and married Judy, our women's basketball coach. Hurley had previously fired a new A.D. whose last name was "White" for divorcing his wife and dating our ticket manager, whom he later married. White didn't last a year.This was about 1988. Hurley did a lot for the University, but nothing for athletics, and was a real puritan. Having said that, he was a hell of a lot better than Frank Vandiver[sic], who nearly destroyed the football program. I am really glad that I got to see him inducted into our Hall of Fame. In my opinion, he did more with less than any football coach in our modern era. Just an old man's opinion.

Jim White

gruu · November 21, 2014

Good stuff, hat tip to AGC on the M&G board....
What I remember the most about Nelson's teams, other than outstandingly tough defenses, was that our offense was constantly changing. We would come out in an i formation one play and motion into a single back spread or pound it inside. Or a no back spread, or we might start a series in a wishbone, or a single back option, and Davis could run them all very well at times.
It was exciting cause you never knew what we were going to throw at the other team.
Rick

Some people called that offense the "wish and shoot".

FirefightnRick · November 21, 2014

Some people called that offense the "wish and shoot".

I loved it. And watching those folks who put it to work probably inspired me to keep supporting our school all these years.

Rick

DallasGreen · November 23, 2014

White was an A. D. who came here from Iowa, saw what the job really entailed and quit within one week. The A. D. Wardly was referring to was Richard McDuffy who came here from Central Conneticut State, was here for a few seasons including the'88 UT game and left with UNT Police head's wife for Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau, MO

Fry Guy · November 24, 2014

I recently came across an interview with Coach Nelson, that was done the summer before his first season at North Texas. After reading all of your posts, I was reminded of a passage from that piece.

Corky Nelson on his coaching philosophy:

"I think over the years it has become important to me to be down to earth, to treat people with respect and in a way that I would like to be treated. That may sound a little corny and old-fashioned, but it really is something that I like to practice. And after I finish coaching a player, I would be very happy if that player would just say that old Nelson was honest, trustworthy, caring and was also an excellent teacher. And for the alumni and supporters, I just hope that they will be able to say that we have put this program in much better shape than it was when we took over."

I did not have the pleasure of knowing Coach Nelson as many of you did, but based on your comments, I believe that these words serve as an accurate summarization of his time spent in Denton. Rest in peace Coach Nelson. Here's a link to the full article at the UNT Digital Library: http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc98899/m1/6/

Edited November 24, 2014 by Fry Guy