 Vermeil in 2010 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1936-10-30)October 30, 1936 (age 89) Calistoga, California, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Calistoga |
| College | San Jose State |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | 120–109 (.524) (NFL) 22–7–3 (.734) (college) |
| Postseason | 6–5 (.545) |
| Career | 126–114 (.525) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Richard Albert Vermeil (/vərˈmiːl/vər-MEEL; born October 30, 1936) is an American formerfootball coach who served as ahead coach in theNational Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He was the head coach of thePhiladelphia Eagles for seven seasons, theSt. Louis Rams for three, and theKansas City Chiefs for five. Prior to the NFL, he was the head football coach atHillsdale High School from 1960 to 1962,Napa Junior College in 1964, andUCLA from 1974 to 1975. With UCLA, Vermeil led the team to victory in the1976 Rose Bowl. Vermeil's NFL tenure would see him improve the fortunes of teams that had a losing record before he arrived and bring them all to the playoffs by his third season, which included aSuper Bowl title with the Rams.
Becoming Philadelphia's head coach in 1976, Vermeil took over for a team that had not qualified for the postseason, won a playoff game, or clinched their division since 1960. He ended each of these droughts between 1978 and 1980 en route to the Eagles' first Super Bowl appearance inSuper Bowl XV. Retiring after the 1982 season, Vermeil spent 15 years away from the NFL until he returned in 1997 with the Rams, who had not achieved a winning season or playoff berth since 1989. Vermeil again ended these droughts during the 1999 season, also obtaining the Rams' first winning season in St. Louis. The season culminated with the Rams winningSuper Bowl XXXIV, which was their first Super Bowl victory, their first championship since1951, and their only NFL title in St. Louis. Vermeil retired a second time following the Super Bowl, but returned with the Chiefs in 2001. During the 2003 season, he guided the Chiefs to their first division title and postseason berth since 1997, although he did not win any playoff games.
Vermeil holds the distinction of being named Coach of the Year on the high school, junior college, collegiate, and professional levels. He was thePacific-8 Coach of the Year during UCLA's 1975 championship season, also becoming the first to receive the honor, and theNFL Coach of the Year during the Rams' 1999 championship season. Vermeil was inducted to thePro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.
Vermeil was born inCalistoga, California, one of four children. He worked at his father's auto repair shop as a teenager and played at quarterback on the Calistoga High School football team.[1] After graduating from Calistoga High in 1954, Vermeil enrolled at Napa Junior College (nowNapa Valley College). He transferred toSan Jose State College (now University) after two years at Napa.[2][3] After one year as a backup quarterback on the1956 San Jose State Spartans football team, Vermeil became starting quarterback on the1957 team, throwing for 580 yards, one touchdown, and nine interceptions on a team that finished 3–7.[1]
Vermeil completed a bachelor's degree in 1958 and master's degree in 1959 at San Jose State, both in physical education.[4]
Vermeil began his football coaching career as assistant coach forDel Mar High School in San Jose in 1959. Then from 1960 to 1962, he was head coach atHillsdale High School inSan Mateo. Moving up to the junior college level, he was defensive backfield coach at theCollege of San Mateo in 1963.[1]
In his first head coaching position, Vermeil returned toNapa Junior College in 1964, leading the Chiefs to a 7–2 record, best in the school history. While at Napa JC his younger brother Al played for him.[1] From 1965 to 1968, Vermeil was an assistant coach atStanford underJohn Ralston.[5]
Vermeil shares the distinction of being hired as one of the NFL's firstspecial teams coaches with Hall of Fame CoachMarv Levy.[6] Vermeil was hired byGeorge Allen'sLos Angeles Rams in1969 the same year Levy was hired byJerry Williams, then head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. Except for 1970, when Vermeil was an assistant coach withUCLA, he remained with the Rams until1974 when he was named as head coach by UCLA.
As the head coach for the UCLA Bruins, Vermeil compiled a 15–5–3 record in two seasons (1974–75), including a 9–2–1 record in1975 when he led the Bruins to their firstconference championship in 10 years, and a win in theRose Bowl over an undefeated and number 1 rankedOhio State team. He was inducted into theRose Bowl Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2014.[7]
Vermeil began hisNFL head coaching career in1976 with thePhiladelphia Eagles, taking over after the team went 4–10 the previous year.[8]Due to past trades by the Eagles, Vermeil's teams did not have a first-round draft pick until1979.[9]
After suffering through two losing seasons under Vermeil, the Eagles made the playoffs for the first time in 18 seasons in 1978.[10] That1978 season featured breakthrough years by NFL starsRon Jaworski,Wilbert Montgomery, and one of the greatest games in Eagles history—the seminalMiracle at the Meadowlands. The Eagles were losing to theNew York Giants with seconds to play but when the Giants fumbled the ball, Eagles' cornerbackHerman Edwards recovered it and ran it back for a touchdown and a miraculous 19–17 victory.[11] In the1979 season, Vermeil's Eagles went 11–5 and won their first playoff game since the1960 NFL Championship Game.
In the1980 season, Vermeil led the Eagles toSuper Bowl XV after defeating theDallas Cowboys for the NFC championship. The Eagles lost the Super Bowl toOakland, 27–10.[12] Philadelphia recorded a 10–6 record in1981, but was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by a 9–7New York Giants team that was playing with their starting quarterback (Phil Simms) and middle linebacker (Brad Van Pelt) out with injuries. After the Eagles ended the1982 season with a dismal 3–6 record in a 9-game season shortened by aplayers' strike, Vermeil retired for the first time on January 10, 1983, citingoccupational burnout.[13]
Vermeil's time with the Eagles is featured in the 2006 movieInvincible[14] in which the movie depicts open tryouts and how 30-year Philadelphia nativeVince Papale made the team. In actuality, Vermeil had seen tape of Papale playing semi-pro ball in Philadelphia and invited him to a workout and a subsequent tryout.
For the next 15 years, Vermeil spent time working as a sports announcer forCBS andABC.[15] Following the1994 season, the Eagles firedRich Kotite and ownerJeffrey Lurie inquired about bringing back Vermeil as coach. However, the Eagles and Vermeil could not come to a contractual agreement. The Eagles eventually hiredRay Rhodes to be their head coach. Vermeil issued a statement saying, "I'm not going to beg Jeffrey Lurie to coach this football team."
Vermeil returned to coaching with theSt. Louis Rams in1997.[16] His first two years with the Rams were abysmal: the Rams won 5 and lost 11 games in 1997, and the following season they went 4–12. The1999 season looked to start just as badly, when new starting quarterbackTrent Green was injured in thepre-season. However, Green's injury allowed then-unknownKurt Warner to start. Under Warner, the Rams offense exploded, and they finished the 1999 season with a record of 13–3 in one of the biggest single-year turnarounds in NFL history, ushering in the era of what would become known as "The Greatest Show on Turf". Vermeil led the Rams to their first Super Bowl victory inSuper Bowl XXXIV with a 23–16 win over theTennessee Titans. He was also namedNFL Coach of the Year for the second time for the 1999 season. He walked away from coaching again after the Rams' Super Bowl victory.[17] Years later, Vermeil regretted leaving the Rams saying that was "one of the worst decisions I ever made."[18]
Vermeil signed with theKansas City Chiefs on January 12, 2001, despite his retirement following the Super Bowl win with the Rams. Hisfirst season with the Chiefs was substandard, finishing with a 6–10 record, their worst record since1988. Vermeil and theChiefs made some major changes for the2002 season, where the Chiefs improved to 8–8. The Chiefs had the NFL's best offense in 2002, led byPriest Holmes,Trent Green,Tony Gonzalez,Dante Hall, and offensive linemenWillie Roaf andWill Shields. In2003 theChiefs started the season 9–0 and finished with a 13–3 record, making theplayoffs and winning theAFC West. They also had the NFL's top ranked offense for the second straight year. TheChiefs went 7–9 in2004, even though they had the NFL's top-ranked offense for the third consecutive year under offensive coordinatorAl Saunders. The Chiefs performed poorly due to their soft defense, which was ranked 31st out of 32 teams in the league.
Vermeil returned with theChiefs for the2005 season with one of the NFL's best offenses, and an improved defense. In 2005 Vermeil and Saunders uncharacteristically included more high-risk calls.Pro Bowlrunning back and team leader Priest Holmes suffered a season-ending injury against theSan Diego Chargers in the eighth week of the season. However, his injury allowed the emergingLarry Johnson to start in his place. Under Johnson, the Chiefs' offense continued at its usual explosive pace. On December 31, Vermeil announced that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2005 season,[19] and the next day he led the Chiefs to a 37–3 rout over theCincinnati Bengals. However, the Chiefs failed to make theplayoffs, despite their 10–6 record.
Vermeil is remembered for his frequent emotional breakdowns during press conferences, including crying when getting emotional. This display of emotion has helped make him a popular coach among fans. Vermeil lives in the historicCountry Club Plaza district ofKansas City. When not in Kansas City, the entire Vermeil family enjoys spending time and working on "The Ranch", a 114-acre (0.46 km2) homestead located outsidePhiladelphia in ruralChester County, Pennsylvania. He is also a huge supporter of the Chester County CouncilBoy Scouts of America and is a recipient of theSilver Beaver Award, which was coincidentally awarded at the same time he was named head coach of the Chiefs in2001. His annual golf invitational has brought in over US$1 million to the council's operational fund.
Vermeil partnered with OnTheEdge Winery and produced his own self-proclaimed "Garage Cabernet" wine, named in honor of his father, Jean Louis Vermeil. Vermeil was actually once reprimanded by the NFL when during a game he promised kickerMorten Andersen a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon if he could kick the game-winning field goal versus Oakland. Andersen made the kick, but upon hearing about the offer, the NFL reminded Vermeil and the Chiefs that the $500 bottle of wine was considered a performance-based incentive bonus not written into Andersen's contract, and the gift was disallowed.[20]
Vermeil and former Redskins head coachJoe Gibbs are close friends. It was under Vermeil's recommendation that Gibbs hired Vermeil's former offensive coordinator and 2005USA Today's Offensive Coach of the YearAl Saunders as a top assistant coach.
Vermeil has been portrayed in several films. The 2006 film,Invincible, showed Vermeil (played byGreg Kinnear) when he was head coach of Philadelphia and gaveVince Papale an opportunity to play for theEagles. In the 2021 filmAmerican Underdog, Vermeil is portrayed byDennis Quaid when he gaveKurt Warner an opportunity to play for theSt. Louis Rams. Vermeil is known for his exceptional judge of character capabilities and decisions to give chances to underdogs.
During his first retirement, Vermeil worked as a game analyst for bothCBS (1983–87) andABC Sports (1988–96), most of the time paired withBrent Musburger. Currently, Vermeil works as a game analyst on broadcasts of college football and NFL games onNFL Network, with work during the2006 Insight Bowl. Vermeil also served as head coach in the 2012 and 2013 editions of theNFLPA Collegiate Bowl.[21][22]
ACoors Light commercial featuring manipulated archival footage of Vermeil at a press conference debuted in 2006.[23]
On November 2, 2008, Vermeil was honored by the St. Louis Rams organization with the placing of his name on the "Ring of Honor" around the inside of theEdward Jones Dome in St. Louis.[24]
Vermeil had a short cameo in the 2011 filmThe Greening of Whitney Brown, set in Chester County, in which he plays a football coach for the local middle school.[25]
The 2001 book autobiographyTouched: TheJerry Sandusky Story (ISBN 9781582612706) includes a quote in a foreword[26] from Vermeil: "He could very well be theWill Rogers of the coaching profession."[27] In 2011 formerPenn State defensive coach Sandusky was arrested on 40 counts ofchild sexual abuse. A 2011 account about the book said "Sandusky paints a picture of himself as someone who would consistently take risks in pursuit of what he often refers to as 'mischief'" and there are many other citations and quotes which look "different in light of the horrendous allegations".[28] After the firing of PSU presidentGraham B. Spanier, it was reported that Vermeil on November 8, 2011, "told [Philadelphia] Action News, 'I don't think there's anything that could discolor the quality of Joe Paterno's legacy.'"[29] Vermeil also served on the Honorary Board of Sandusky's Second Mile children's foundation, along with Philadelphia Eagles coachAndy Reid,Matt Millen fromESPN, actorMark Wahlberg and football playerFranco Harris, among others.[30] It was reported on November 11, 2011, that Vermeil hadn't "spoken to [Sandusky] since the scandal broke. 'It's a blindside,' Vermeil said. 'That's all I can say.' 'If it's true, he's a sick man. He had an illness none of us knew about. That's all.' "[26]
The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia named Vermeil their Person of the Year in 1985 and inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2003.
Vermeil served as head coach for the National Team in theNFLPA Collegiate Bowl from 2012 to 2014,[31][32][33] leading his team to victory in each of his three appearances.
In August 2015, Vermeil bought a 2.5% share of thePhiladelphia Soularena football team.[34] With Vermeil owning a minority stake of the team, the Philadelphia Soul wonArenaBowl XXIX in 2016 &ArenaBowl XXX in 2017.
In 2020, he was named coaching finalist for thePro Football Hall of Fame's "Centennial Slate." He was again up for the class of 2021, but was among the coaches part of the final cut.[citation needed] He was chosen as the coaching finalist for the class of 2022.[35]
In 2022, Vermeil was elected into thePro Football Hall of Fame.[36]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa Chiefs(Golden Valley Conference)(1964) | |||||||||
| 1964 | Napa | 7–2 | 4–1 | 2nd | |||||
| Napa: | 7–2 | 4–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 7–2 | ||||||||
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UCLA Bruins(Pacific-8 Conference)(1974–1975) | |||||||||
| 1974 | UCLA | 6–3–2 | 4–2–1 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1975 | UCLA | 9–2–1 | 6–1 | T–1st | WRose | 5 | 5 | ||
| UCLA: | 15–5–3 | 10–3–1 | |||||||
| Total: | 15–5–3 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post-season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| PHI | 1976 | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 4th in NFC East | - | - | - | - |
| PHI | 1977 | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 4th in NFC East | - | - | - | - |
| PHI | 1978 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 2nd in NFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toAtlanta Falcons inNFC Wild Card Game |
| PHI | 1979 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 2nd in NFC East | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toTampa Bay Buccaneers inNFC Divisional Game |
| PHI | 1980 | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in NFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toOakland Raiders inSuper Bowl XV |
| PHI | 1981 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toNew York Giants inNFC Wild Card Game |
| PHI | 1982 | 3 | 6 | 0 | .333 | 13th in NFC | - | - | - | - |
| PHI Total | 54 | 47 | 0 | .535 | 3 | 4 | .429 | |||
| STL | 1997 | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 5th in NFC West | - | - | - | - |
| STL | 1998 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 5th in NFC West | - | - | - | - |
| STL | 1999 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in NFC West | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XXXIV champions |
| STL Total | 22 | 26 | 0 | .458 | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | |||
| KC | 2001 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in AFC West | - | - | - | - |
| KC | 2002 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4th in AFC West | - | - | - | - |
| KC | 2003 | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 1st in AFC West | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost toIndianapolis Colts inAFC Divisional Game |
| KC | 2004 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3rd in AFC West | - | - | - | - |
| KC | 2005 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in AFC West | - | - | - | - |
| KC Total | 44 | 36 | 0 | .550 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |||
| Total[37] | 120 | 109 | 0 | .524 | 6 | 5 | .545 | |||
Vermeil and his wife, Carol, have three children and 11 grandchildren.[4] Vermeil's nephew,Louie Giammona, played in the NFL for Vermeil with thePhiladelphia Eagles. Giammona also played for theNew York Jets.[38]
AfterJohn Madden passed on December 28, 2021, Vermeil became the oldest living coach of a Super Bowl winning team. Following the passing of former Vikings Hall of Fame coachBud Grant on March 11, 2023, Vermeil and Super Bowl XV counterpartTom Flores share the title for the earliest Super Bowl coached by a living coach; they are the only living coaches from any of the first 16 Super Bowls.
Media related toDick Vermeil at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
