 Bullough, circa 1953 | |||||||||
| No. 67, 61 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positions | Guard Linebacker | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1934-01-24)January 24, 1934 Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | November 24, 2019(2019-11-24) (aged 85) Haslett, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Timken (OH) | ||||||||
| College | Michigan State (1951–1954) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1955: 5th round, 53rd overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
Playing | |||||||||
Coaching | |||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Head coaching record | |||||||||
| Regular season | 4–18–0 (.182) | ||||||||
| Coaching profile at Pro Football Reference | |||||||||
Henry Charles Bullough (January 24, 1934 – November 24, 2019)[1] was an American professionalfootball player and coach. He playedcollege football atMichigan State and graduated in 1954. Bullough was a startingguard for the Spartans team that won the1954 Rose Bowl. He was selected by theGreen Bay Packers with the 53rd pick in the fifth round of the1955 NFL draft.
Bullough's first coaching position was at his alma mater,Michigan State, where he served for 11 seasons. In 1970, he became linebackers coach for theBaltimore Colts of theNational Football League (NFL) under head coachDon McCafferty.
Asdefensive coordinator for theNew England Patriots in the 1970s[2] Bullough is credited, along with his college teammateChuck Fairbanks, with having been a significant figure in bringing the3–4 defense to the NFL. After Fairbanks was suspended prior to the final game of the1978 season, Bullough's and fellow assistantRon Erhardt were named co-head coaches for the remainder of the season. After the season, Patriots ownerBilly Sullivan appointed Erhardt head coach instead of Bullough. Bullough would remain defensive coordinator for one more season with the Patriots.
In 1980, newCincinnati Bengals head coach and formerGreen Bay Packers teammate,Forrest Gregg wooed Bullough to install the 3–4 defensive system in Cincinnati.[3] Two seasons later the Bengals would go to theSuper Bowl where they fell just short against theSan Francisco 49ers. While with the Bengals, Bullough also tutoredDick LeBeau who, not only would succeed Bullough as defensive coordinator but, is credited as the innovator of the 3–4 zone blitz scheme.
Bullough followed Gregg to theGreen Bay Packers as defensive coordinator in 1984. Before the season began, he was let out of his contract to become the head coach for thePittsburgh Maulers of theUnited States Football League (USFL).[4] The Maulers folded later that year, before Bullough ever coached a game.[5]
He then moved on to theBuffalo Bills, where he replaced Kay Stephenson for the final 12 games of the 1985 season and remained head coach for the first nine games of the 1986 season before being fired. He then served again as defensive coordinator for the Packers underLindy Infante from 1988 to 1991, and one season as defensive coordinator for theDetroit Lions in 1993. He then returned to college and took a position as an assistant coach underGeorge Perles at Michigan State in 1994 in his final season.
Bullough was married to his wife of 49 years Lou Ann Bullough and they had three children together, Cheryl, Shane, andChuck, and nine grandchildren, Corey, Kristi, Jake,Max,Riley, Byron, Holly, Chloe and Annika.
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| NE^ | 1978 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1st in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| NE Total | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | – | – | – | |||
| BUF | 1985 | 2 | 10 | 0 | .167 | 5th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| BUF | 1986 | 2 | 7 | 0 | .222 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| BUF Total | 4 | 17 | 0 | .190 | – | – | – | |||
| Total[6] | 4 | 18 | 0 | .182 | – | – | – | |||
^ Co-coach withRon Erhardt