| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1926-01-29)January 29, 1926 Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | March 13, 1999(1999-03-13) (aged 73) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 199 lb (90 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Superior (WI) Central |
| College | Michigan |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | NFL: 8–18–2 (.321) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Robert Condon Hollway[1] (January 29, 1926 – March 13, 1999) was an Americanfootball player and coach. He playedcollege football for theUniversity of Michigan and was a member of Michigan's undefeated 1947 and 1948 teams. He thereafter served as an assistant at theUniversity of Maine (1951–1952),Eastern Michigan University (1953), Michigan (1954–1965) before joining the NFL with theMinnesota Vikings (1967–1970, 1978–1986), as thehead coach of theNational Football League (NFL)'sSt. Louis Cardinals (1971–1972), and assistant coaching stints with theDetroit Lions (1973–1974),San Francisco 49ers (1975), andSeattle Seahawks (1976–1977).
Born and raised inAnn Arbor, Michigan, Hollway attended theUniversity of Michigan, playing at the end position for theMichigan Wolverines football teams from 1947 to 1949.
After graduating in 1950, Hollway entered the coaching ranks the following year as an assistant at theUniversity of Maine. After two seasons, he returned to the state ofMichigan as both an assistant football and headbasketball coach atEastern Michigan University in 1953. From 1954 to 1965, he was an assistant football coach at the University of Michigan.
On January 22, 1966, Hollway announced he was resigning to enter private business, but that time away, which included doing radio commentary on Wolverine games, lasted only one season before he came back asdefensive line coach of theNational Football League'sMinnesota Vikings under new head coachBud Grant. During his first season with the team, he helped shape a group of linemen who became known as the "Purple People Eaters," including two futureHall of Famers inCarl Eller and rookieAlan Page. Over the next three years, Hollway was promoted todefensive coordinator.
Four years of success, including an appearance inSuper Bowl IV, raised Hollway's profile and led to his hiring as head coach of the Cardinals on February 12, 1971.[2] However, the team was unable to beat out either theDallas Cowboys or the resurgentWashington Redskins over the next two seasons, with Hollway paying the price with his dismissal on December 18, 1972, one day after the end of the1972 NFL season.[3] The Cardinals finished 4-9-1 in both of Hollway's seasons with the Cardinals, as the team suffered through numerous injuries and inconsistent play atquarterback, as Hollway shuffled betweenJim Hart,Pete Beathard andGary Cuozzo with little success, despite the presence of fleetwide receiverJohn Gilliam (who was traded to Minnesota in 1972) and futurePro Football Hall of Fametight endJackie Smith.
In February 1973, Hollway was hired aDetroit Lions' assistant coach underDon McCafferty.[4][5] However, McCafferty died suddenly during the team's 1974 training camp, and Hollway resigned as the lions secondary coach in January 1975.[6] In 1975, Hollway became thedefensive backs coach for theSan Francisco 49ers. In January 1976, after 49ers head coachDick Nolan was replaced, Hollway became defensive backfield coach with the expansionSeattle Seahawks, where he reunited with former Viking assistantJack Patera, the expansion team's first head coach.[7]
In April 1978, Hollway resigned to again serve as defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings, but became involved in controversy when the Seahawks claimed the Vikings had tampered with him while still under contract.
Following the retirement of Grant at the conclusion of the1983 NFL season, Hollway was demoted byLes Steckel to quality control assistant, serving primarily as a personnel director andscout.
Hollway died in 1999 at the age of 73.
Hollway's son Michael retired in 2011 after serving as the head football coach atOhio Wesleyan University inDelaware, Ohio for 25 years. His son Bruce was a managing partner forJohn Hancock Financial Network inMaple Grove, Minnesota.[8] Bruce died in 2020.[9]