Former Stanford Cardinal football coach Buddy Teevens dies from injuries sustained in bicycle accident
HANOVER, N.H. (AP) — Buddy Teevens, the innovative Ivy League football coach and former Stanford coach who brought robotic tackling dummies to Dartmouth practices, died Tuesday of injuries he sustained from a bicycle accident in March. He was 66.
School president Sian Leah Beilock and athletic director Mike Harrity announced Teevens’ death in a letter to the Dartmouth community.
“Our family is heartbroken to inform you that our beloved ‘coach’ has peacefully passed away surrounded by family. Unfortunately, the injuries he sustained proved too challenging for even him to overcome,” the Teevens family said in a statement to Dartmouth. “Throughout this journey, we consistently relayed the thoughts, memories, and love sent his way. Your kindness and letters of encouragement did not go unnoticed and were greatly appreciated by both Buddy and our family.”
Teevens had his right leg amputated following the accident in Florida. Teevens and his wife, Kirsten, were riding on a road in the St. Augustine area when he was struck by a pickup March 16.
Kirsten Teevens said her husband also suffered a spinal cord injury in the accident. The couple had moved to Boston to continue his rehabilitation closer to loved ones.
Buddy Teevens’ longtime assistant, Sammy McCorkle, has been leading the Dartmouth football team this season as interim coach. The Big Green opened the season last weekend with a loss to New Hampshire.
The school said McCorkle informed the team of Teevens’ death Tuesday, and the Big Green planned to play its home opener Saturday against Lehigh. There will be a moment of silence prior to the game and a gathering of remembrance afterward, the school said.
Teevens was a former star Dartmouth quarterback who went on to become the school’s all-time wins leader with a 117-101-2 record in 23 seasons. He coached the Big Green from 1987-1991 and returned in 2005. His teams have won or shared five Ivy League championships.
In 1978, he was the Ivy League player of the year, leading Dartmouth to a league title.
Teevens coached at Stanford from 2002-04, a three-season stretch that saw the Cardinal go 10-23 and finish no better than eighth in the then-Pac-10. Teevens never beat rivals Cal, USC and Notre Dame, and was fired after Stanford ended the 2004 season with a 41-6 loss to the Golden Bears in the Big Game. Teevens’ final Cardinal team lost five in a row after a 4-2 start.
Despite the lack of success on the field at Stanford, …
Source:: East Bay – Entertainment
