LaVell Edwards is remembered for his stoic stance on the sidelines, for being unflappable in victory or defeat. He's remembered for a gentle coaching style that seemed contrary to the physical nature of football.
But mostly, he's remembered for helping retool collegiate football with his high-octane aerial offense that tallied 257 victories in a 29-year tenure. For his accomplishments, the former Brigham Young University football coach was one of 14 elected to the College Football Hall of Fame on April 6 in the "Class of 2004."
Edwards was introduced as "a coaching icon, whose success and longevity are paralleled by few," by Jon F. Hanson, chairman of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
In his amiable, soft-spoken way, declaring he was overwhelmed by the recognition, Edwards said he considered his greatest accomplishment was winning enough games to stay employed and that "I was able to do the things that I wanted to do — to coach and to work with people."
Retiring after the 2000 season, Edwards compiled a 257-101-3 record for a .716 winning percentage. His teams won the 1984 national championship and 21 conference titles and played in 22 bowl games. He coached a Heisman Trophy winner, Ty Detmer, and four other Hall honorees, namely quarterbacks Gifford Nielsen, Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon and Steve Young.
He won national coach-of-the-year honors in 1979 and 1984. His 257 wins ranks sixth all-time among Division 1-A coaches, and his 29-year tenure was fifth-longest for a head coach at one school.
Upon his retirement, the BYU football stadium was renamed in his honor. He and his wife, Patti, later served a public affairs mission in New York City before returning to their home in Utah last year.
Eligibility criteria for coaches include a 10-year tenure as head coach, minimums of 100 games coached and a .600 winning percentage, and to have been retired for three years.
The Class of 2004 will be inducted at a dinner in New York City on Dec. 7, and their names will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., in ceremonies scheduled for Aug. 14-15.
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