Times-Advocate from Escondido, California • 45

TIMES-ADVOCATE, Escondido, Ca Thursday, October 30, 1986 D5 jAAAA A King says Coryell was a scapegoat By Jay Posner Times-Advocate Sportswriter SAN DIEGO Not surprisingly, ex-Charger Linden King, a longtime Don Coryell supporter now with the Los Angeles Raiders, blasted his former club Wednesday upon hearing of Coryells resignation. Coach Coryell was not the problem, King said. Theyre looking for scapegoats and getting rid of people. They (Chargers players) told me Alex Spanos couldnt understand why when he walked on the field he was booed. His feeling was it was the teams fault, not his.

That hes not a part of it. Asked what the Chargers need to do to win. King said, Get rid of Ron Nay, referring to the clubs director of scouting. Added King: If we have a problem here, A1 Davis can see it and figure out a way to help. The only thing Id ask Spanos about is putting up an apartment building.

He doesnt know football. as an assistant at USC. He was named San Diego States head coach in 1961, and over the next 11 seasons the Aztecs lost more than two games in only one season. During one stretch, they dropped only one game in four years. He left the Aztecs in 1973 for the NFL St.

Louis Cardinals, but not until posting a 104-19-2 mark at SDSU. Coryell led the Cardinals to two NFC East titles and a 42-27-1 record in five years before he was fired after the 1977 season. The Chargers hired Coryell Sept. 25, 1978, four games into that season. San Diego won 8 of its last 12 games that year, then reeled off three straight AFC West titles.

Twice, in 1980 and 81, the Chargers fell one game short of advancing to their first Super Bowl. Coryell was known for pioneering the offensive scheme known as Air Coryell. The Chargers offense blossomed into one of the NFLs best, leading the league in passing seven of the last eight seasons and finishing first in total offense five of the last six years. The Chargers again made the playoffs in the strike-shortened 82 season, but its been a rough road ever since. Consecutive seasons of 6-10 and 7-9 had Coryell in trouble last year, but, needing an 8-8 record to survive, he reached the bare minimum.

Spanos kept his word and brought back Coryell for this season. His contract was extended through the 1987 season, but it appeared to be a cosmetic gesture since only this years money was guaranteed. Coryell Continued from page D1 to make a change, they make a change. But, Joiner was told, management said Coryell resigned. I shouldnt have said that, Joiner said.

If he stepped down, I guess he was looking out for the ballclub. That was the same approach taken by Spanos, who said Coryell, 62, delivered his resignation around noon Wednesday. Spanos immediately promoted Saunders to the head coach position. It came as a shock, Spanos said. Id made a commitment to stay with the staff, but if thats what Don felt, hey, I had to go dlong with it.

No, I didnt try to talk him out of it, Spanos said in response to a question. If thats what Don felt would be best for the ballclub, I went along with it. Phone calls to Coryells home Wednesday went unanswered. Knowing him, he might not answer the phone or the door for at least a month, said Chuck Weber, a former assistant of Coryells. I have been very disappointed that we havent won more games, Coryell said in his prepared statement.

I feel a change would be beneficial to the Chargers. I made up my mind after the Philadelphia game (a 23-7 loss last Sunday), but Mr. Spanos was out of the city and I wanted to tell it to him in person. When it became apparent Monday that Dan (Fouts) would be unable to play this week and that Mark (Herrmann) was going to be questionable, I didnt want the One of Coryells former coaches, Tom Bass, said he would be surprised if his friend had resigned. It would surprise me in a way because Dons not a quitter, said Bass, who worked with Coryell from 1961-63 and 1982-85.

The only way would be if he honestly believed it would help the football team." Bass, like other former coaches and players, praised Coryell as one of the great offensive innovators in the history of football, and expressed sadness over his departure. I just think its really sad it had to end this way, Bass said. The man contributed so much to San Diego and to the athletics of San Diego. Other people retire with dignity at the end of a year and people honor him in the way a person of his stature deserves. I feel very strongly about Don, Bass added.

People dont realize how much hes meant to 1) football in general, 2) the players who have been privileged to play for him and 3) the people of San Diego. Its all washed under the bridge because he lost seven games and because someone in the organization gets embarrassed. It makes me mad. Said Zampese: Its a sad occasion, no question. I have regret for him as a coach and a person.

Hes one of the first coaches who actually utilized the abilities of the players he had, Zampese said. Other coaches talked about it, but Don did it. Coryell is the only coach in the history of football to win over 100 games in both the collegiate and professional ranks. His first major coaching assignment was at Whittier College in 1957. He compiled a 23-5-1 record in three seasons at Whittier before spending one year team to think that I was copping out of a bad situation.

After talking with Alex today, I felt it would be best that I resign and turn the head coaching position over to A1 Saunders in hopes that the second half of the season would be better than the first. Spanos seemed unusually brusque when the subject of whether or not Coryell had resigned was raised at an evening news conference. 'Did you suggest his resignation? Spanos was asked. Absolutely not, he replied forcefully. Then, after a brief pause, Spanos attempted to end the questioning, saying, Gentlemen, is that it? After denying further changes in the organization were forthcoming, Spanos again attempted unsuccessfully to end the conference.

Later, when asked to describe Coryells mood arpund noon, Spanos said, How would you feel if it happened to you? You have to come in and tell your boss that you have to resign. Its not a very good feeling. A short time later, when the conference did end, Spanos immediately left the room, while Saunders stayed around for the next half-hour to answer further questions. Of Coryells resignation, Saunders said, He must have felt like the team was not making any progress and that there needed to be a change or maybe a spark to create a different feeling on the squad. Therefore, he resigned.

In answer to another question, Saunders said, Don Coryell is not a quitter. Thats not a word in his PROVEN IKGHVJAY RADIAL P15580R-13 P16580R-13 P18580R-13 P19575R-14 P20575R-14 P21575R-14 P20575R-15 P21575R-15 P22575R-1 5 P23575R-15 moBuims. I35SR-12 WStSQ TSSSr-12 155SR-13 165SR-13 175SR-13 175SR-14 185SR-14 165SR-15 223? 22.90 23.95 28.29 29.94 32.60 28.51 ECONOMY Seahawks to bench veteran quarterback Krieg vocabulary. I cant imagine him perceiving it that way. His resigning had to be in his own mind not a quitting thing, but something that needed to be done, something that would help the team.

Dave Krieg Loses starting assignment. on him if things dont go right, said Knox, adding Gilbert will get 98 percent of the work in the Seahawks practices. Knox said he decided to bench Krieg because the Seahawks offense could produce only four touchdowns in their last three games. Seattle was a 14-10 loser to the Raiders in Los Angeles and a 17-12 winner over the New York Giants the two weeks before the Denver game. He noted that the Seahawks had converted only 22 percent of their third-down opportunities in their last three games after converting better than 40 percent in their first five contests this season.

Krieg, 27, was signed by the Seahawks as a free agent from Milton College of Wisconsin in 1980. He became Seattles starting quarterback midway in the 1983 season, Knoxs first as the Seahawks head coach. Krieg helped the Seahawks get into the AFC finals in 1983 and directed them to the playoffs again in 1984, when he was selected to just 26 yards in a 20-13 loss in Denver last Sunday. He was sacked five times by the Broncos. Curt Warner of the Seahawks, the American Football Conferences leading rusher, ran for 139 yards in Denver.

Gilbert, a second-year veteran, entered the game in the fourth quarter and completed four of four passes for 71 yards and Seattles only touchdown. We just decided to make a change to hopefully get some spark in there and be able to make some plays that we havent been making, Knox said at a news conference Wednesday. Gale Gilbert got the job now, he said. We dont want him looking over his shoulder to see if every time he makes a mistake were warming ip David Krieg. We dont want him to feel that were going to put the hook iF7 ru mile 1 1 Mini Formerly Servisoft Same People New Name 745-8383 757-2780 SEATTLE (AP) Coach Chuck Knox has announced plans to replace Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Dave Krieg with backup Gale Gilbert for the fJFL teams final eight games this season.

Gale Gilberts got a strong arm and hes got the ability to stand in the pocket, said Knox. Its just a feeling I have as a coach that now is the time to do it. Seattle, 5-3, will play the 7-1 New York Jets in the Kingdome Sunday. This is not something that is easy for me to do, said Knox. David Krieg is a super guy and hes worked hard.

Weve won a lot of football games with him. Krieg, a seven-year pro, has the longest consecutive starting streak of any NFL quarterback 48 games. His demotion came after he completed only six of 16 passes for Reverse. smosis DRINKING WATER DONCOR jWfW SYSTHtS Formerly Servisoft Same People New Name REE INSTALLATION 745-8383 757-2780 Si nh na 11: in 5). oy In 5).

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Moon signed with the Oilers and Hebert signed with New Orleans. Houston ended up trading Everetts draft rights to the Los Angeles Rams, who signed him. Gilbert, 24, who was signed as a free agent from California in 1985, has played sparingly in his two seasons as Kriegs backup. RAILROAD TIES 597s5up LANDSCAPE TIMBERS $1 26e? ROUGH REDWOOD 4x6x8 lengths 1 a76ea 2x12 95 per lm ft Ideal for retaining walls. A T', LOW COST DIAS size Mtici $24.29 25.07 27.27 29.47 30.73 32.06 33.91 32.41 34.56 36.50 P16580B-13 P17580B-13 P18575B-14 P19575B-14 P20575B-14 P21575B-14 P22575B-14 P21 575B-1 5 P22575B-1 5 P23575B-1 5 iir i ALL TERRAIN UGNT TRUCK RADIAL St azi ma 30X950R-15 $82.53 31X10.50R-15 87.82 32X11.50R-15 93.12 33X12.50R-15 99.64 31X10.50R-16.5 84.99 33X1 2.50R-1 6.5 103.17 HIGHWAY UZl ma 700R-15 750R-16 21585R16 23585R16 875R16.5 950R16.5 6 ply 8 ply 8 ply 10 ply 8 ply 8 ply $79.69 88.95 80.80 89.95 81.23 89.64 pimmi LIGHT TRUCK ML ma 700X15 T.T.

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