Jerry Stovall obit

Jerry Stovall, former LSU head coach and Heisman Trophy runner-up, dies at 85

 

He was not on the list.

Legendary LSU figure Jerry Stovall passed away on Monday. Stovall not only played for the Tigers but he also took control of the program for four years. He grew up in the state of Louisiana and became an important piece of LSU history during his life.

“LSU has confirmed that former Heisman Trophy runner-up Jerry Stovall, who later became the school’s head coach for four years, died Monday,” Will Weathers of LouisianaSports.net said via X. “The native of West Monroe was 85.”

Stovall spent three seasons in Baton Rouge as a player at the running back position. He first saw the field in 1960, being deemed the replacement for Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon. From a rushing standpoint, 1961 was Stovall’s best year, going for 405 yards and three touchdowns.

But LSU will remember him for finishing as an All-American in 1962 and finishing second for the Heisman Trophy. In 10 games played, Stovall rushed for 368 yards. LSU used him through the air as well, adding 213 yards and a touchdown on nine receptions.

Oregon State quarterback Terry Baker wound up winning the Heisman Trophy. Stovall received the most second-place votes, just passing Minnesota offensive lineman Bob Bell.

Flash forward two decades, and Stovall was LSU’s head coach. Originally, his coaching career got started as an assistant under Charles McClendon. Going into the 1980 season, Stovall remained on staff after the Tigers hired Bo Rein. However, Rein suddenly died in an airplane during a recruiting visit.

LSU kept Stovall as the head coach for four seasons, getting a mixed bag of results. His best finish came in 1982, when the Tigers finished with an 8-3-1 record. Wins over top-10 opponents included Alabama, Florida, and Florida State. At one point, the AP poll had them ranked as high as No. 6 in the country.

Unfortunately, the season did end on a sour note. LSU earned a bid to the Orange Bowl, where the No. 3-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers were waiting. Tom Osborne’s team earned the win and finished the year with a 12-1 record. However, the Huskers did not win the national championship.

Following the 1983 season, Stovall was let go from his position as LSU head coach. He never got back into coaching but was the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs athletic director beginning in 1990, all the way until 1994.

Stovall was the second overall pick in the first round of the 1963 NFL draft, selected by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was also the third overall pick of the 1963 American Football League draft. The Cardinals converted him to full-time defensive back. He was regarded as one of the top rookies in the league in 1963. During his nine seasons with St. Louis, Stovall had 18 interceptions in 97 games, and was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1966, 1967, and 1969 seasons.

After his NFL career, Stovall became a college football assistant coach. He eventually returned to LSU, as an assistant for head coach Charlie McClendon. Stovall became LSU's head coach as an emergency hire after new head coach Bo Rein died when his plane depressurized and disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean.

In Stovall's four years with the Tigers (1980–1983), LSU finished 7–4, 3–7–1, 8–3–1, and 4–7. Only one of Stovall's teams appeared in the final AP Poll: the 1982 team. That team finished the season ranked No. 11 after it beat No. 4 Florida, No. 8 Alabama, and No. 7 Florida State and earned a spot in the Orange Bowl, where LSU lost, 21–20, to a No. 3 Nebraska team led by Tom Osborne. As a result of his performance in 1982, Stovall was named the national coach of the year by the Walter Camp Football Foundation, as well as the SEC Coach of the Year.

In 1983, Stovall's success of 1982 came unraveled. The Tigers went 0–6 in the SEC, including a 45–26 loss at home to Mississippi State, leaving Stovall 0–4 for his career against the Bulldogs.

Stovall had a 2–2 record against Tulane. To date, the Tigers have only lost to Tulane on two other occasions since 1948, both under McClendon. After the Tigers had secured the Orange Bowl berth in 1982, they suffered their only home loss to Tulane since 1948. The Tigers have won 18 in a row in the series since but has only played the Green Wave six times since 1994, typically winning by comfortable margins.

Stovall's dismissal by athletic director Bob Brodhead was approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors on December 2, 1983.