Sam Rutigliano

Rutigliano, the son of immigrants, played college football at Tennessee and Tulsa. He coached at the high school level in New York and at the college level at Connecticut, Maryland and Tennessee before landing an NFL assistant coaching job with the Denver Broncos in 1967. He would be an assistant with the New England Patriots, New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints over the next 11 years before being given the head coaching job for the Cleveland Browns in 1978.
Over the next six years, Rutigliano was the coach of the famed "Kardiac Kids" Browns. He led the 1980 Browns to the AFC Central Division Championship. The final play of the Browns' playoff game with the Oakland Raiders would be the most memorable moment in Rutigliano's coaching career. Down 14 - 12 and within field goal range, Rutigliano decided to run one more play rather than kick a game-winning field goal. The play, called "Red Right 88", resulted in a game-ending interception. Despite the early playoff exit, Rutigliano received NFL Coach of the Year honors for the 1980 season.
Rutigliano was fired in 1984 after starting the season 1-7. He was replaced by Marty Schottenheimer. In his six and a half seasons with the browns, Rutigliano compiled a 47-50 record.
After being let go by the Browns, Rutigliano would serve as an analyst for ABC Sports and ESPN for three years. In 1988, he was given the head coaching job at Liberty University, a post he would hold for eleven years until retiring in 1999.
Rutigliano would go on to be an assistant coach under Jack Bicknell with the Barcelona Dragons and Scottish Claymores, both of NFL Europe.

Sam Rutigliano Interview

 

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