82-Year-Old Former NFL Coach Known for Quirky Personality Hired by Division II Program
One of the NFL's most colorful former coaches is back in football.
Former Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons coach Jerry Glanville has been hired by Division II Northwestern Oklahoma State as its defensive coordinator, the Alva, Okla.-based school announced Wednesday.
"(Glanville) brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our program. He is considered one of the greatest defensive coaches to ever coach the game and I can't wait to watch him turn our defense into a dominating unit," Rangers coach Ronnie Jones said in a release.
Glanville, 82, led the Oilers from 1985-89 and the Falcons from 1990-93. He won 10 games twice, and made playoff appearances in 1987, 1988, 1989 and 1991.
While coaching, Glanville was noted for a number of eccentric habits—including regularly leaving tickets at will call for late rock and roll legend Elvis Presley. That quirk helped name Glanville's '90 autobiography, Elvis Don't Like Football: The Life and Raucous Times of the NFL's Most Outspoken Coach.
Glanville last coached in the collegiate ranks at Portland State, serving as the Vikings' head coach from 2007-09.
After Portland State, Glanville took some time away from coaching until 2018, when he began bouncing around roles in both the CFL and several spring leagues, including a stint with the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL in 2019.