Terry Donahue, the winningest coach in Pacific-12 Conference and UCLA football history, passed away on Sunday evening, July 4, at his home in Newport Beach, Calif., surrounded by family, following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 77.
Donahue devoted the majority of his adult life to championing UCLA after enrolling at the school as a walk-on defensive lineman. In his first season (1965) in Westwood as a student-athlete, the 190-pound lineman helped lead the Bruins to the program’s first-ever Rose Bowl victory with an upset of previously unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Michigan State. He went on to serve as an assistant coach for the Bruins under Pepper Rodgers and Dick Vermeil and then took over the reigns as UCLA’s head coach, at age 31, beginning with the 1976 season.
Donahue, the first person to appear in a Rose Bowl Game as a player, assistant coach and head coach, would go on to post a conference-record 98 wins (98-51-5) and a school-record 151 wins (151-74-8). In a 20-year span, he won or shared five conference titles (1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1993) while finishing first or second in the league standings 12 times. The Bruins captured wins in three Rose Bowls (1983, 1984, 1986) during his tenure and he became the first college coach to come away with bowl game victories in seven consecutive seasons (1983 Rose Bowl, 1984 Rose Bowl, 1985 Fiesta Bowl, 1986 Rose Bowl, 1986 Freedom Bowl, 1987 Aloha Bowl, 1989 Cotton Bowl), including four New Year’s Day wins in a row. Donahue’s Bruins recorded seven straight top-20 finishes in the final Associated Press football poll from 1982-88.
During his 20-year head coaching reign, Donahue’s Bruin teams produced 40 wins over ranked opponents culminating with his final coaching victory, a 24-20 decision in the L.A. Coliseum over No. 11 USC in 1995. He posted a 10-9-1 career ledger in battles against the crosstown rivals. Donahue’s UCLA teams yielded 34 first-team All-America team selections, a list featuring some of the top performers in school history --- LB Jerry Robinson, S Kenny Easley, RB Freeman McNeil, K John Lee, LB Ken Norton Jr., QB Troy Aikman, LB Carnell Lake, S Eric Turner and OL Jonathan Ogden. Fourteen of Donahue’s Bruins were chosen in the first-round of the NFL Draft, including future Pro Football Hall of Famers Aikman, Easley and Ogden.
Donahue himself was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. In 1997, he was welcomed into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. Donahue joined the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame with the class of 2001.
Best coach at UCLA in my lifetime. most Bruins fans rejoiced when he quit, as it turns out those were the good ole days of college football At Westweird. RIP
it's not his fault he was "elected" to the college football hall of fame, but by accepting it he alone ruined the entire institution forever. that's his legacy.
doubt he joins wormfood wooden in hell who never took any responsibility for his CRIMES. sc
And he so loved UCLA that he left at the first good chance and never returned in spite of many requests. He privately disdained UCLA and its cheap-knockoff counterfeit averageness.
I Remember JROB at the MQB luncheon talking about the annual steak dinner bet they made on the big game. They seemed to genuinely like and respect one another. With their legacies on the line they were decent & classy competitors. Pretty cool way to do it.
One of my all-time favorite non-Oregon coaches. There was a very relatable, likable presence that he exuded around him. Not your typical tough-guy coach, more like a Marv Levy type. Great coach and great guy!! Very sad. He will be missed.
Terry was great taking the Pac10 title from USC so many times... Gaston Green baby... eric ball... Terry Tore up the Trojans in the 80s and 90s... Terry was 10-5 from 1980 to 1995 when he retired. 10-5 ain't too shabby for a fag school... how does a prviate school with all that money let fags beat them so often?
@art_vandele I'm glad at least one of the posters here bought their style from the old board with em. Too bad John didn't follow you here as well. Guess he's not as tech savvy.
I knew some of the slapdicks on this board would use this opportunity to shit on Donahue. Of course, as always, that speaks volumes about them and nothing about Donahue.
Terry was not a great coach, but he was a good coach, a great Bruin, and an excellent ambassador for UCLA and the conference. He will be missed. R.I.P., Terry.
He didn't back UCLA to the extent one might hope, if they were a Bruin, following his departure from that formerly good gubment school. It doesn't make him bad, but instead shows his perspicacity. Why throw good money after bad. He barely looked back.
Terry Donahue, the winningest coach in Pacific-12 Conference and UCLA football history, passed away on Sunday evening, July 4, at his home in Newport Beach, Calif., surrounded by family, following a two-year battle with cancer. He was 77.
Donahue devoted the majority of his adult life to championing UCLA after enrolling at the school as a walk-on defensive lineman. In his first season (1965) in Westwood as a student-athlete, the 190-pound lineman helped lead the Bruins to the program’s first-ever Rose Bowl victory with an upset of previously unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Michigan State. He went on to serve as an assistant coach for the Bruins under Pepper Rodgers and Dick Vermeil and then took over the reigns as UCLA’s head coach, at age 31, beginning with the 1976 season.
Donahue, the first person to appear in a Rose Bowl Game as a player, assistant coach and head coach, would go on to post a conference-record 98 wins (98-51-5) and a school-record 151 wins (151-74-8). In a 20-year span, he won or shared five conference titles (1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1993) while finishing first or second in the league standings 12 times. The Bruins captured wins in three Rose Bowls (1983, 1984, 1986) during his tenure and he became the first college coach to come away with bowl game victories in seven consecutive seasons (1983 Rose Bowl, 1984 Rose Bowl, 1985 Fiesta Bowl, 1986 Rose Bowl, 1986 Freedom Bowl, 1987 Aloha Bowl, 1989 Cotton Bowl), including four New Year’s Day wins in a row. Donahue’s Bruins recorded seven straight top-20 finishes in the final Associated Press football poll from 1982-88.
During his 20-year head coaching reign, Donahue’s Bruin teams produced 40 wins over ranked opponents culminating with his final coaching victory, a 24-20 decision in the L.A. Coliseum over No. 11 USC in 1995. He posted a 10-9-1 career ledger in battles against the crosstown rivals. Donahue’s UCLA teams yielded 34 first-team All-America team selections, a list featuring some of the top performers in school history --- LB Jerry Robinson, S Kenny Easley, RB Freeman McNeil, K John Lee, LB Ken Norton Jr., QB Troy Aikman, LB Carnell Lake, S Eric Turner and OL Jonathan Ogden. Fourteen of Donahue’s Bruins were chosen in the first-round of the NFL Draft, including future Pro Football Hall of Famers Aikman, Easley and Ogden.
Donahue himself was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. In 1997, he was welcomed into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. Donahue joined the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame with the class of 2001.
Wow, I was staring his direction right when he died, watching fireworks. At least someone on this board cared. It was a really good show though.
@Java Glad to see you've returned from the dead.
Best coach at UCLA in my lifetime. most Bruins fans rejoiced when he quit, as it turns out those were the good ole days of college football At Westweird. RIP
RIP to a fellow Notre Dame High alum. His father was a very well respected doctor in Los Angeles. Good family
Rot in Hell public school shitbag!
Go suck off a priest you Jesuit private school faggot.
it's not his fault he was "elected" to the college football hall of fame, but by accepting it he alone ruined the entire institution forever. that's his legacy.
doubt he joins wormfood wooden in hell who never took any responsibility for his CRIMES. sc
@San Clemente Loving your sadness and bitterness!
And he so loved UCLA that he left at the first good chance and never returned in spite of many requests. He privately disdained UCLA and its cheap-knockoff counterfeit averageness.
Crunchy Pussy, are you trying to challenge SquatstoPee for the title of Board Retard?
I Remember JROB at the MQB luncheon talking about the annual steak dinner bet they made on the big game. They seemed to genuinely like and respect one another. With their legacies on the line they were decent & classy competitors. Pretty cool way to do it.
can’t believe JROB outlived him.....
https://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/la-xpm-2012-nov-16-la-sp-1117-usc-ucla-robinson-donahue-20121117-story.html jrob and Donahue were 5-5 in their matchups. Even up on steak dinners.
One of my all-time favorite non-Oregon coaches. There was a very relatable, likable presence that he exuded around him. Not your typical tough-guy coach, more like a Marv Levy type. Great coach and great guy!! Very sad. He will be missed.
Terry was great taking the Pac10 title from USC so many times... Gaston Green baby... eric ball... Terry Tore up the Trojans in the 80s and 90s... Terry was 10-5 from 1980 to 1995 when he retired. 10-5 ain't too shabby for a fag school... how does a prviate school with all that money let fags beat them so often?
did i offend all the trojan fags or something? sorry in advance you gapper kuntz
@art_vandele I'm glad at least one of the posters here bought their style from the old board with em. Too bad John didn't follow you here as well. Guess he's not as tech savvy.
"lmao" as the kids say
There must be two of them by now, but they are too busy being serviced by a long line of bruins to respond.
I knew some of the slapdicks on this board would use this opportunity to shit on Donahue. Of course, as always, that speaks volumes about them and nothing about Donahue.
Terry was not a great coach, but he was a good coach, a great Bruin, and an excellent ambassador for UCLA and the conference. He will be missed. R.I.P., Terry.
He didn't back UCLA to the extent one might hope, if they were a Bruin, following his departure from that formerly good gubment school. It doesn't make him bad, but instead shows his perspicacity. Why throw good money after bad. He barely looked back.
I agree, he was a good coach.
NOT A HALL OF FAME ANYTHING.
unless there is a Hall for wearing FAGGOTY sweaters. First ballot. no question. sc