Hall of Fame coach Royal passes away at age 88
Darrell Royal, the winningest coach in Texas football history and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, has died in Austin, Texas, the university announced Wednesday. He was 88.
Royal had suffered from Alzheimer's disease and, according to news reports, had fallen recently at a care facility.
The legendary coach, who was 32 when he took the Texas job, compiled a 167-47-5 record in his 20 seasons with the Longhorns and won three national championships and 11 Southwest Conference titles. His record during that span was the best in college football.
Royal concurrently served as the school's athletic director from 1962 to 1979 and then served the program as a special assistant. He also worked as an analyst on college football telecasts.
In 1996, the school named its football stadium Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in his honor.
Known for his wishbone offenses and potent ground games, Royal led the Longhorns to undefeated seasons and national titles in 1963 and 1969 and a share of the 1970 national championship. His teams had a 30-game winning streak starting in 1968.
Before coming to Texas, Royal played halfback for Oklahoma in his native state and coached at Mississippi State and Washington.
