Former NC State, Furman football coach Dick Sheridan dies at 81
Dick Sheridan was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020
Former North Carolina State football coach Dick Sheridan, who helped turn the program around in the late 1980s and early '90s, died on Thursday, the university announced.
He was 81.
Sheridan died near his home in South Carolina after a brief illness, the school said. Specifics are not known.
NC State football and all of Wolfpack Nation mourn the loss of Hall of Fame Coach Dick Sheridan.
You were a true diamond, Coach Sheridan♦️ pic.twitter.com/CHD7sLZcOq— NC State Football (@PackFootball) July 6, 2023
"I have such great respect for Coach Sheridan and am saddened to hear this news," NC State coach Dave Doeren said in a statement. "He did so much to build the football program at NC State and impacted many players, coaches and staff during his time as coach. I enjoyed getting to know him during my time here."
Sheridan got his start coaching at Furman, where he spent four seasons. He led the Paladins to the Division I-AA (now known as FCS) title game in 1985, where they lost by two points to Georgia Southern, and he holds the best winning percentage in Furman history.
Sheridan then made the jump to NC State in 1986 and took over a program that had three consecutive 3-8 seasons. He compiled a 59-29-3 overall record in seven seasons with the Wolfpack, and reached a bowl game in all but one season.
Sheridan then resigned after the 1992 season, citing health reasons and the death of his friend and NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano. He did not coach again. Sheridan was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
"Today is an incredibly sad day for me personally, as well as for so many others, to hear of the passing of revered Coach Dick Sheridan," Furman coach Clay Hendrix, who played for Sheridan at Furman and coached with him at NC State, said in a statement. "The lessons he taught and example he set for so many still resonate with us all. I can assure you there are a bunch of older guys like me with incredibly heavy hearts today. The class, integrity, care for his players, and competitiveness he always displayed will forever be part of those who knew him. What he accomplished at Furman was nothing short of remarkable. The impact he made on so many young men will last for years to come. He was such a special man, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Sheridan family."
