The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced Wednesday that Don Coryell has been named a finalist coach/contributor for the Class of 2023. Coryell has moved on to the final stage of the selection process necessary for induction, as the 49-person selection committee will now consider. in the January elections.
Coryell needs 80% of the vote to be inducted. He became the only finalist against Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Holmgren, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and longtime manager John Wooten.
Inventor of the Air Coryell offense, Coryell used his offensive philosophy to succeed for 14 years in the NFL. Coryell went 111-83-1 (.572) in his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Chargers, winning five division tiles and having six 10-win seasons. Named Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in 1974, Coryell led the Cardinals to a 10-4 record and their first playoff appearance since the 1948 NFL Championship Game. the Cardinals had an 11-win regular season that tied the franchise record for wins in a season (1948, 1925).
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The Chargers hired Coryell in 1978, and he went on to transform the game with the “Air Coryell” offense. The Chargers have led the NFL in total offense five times, passing for seven yards and scoring three times. San Diego led the NFL in passing yards for six straight years from 1978-1983 while leading the league in total offense four straight years from 1980-1983.
The Chargers reached the AFC Championship game in the 1980 and 1981 seasons under Coryell. Prior to Coryell’s hiring, the Chargers hadn’t had a winning record for eight consecutive seasons and had failed to qualify for the playoffs since appearing in the AFL title game in 1965.
The other 11 candidates considered for selection as finalists on Tuesday were Holmgren, Kraft, Wooten, Roone Arledge, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Art Modell, Buddy Parker, Dan Reeves, Art Rooney Jr., Mike Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy. Coryell is just one step away from the Hall of Fame after emerging as the group’s runner-up.
