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Coaching Legend Frank Gansz Passes Away
SMU Assistant Survived By Wife, Two Children

April 27, 2009

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU assistant coach and coaching legend Frank Gansz passed away on April 27, 2009. He was 70. Gansz is survived by his wife, Barbara, and two children, Frank Jr., an assistant coach at UCLA, and Jennifer.

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of my good friend," said SMU Head Coach June Jones. "Frank has been a second father to me for the past 30 years and he has touched the lives of many, both at SMU and throughout the National Football League. I was lucky to have known Frank, and not only was he a wonderful person, but he was a father to everyone he has ever coached. He will live on with us. My team will miss him as a coach and mentor, but most of all, I will miss him as my best friend."

Considered perhaps the top special teams coach in the history of the NFL, Frank Gansz was starting his second season on the Hilltop. Gansz was a veteran of 38 seasons of coaching - 24 in the NFL and 14 in the collegiate ranks.

"While we were only blessed with Frank's presence here on the Hilltop for 14 months, SMU is a better place because of his time here," said SMU Director of Athletics Steve Orsini. "We will miss him."

Prior to coming to SMU in 2008, Gansz was with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was special teams coordinator in 2000 and 2001. Prior to his time with the Jags, he served as the special teams coach of the St. Louis Rams for three seasons, helping the team to its victory in Super Bowl XXXIV.

In 1986, Gansz's first year as the assistant head coach/special teams for Kansas City, the Chiefs blocked or deflected an NFL-record 10 kicks and scored five touchdowns. Because of his success with the special teams, Gansz was promoted to head coach of the Chiefs, a role he served from 1987 to 1988.

He left the Chiefs to become the special teams coach of the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1993, a period in which Mel Gray developed into the NFL's all-time leader in combined kick return yardage. In 1989, Gansz was named NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year by his peers. Gansz then spent three years as the assistant head coach/special teams for the Atlanta Falcons from 1994 to 1996.

Gansz's NFL career began in 1978 as special teams coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He coached special teams and tight ends for Cincinnati (1979-80), Kansas City (1981-82) and Philadelphia (1983-85).

After serving as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force for nearly seven years, Gansz began his coaching career at the Air Force Academy (1964-66). He also had coaching stints at Colgate (1968), Navy (1969-72), Oklahoma State (1973, 1975), Army (1974) and UCLA (1976-77).

Born November 22, 1938, in Altoona, Pa., Gansz attended Taylor-Allerdice High in Pittsburgh, and was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame. He played center and linebacker for the Naval Academy from 1957 to 1959 and graduated in 1960.

Funeral arrangements are pending.

(Sorry if this has alrady been posted)

Draft draws bittersweet ending as Morstead's mentors passes

Nicole Jacobsen, Editor in Chief, [email protected]

Issue date: 4/28/09

The last time Morstead saw his mentor was Sunday afternoon as he placed a New Orleans Saints hat next to Frank Gansz's hospital bed.

Having been in a coma since his knee replacement surgery on Wednesday, Gansz, a former SMU special teams coach, was never made aware that Morstead was drafted. Gansz will always be to credit for Morstead's success, but will never get to witness the masterpiece he helped create.

"You tell me the greatest special teams coach in the history of football is going to come out of retirement to work at what was regarded as one of the worst football programs in Division I football and say that's not a coincidence," said Morstead. "He kept telling me we have one year to make me ready. He said I would be ready [for the NFL] by the time he left."

Gansz passed away Monday afternoon around 3 p.m. at Presbyterian Hospital after suffering complications from a blood clot following knee replacement surgery.

Gansz, 70, was a legend in professional and college football. His booming voice could be heard echoing off the walls of Ford Stadium as he barked drills and praise to members of the SMU football team.

But the man responsible for training Morstead and fine-tuning the punter's skills for a future in the NFL, had no idea that Morstead will play in the Superdome of the New Orleans Saints this fall.

Gansz came out of surgery without any issues, according to a report on the ESPN Web site, but fell ill in the hours following the procedure.

Morstead spoke with Gansz the Tuesday before the coach's surgery and was told to call Gansz to let him know how his practice with the Indianapolis Colts went. Morstead would never hear the inspirational voice of Gansz again.

"He was like a grandfather to me," said Morstead. "It's too much of a coincidence for how everything turned out for it to just be a coincidence."

Placed in "serious condition" according to reports from ESPN and the Dallas Morning News, Gansz's condition never improved following last week's surgery.

Assistant athletic director, Brad Sutton did not have any updates on Gansz's condition and did not comment further.

"He would appreciate us talking about it," said Morstead mother, Isobel Morstead.

Twitter updates on head coach June Jones' profile are dedicated to Gansz with tweets saying "we love you Frankie" and "Coach Gansz not doing good … say a prayer tonight … we all did today and will continue for him and [h]is family … he is our family."

Jones, Sutton and Steve Orsini from the athletic department were not available to comment.

Gansz coached in the NFL for 24 years, sharing his time with eight teams, including serving as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987 to 1988. The U.S. Naval Academy graduate retired from the NFL in 2001 after working with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was brought out of retirement to help June Jones coach SMU.

"He just told me I was ready and how proud he was of me," said Morstead of his last visit with Gansz.

"I told him how much I appreciated everything he did for me. He said he loved me like a son, but him and I can't be very serious and he then said 'actually I might love you more than my son because you never asked me for any money."

According to Morstead, Gansz requested to be buried at the U.S. Naval Academy. Funeral arrangements have not been set.


http://media.www.smudailycampus.com/media/storage/paper949/news/2009/04/28/News/Draft.Draws.Bittersweet.Ending.As.Morsteads.Mentors.Passes-3728598.shtml

Thanks Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans for posting that. The more I hear about Coach Gansz, the more I realize the magnitude of our loss...and I already thought it was huge.

There are simply no words...

We need to dedicate our first bowl win to him.

Special_Delivery_Smu_Fans wrote:(Sorry if this has alrady been posted)

Draft draws bittersweet ending as Morstead's mentors passes

Nicole Jacobsen, Editor in Chief, [email protected]

Issue date: 4/28/09

The last time Morstead saw his mentor was Sunday afternoon as he placed a New Orleans Saints hat next to Frank Gansz's hospital bed.

.....


http://media.www.smudailycampus.com/media/storage/paper949/news/2009/04/28/News/Draft.Draws.Bittersweet.Ending.As.Morsteads.Mentors.Passes-3728598.shtml

That is a great article. Thanks for posting that one.

With Morstead's new career, Coach Gansz's legacy will live on.

It simply can't be measured, just how much Frank Gansz touched the SMU family.