Former UCLA football coach Terry Donahue died Sunday at the age of 77, the school said. (CNN) Longtime University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) football coach Terry Donahue died Sunday at the age of 77, the school announced. Donahue died at his Newport Beach home surrounded by family following a two-year battle with cancer, the school said. He was an amazing man, said Scott Altenberg, who played for Donahue long after his father, Kurt, caught the game-winning touchdown to beat USC as Donahues teammate in 1965 as part of a Bruins team that went on to win the Rose Bowl. Tommy Prothro, then UCLAs coach, didnt even know Donahues name, calling him Donny Donovan. Donahue also has the most wins of any coach in Pac-12 history. None of it would have been possible without what might have been his two greatest triumphs: getting to play for and coach the Bruins. Unfortunately, on Sunday, July 4, he lost that battle and passed away at the age of 77. He joined the football team as a walk-on defensive lineman in 1965. In his final years, Donahue remained a regular inside the Rose Bowl press box that was renamed the Terry Donahue Pavilion in his honor before the 2013 season. Current UCLA head coach Chip Kelly said: "There aren't enough words to properly honor Terry Donahue and what he means to the Bruin family and anyone who has had the pleasure of knowing him. In his first game as coach, the Bruins upset third-ranked Arizona State and legendary Sun Devils coach Frank Kush, 28-10, in Tempe, Ariz., but only after Pepper Rodgers, Donahues UCLA predecessor, soothed the antsy rookie coach. He owns the Pac-12 record for career league wins with 98, and his total victories are the most in school history. as a player and coach, staying in the latter position for 20 years and leading the school to TRIBUTES have been paid to legendary football coach Terry Donahue, who passed away on July 4, aged 77. How did former UCLA football coach die? Donahue was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and joined the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1997. Former UCLA head coach Terry Donahue has been diagnosed with cancer, the university has announced. Terry Donahue, the winningest coach in UCLA football history, has died at the age of 77. Coach Donahue was truly a great man, and its hard to put into words how much he meant to the game, Manning said. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book 100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He is survived by his wife Andrea, three daughters, three sons-in-law, and ten grandchildren. Former longtime UCLA football coach Terry Donahue recently underwent surgery for an undisclosed form of cancer and will begin chemotherapy after his recovery, the school announced Tuesday. He coached 34 first-team All-American players, including future NFL Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Jonathan Ogden and Kenny Easley. He was 77. He finally did make it to the NFL in 1999, serving as director of player personnel and later general manager of the San Francisco 49ers. I am an overachiever, Donahue said after going 9-2-1 in 1976 during his first season as UCLAs head coach, and very, very ah, average. When it comes to hidden love, what exactly is it? He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. UCLA named the suite level inside the renovated Rose Bowl the Terry Donahue Pavilion in honor of the former coach. His 151 wins are the most in UCLA history. The NCAA Board of Directors agrees to allow athletes to start earning money based on their fame and celebrity without fear of endangering eligibility. He also coached future Hall of Famers such as quarterback Troy Aikman, safety Kenny Easley and outside linebacker Jonathan Ogden. 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. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. The former UCLA Bruins head coach was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. ", Another commented: "RIP to coach Terry Donahue, great coach and competitor had many great battles with his UCLA Bruins always tough and well-coached. Terry Donahue played and coached for the UCLA Bruins. Terry Donahue earned another feather for his gilt-edged hat when the Rose Bowl's press box was named the Terry Donahue Pavilion in his honor in 2013. The Bruins won the New Years Day game in 1983, 84 and 86 during his coaching tenure. UCLA didn't disclose what type of cancer Donahue has and says his family is requesting privacy. UCLA won the 1983 and 84 Rose Bowls, the 85 Fiesta Bowl, the 86 Rose Bowl, the 86 Freedom Bowl, the 87 Aloha Bowl and the 89 Cotton Bowl. UCLA coach Terry Donohue embraces a sideline companion during a game against USC on Nov. 26, 1977 in Los Angeles. What are my options for catching a glimpse of a forbidden romance? Master Your Draft Strategy With Our Free and Easy-to-Use Mock Draft Simulator, Be the first one to comment on this story. His coaching career had a similarly fortuitous rise. Ed OBannon Jr. spearheaded the NCAAs name, image and likeness movement but says in a first-person piece for the Los Angeles Times that the baton has been passed., Donahoo, Rodgers said, purposefully teasing his protg with the mispronunciation, you and Kush arent playing. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing this? He won or shared five conference titles (four in the 1980s, one in the 90s) over his 20-year head coaching career. He was the first college coach to earn bowl game victories in seven consecutive seasons, from 1983 to 1989. When did Terry first meet Pat, and how did they first become friends? Former football coach Terry Donahue, the winningest coach in UCLA history, has died at age 77 after a two-year battle with cancer Sunday night at his Newport Beach He will begin chemotherapy after his recovery from the Fans on social media also paid tribute to the legendary coach. Donahue was the first person to appear in a Rose Bowl Game as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He also had a winning record where it mattered most -- against crosstown rival, USC. Donahue, an undersized walk-on defensive lineman who rose to become the winningest football coach in school and Pac-12 Conference history, had surgery Friday at UC San Diegos Jacobs Medical Center to treat his condition and was released from the hospital Tuesday morning. Vermeil resigned after the 1975 season to become coach of the NFLs Philadelphia Eagles at a time when the Bruins were on the eve of the period when high school seniors had to declare their college allegiance. 0:00 0:35 LOS ANGELES (AP) Terry Donahue, the winningest football coach in UCLA and Pac-12 history, has been diagnosed with cancer. He was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 2000 and was named by ESPN as one of the top 150 college football coaches of all time. Ann was 16 years old and Bowden 19 when they were married in Rising Fawn, Georgia, at a house where the Justice of the Peace lived. Following his tenure at the Bruins, Donahue was appointed the director of player personnel at the NFL side The San Francisco 49ers. He was 77. You have been a blessing to have in my life. Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. Former UCLA football coach Terry Donahue died Sunday at his home in Newport Beach surrounded by family and friends, following a two-year battle with cancer. Donahue finished his UCLA career with a 151-74-8 record, not to mention some regrets after what was widely considered a premature retirement in December 1995. Syracuse.com has verified the death of Robinsons son Dominic, who said his father died of Alzheimers disease. The school said he died Sunday at his home in Newport Beach after a two-year fight with cancer. He died on Wednesday, a longtime coach in the NFL as well as at the collegiate level. He also won more PAC-12 games than any other coach, with a 98-51-5 record. Donahue held the latter post for four seasons before returning to the broadcast booth. Terry Donahue won more football games at UCLA than any other coach, establishing a blue-and-gold standard for sustained success over his 20 seasons at the school. None of it would have been possible without what might have been his two greatest triumphs: getting to play for and coach the Bruins. 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He is survived by Andrea - his wife of 52 years - daughters Nicole, Michele and Jennifer, and 10 grandchildren. He became first-string defensive tackle while starting 21 consecutive games, including the Bruins epic upset of top-ranked Michigan State in the 1966 Rose Bowl. Donahue flirted with three NFL coaching jobs, only to stay at UCLA. UCLA saw a lot of success during the time of Terry Donahue's coaching career. Since the moment I stepped on campus, hes been an incredible mentor and one of the most authentic, humble and toughest men Ive ever met. (sic).". Former football coach Terry Donahue, the winningest coach in UCLA history, has died at age 77 after a two-year battle with cancer Sunday night at his Newport Beach home. Terry Donahue, who became the face of football at U.C.L.A. Ex-NFL coach Chip Kelly and his wife Jill Cohen purchased the newly constructed building in August 2018 for $7 million from a local developer. The legendary coach died Sunday at his Newport Beach home surrounded by family after a two-year battle with cancer, according to the university. He seriously considered offers from the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys and also contemplated taking over the Los Angeles Rams job in 1994 before learning the team was headed for St. Louis. He later acknowledged it was the wrong choice. Terry Donahue is currently the 61st ranked head coach for overall wins in college football. During his tenure, he accumulated 151 wins - the most in UCLA history while also recording more PAC-12 games than any other coach, with a 98-51-5 record. He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 1997 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. During his tenure, the Bruins won three Rose Bowls 1983, 84, 86 and in 2013, the Rose Bowl press box was named in his honor, the Terry Donahue Pavilion. Famed for his record breaking tenure at the University of California (UCLA) Bruins, Donahue is widely considered one of the greatest college coaches of all time. On the morning of August 8, he died. Ben Bolch of the LA Times reported that UCLA had mentioned that Terry Donahue underwent surgery for an undisclosed form of cancer back in May 2019. Figuring it was the start of a promising career, Donahues handlers wanted him to fight another young heavyweight named Jerry Quarry, who would go on to become The Bellflower Bomber.. Donahue became the first coach to win a bowl game in seven straight seasons, and his teams finished ranked in the top 10 nationally five times. Terry Donahue, the winningest coach in UCLA football history, has died at the age of 77. He also registered a successful win-loss record against crosstown rivals USC Trojans with a record of 10-9-1. All rights reserved. He coached 34 first-team All-America players, including future NFL Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Jonathan Ogden and Kenny Easley. Visit the official Netflix site to see A Secret Love. On Sunday, the Bruins bid goodbye to one of the greatest coaches in school history. LOS ANGELES - Former football coach Terry Donahue -- the winningest coach in UCLA history -- has died at age 77 after a two-year battle with cancer.