George Allen, American football player and coach (d. 1990)
George Herbert Allen (April 29, 1918 – December 31, 1990) was an American football coach. He served as the head coach for two teams in the National Football League (NFL), the Los Angeles Rams from 1966 to 1970 and the Washington Redskins from 1971 to 1977. Allen led his teams to winning records in all 12 of his seasons as an NFL head coach, compiling an overall regular-season record of 116–47–5. Seven of his teams qualified for the NFL playoffs, including the 1972 Washington Redskins, who reached Super Bowl VII before losing to Don Shula's Miami Dolphins. Allen made a brief return as head coach of the Rams in 1978, but was fired before the regular season commenced.
Allen began his coaching career at the college football level, serving as head football coach at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa from 1948 to 1950 and Whittier College in Whittier, California from 1951 to 1956. He moved to the NFL in 1957 as an assistant coach for the Rams under head coach Sid Gillman. Allen then spent eight years, from 1958 to 1965, as an assistant coach and head of player personnel for the NFL's Chicago Bears before returning to the Rams as head coach in 1966.
After three years as a broadcaster for CBS Sports, from 1978 and 1981, and a short stint as an executive with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in 1982, Allen resumed coaching in 1983 as head coach for the Chicago Blitz of the newly formed United States Football League (USFL). The following year, he served as head coach of the USFL's Arizona Wranglers, leading them to the league's title game, where the Wranglers lost to the Philadelphia Stars. After a second hiatus from coaching, Allen returned to the game a final time, serving as head football coach for one season, in 1990, at California State University, Long Beach. In ten seasons as a college football head coach, Allen amassed a record of 53–38–7.
Allen was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. His eldest son, George Allen is a Republican politician who served as Governor of and United States Senator from Virginia. His second son, Bruce, followed his father's footsteps as a football coach and executive, serving as general manager for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Redskins of the NFL.
1918Apr, 29
George Allen (American football coach)
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Events on 1918
- 3Mar
World War I
Russia signs the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, agreeing to withdraw from World War I, and conceding German control of the Baltic States, Belarus and Ukraine. It also conceded Turkish control of Ardahan, Kars and Batumi. - 2May
Chevrolet Motor Company
General Motors acquires the Chevrolet Motor Company of Delaware. - 24Jun
Montreal
First airmail service in Canada from Montreal to Toronto. - 4Jul
Nicholas II of Russia
Bolsheviks kill Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family (Julian calendar date). - 9Nov
Wilhelm II, German Emperor
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany abdicates after the German Revolution, and Germany is proclaimed a Republic.