The following is a press release from Maxwell Football Club:
The Maxwell Football Club Announces Dick Vermeil as the winner of the Francis "Reds" Bagnell Award for Contributions to Football.
The Maxwell Football Club (MFC), the oldest football club in America, announced today Dick Vermeil has been selected as the winner of the 25th Francis "Reds" Bagnell Award for Contributions to Football.
Vermeil concluded one of the most distinguished coaching careers in NFL history in 2006, officially retiring after 15 seasons as coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, the St. Louis Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles. Vermeil's lasting contributions to the game of the football date back far longer than his tenure in pro football, which began in '69. He owns the rare distinction of being named "Coach of the Year" on four levels: high school, junior college, NCAA Division I and the NFL. And he posted major wins in both college and the NFL, leading UCLA to a Rose Bowl victory after the 1975 season and the Rams to the Super Bowl title after the 1999 season.
One of just five head coaches in NFL history to take three different teams to the playoffs (Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves, Bill Parcells and Marty Schottenheimer) Vermeil stands among the NFL's all-time coaching elite. Combined with a 6-5 (.545) career postseason record that included a perfect 3-0 mark during the Rams' 2000 Super Bowl victory, Vermeil's final overall NFL head coaching record posted at 126-114.
A native of Calistoga, California, Vermeil graduated in 1959 with an M.A. from San Jose State University, where he was the backup quarterback. After serving as assistant coach for San Jose's Del Mar High School football team for one season and for Hillsdale High School in nearby San Mateo, he then went to Foothill College with coach Bill Walker. In 1965, he coached Stanford University's freshman football team.
Vermeil was hired as the NFL's first ever Special Teams coach by George Allen's Los Angeles Rams in 1969. Except for 1970, when he was an assistant coach with UCLA, he would remain with the Rams until 1974 when he was named as head coach by UCLA.
Vermeil compiled a 15-5-3 record in two seasons (1974-1975) as head coach at UCLA, including a 9-2-1 record in 1975 when Vermeil led the Bruins to their first conference championship in 10 years, and a win in the Rose Bowl over an undefeated and top ranked Ohio State.
"There is no more deserving person on the planet to receive the Reds Bagnell Award" said Maxwell Football Club President Ron Jaworski. "Coach has dedicated his life to the game of football and he has positively changed the lives of every person he has come in contact with during his career."
The Francis "Reds" Bagnell Award was established in 1989 by the Maxwell Football Club and named in honor of long time Maxwell Football Club president, Reds Bagnell. The award is given to an individual who through his efforts has helped to foster and promote the integrity of the game of football.
Notable past winners of the Reds Bagnell Award include; Ozzie Newsome (Baltimore Ravens), Archie Manning (National Football Foundation),George Bodenheimer (President ESPN/ABC Sports), Steve Sabol (President NFL Films), Ralph Wilson (Owner Buffalo Bills), Vince Dooley (Head Football Coach & Athletic Director University of Georgia), Darrell Royal (Head Football Coach University of Texas), Don Shula (Head Coach Miami Dolphins), Joe Paterno (Head Football Coach Penn State University), Art McNally (NFL Consultant), Lamar Hunt (Owner Kansas City Chiefs), and Pete Rozelle (NFL Commissioner). The full list of Bagnell Award winners can be seen at www.maxwellfootballclub.org.
Vermeil will receive the award at the Maxwell Football Club's 77th Anniversary Awards Gala which is presented by The Judge Group and will be held on March 14, 2014 at the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ. Event tickets are available for purchase at https://maxwellfootballclub.org/event-tickets/maxwell-football-club-national-awards-gala.
The Maxwell Football Club was founded in 1935 and is the oldest football club of its kind in America. The organization is devoted to recognizing excellence at all levels of football from high school through the NFL ranks. Under the stewardship of MFC President Ron Jaworski the Club has grown rapidly and has members in 40 states. The MFC provides educational and training programs for players and coaches, and also provides scholarships to outstanding student-athletes who demonstrate excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
