Former UF athletic director Bill Arnsparger passes away

Before he made his mark at the college level, Arnsparger was the engineer of some of the NFL’s top defenses. His first three seasons, he was the assistant coach in charge of defense and linebackers. He returned to Don Shula’s Miami staff and remained with the Dolphins until 1983, helping them reach another Super Bowl.

His coaching career began in 1949 with Woody Hayes at Miami (Ohio) University.

In a statement, Shula called Mr. Arnsparger “one of the greatest defensive coaches in football”.

“He pioneered situational substitutions with the “53” defence that changed the way the game was played on that side of the ball. He molded two championship units, the No-Names and the Killer B’s, and was innovative in the way he used personnel”.

In his coaching career, he was also the head coach of the New York Giants.

“It’s a sad day for Gator Nation”, said Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley, who succeeded Arnsparger in 1992.

The coaching community lost a good coach Friday. It’s safe to say, and I’m sure Don Shula would tell you the same, the Miami Dolphins of the 1970’s would not have been the same without him. “Our condolences to his wife B.J., his son David, and his daughter, Mary Susan, and for those that shared his life with him”.

Arnsparger died Friday at 88.

Laura Prewitt, executive director of the Breeders’ Cup Festival in Lexington, Kentucky, announced the death, saying Arnsparger died at his home in Athens, Alabama. The Redskins’ touchdown came on an interception return.

A year later, in Super Bowl VII, the Dolphins achieved the first defensive Super Bowl shutout.

Arnsparger left Florida in 1992 to take over as defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers in his final coaching job.

Arnsparger was also an assistant for two seasons with the Tulane Green Wave. While at LSU, he composed ample count of 26-8-2.

Nobody appreciated Arnsparger’s worth more than Shula. Execution would be a trademark of Arnsparger’s defenses when he went with Shula to the Dolphins in 1970. The Dolphins rarely gave teams anything.

The Miami team that won the Super Bowl in January 1973 had the only flawless season in National Football League history. At 0-7 in 1976, the team’s first at Giants Stadium, he was sacked.

Arnsparger was LSU’s head coach from 1984-86, leading the Tigers to two Southeastern Conference titles in three season before leaving to become Florida’s athletic director.

The 88-year-old was a long-time football coach.

Arnsparger was best known as a defensive coordinator in the NFL.