John Rauch
No. 18 | |
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Position: | Quarterback |
Personal information | |
Born: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | August 20, 1927
Died: | June 10, 2008 Oldsmar, Florida, U.S. | (aged 80)
Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Weight: | 195 lb (88 kg) |
Career information | |
High school: | Yeadon (PA) |
College: | Georgia |
NFL draft: | 1949 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 |
Career history | |
As a player: | |
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As a coach: | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Head coaching record | |
Regular season: | 40–28–2 (.586) |
Postseason: | 2–2 (.500) |
Career: | 42–30–2 (.586) |
Player stats at PFR | |
Coaching stats at PFR | |
John Rauch (August 20, 1927 – June 10, 2008), also known by his nickname "Johnny Rauch", was an American football player and coach. He was head coach of the Oakland Raiders in the team's loss to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II in early 1968.
Early life
Rauch's football playing career almost ended before it began. At the age of 14, he was diagnosed with a
Playing career
Rauch was the second overall pick in the
College coaching career
In 1952, Rauch began his coaching career with the first of two seasons at the University of Florida. After spending the 1954 season at Tulane University, he returned to his alma mater, Georgia, the next year as an assistant for four seasons. In 1959, he headed to West Point, NY as an Army assistant. Three years later, he went back to Tulane for the 1962 campaign.
Professional football coaching career
In 1963, Rauch moved to the professional level with the AFL's Oakland Raiders. Working under head coach Al Davis as the offensive backs coach, Rauch was the heir apparent and was promoted to head coach in April 1966, when Davis became commissioner of the AFL.[1]
After leading the Raiders to an 8–5–1 mark in his first year, Rauch's squad lost just once during the 1967 regular season and faced the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II in Miami. For his efforts, Rauch was named the AFL Coach of the Year.
In 1968, the team again flourished during the regular season with a 12–2 mark, defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in a Western Division playoff game, but lost the AFL championship game to the New York Jets. During his three years as head coach, Davis' frequent interference with the day to day coaching role became a source of aggravation for Rauch. On January 16, 1969, Rauch dealt with the problem by resigning from his championship team to become head coach of the struggling Buffalo Bills.[2][3]
The shift meant going from one of the sport's top teams to the team that finished with the worst record. However, with the first pick in the
Following a 3–10–1 record in
After briefly serving as a scout for the Packers, Rauch was hired on October 10 as quarterback coach of the Eagles. He served in that capacity until the entire staff was fired on December 18, 1972. Less than three weeks later, Rauch was hired as head coach of the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, leading the team to a playoff berth in his first year. After the team was sold to a new owner and a slow start to begin the 1974 season, Rauch was dismissed on September 4.
Returning to the NFL the following year, Rauch served as backfield coach for the
The same day he resigned from Tampa, Rauch returned to Atlanta to work under interim coach Pat Peppler, but the staff was not retained after the team won three of its final nine games.
Desiring to live in the Tampa area, Rauch was intent on at least "semi-retirement" in 1977. Later in the same year, Rauch became aware of problems with the football program at a local school, Admiral Farragut Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida. He contacted the school and offered to help find a coach for the then-struggling program. When his search proved fruitless, Rauch felt an obligation to the school, and accepted the position as head coach for one season, on September 10, 1977; during that time, a successor was found. He also served as director of the short-lived Canadian-American Bowl, a postseason all-star game. Rauch also served as a part-time writer for the St. Petersburg Independent, a local newspaper that had him cover his old team, the Raiders, when they reached Super Bowl XV. Upon the arrival of the United States Football League, Rauch returned to professional football as the Tampa Bay Bandits' director of operations.
In 2003, Rauch was honored for his stellar career in the college ranks when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Death
Rauch died in 2008 at age eighty in his sleep, possibly due to a heart problem, at his home in Oldsmar, Florida.
Head coaching record
Team | Year | Regular Season | Post Season | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
OAK | 1966 | 8 | 5 | 1 | .607 | 2nd in AFL Western | – | – | – | – |
OAK | 1967 | 13 | 1 | 0 | .929 | 1st in AFL Western | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II |
OAK | 1968 | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 1st in AFL Western | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost to New York Jets in AFL Championship Game |
OAK Total | 33 | 8 | 1 | .798 | 2 | 2 | .500 | – | ||
BUF | 1969 | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 4th in AFL Eastern | – | – | – | – |
BUF | 1970 | 3 | 10 | 1 | .250 | 4th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
BUF Total | 7 | 20 | 1 | .268 | – | – | – | – | ||
AFL Total | 37 | 18 | 1 | .700 | 2 | 2 | .500 | – | ||
NFL Total[6] | 3 | 10 | 1 | .250 | – | – | – | – | ||
TOR | 1973 | 7 | 5 | 2 | .571 | 2nd in CFL East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Montreal Alouettes in East Semi-Final. |
TOR | 1974 | 3 | 4 | 0 | .429 | 4th in CFL East | – | – | – | – |
TOR Total | 10 | 9 | 2 | .524 | 0 | 1 | .000 | – | ||
CFL Total | 10 | 9 | 2 | .524 | 0 | 1 | .000 | – | ||
Total | 50 | 37 | 4 | .571 | 2 | 3 | .400 | – |
References
- ^ "Appoint Davis as AFL czar". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. p. 1, part 2.
- ^ "Oakland's Rauch shuffles off to Buffalo - stealthily". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. January 17, 1969. p. 15, part 2.
- ^ "Raiders' Rauch leaves, accepts job with Bills". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 17, 1969. p. 3B.
- ^ "Buffalo selects Harvey Johnson after Rauch quits". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. July 21, 1971. p. 1E.
- ^ "Rauch quits Bills in dispute with owner". Milwaukee Journal. July 21, 1971. p. 13, part 2.
- ^ "John Rauch Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks - Pro-Football-Reference.com". Pro-Football-Reference.com.