Air Coryell Principles Still Fly

The NFL received sad news upon the discovery of yesterday’s passing of Don Coryell. As the first coach to win at least 100 games as both a collegiate and professional coach, Coryell gained credibility as one of the greatest coaches in football history. More importantly, with his “Air Coryell” system, the former Chargers head coach became one of the pioneers for the passing game we know today. In those regards, we need to remember more what the Seattle native meant to the league.

“Air Coryell” came into the league at relatively the same time the West Coast offense began to make its way to the top. In fact, Coryell’s offense was first called the West Coast offense until Bill Walsh’s offense began to call the same thing. That’s when the nickname “Air Coryell” was born. While the West Coast offense had more success, thanks to Walsh’s three Super Bowl rings and gigantic coaching tree, Coryell’s impact cannot be understated.

Coryell had three main area of impact on his offense: the power running game, the deep passing attack and the intermediate “gauging” routes. That power running game in many ways influenced Joe Gibbs’ success with the Washington Redskins. After all, Gibbs was Coryell’s offensive coordinator in 1979 and 1980 before being nabbed for the head coaching gig in D.C. With the two together during that brief stint, the Chargers became the first team to average 400 yards of offense per game in a single season.

Joe Gibbs got his start with "Air Coryell" before he won three Super Bowls with Washington, which is well-forgotten among casual fans and die-hards alike. (photo rights to Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

The deep passing attack used two speed receivers to not just keep the field stretched for the run game, but also score quick points. Charlie Joiner (Hall of Famer) and John Jefferson was the first duo to get the San Diego offense off the runway. Jefferson averaged 12 touchdowns and nearly 1150 yards receiving in his first three seasons, which suggested he too could have made the Hall of Fame had he not been traded. Wes Candler filled in capably, receiving for over 1000 yards in just eight games in 1982 en route to an NFL-record for most receiving yards per game. And just think of what Gibbs did with “Downtown” Charlie Brown, Art Monk, Gary Clark and Ricky Sanders in Washington. The “Fun Bunch” got its roots from “Air Coryell.”

With Coryell, wide receiver John Jefferson played like a Hall of Famer. However, his career faded after being traded away from San Diego. (photo rights unknown)

Of coruse, when the first two elements were factored for, it was the intermediate passing attack that made the difference. This part of the attack was “gauging” simply because of its consistent damage to the opponents’ defense. Tight end Kellen Winslow became a Hall of Famer and one of the best receivers at his position large in part to the Coryell intermediate attack.

This sounds more like a life story than anything, but why not reflect on Don Coryell’s time in the NFL? As he passes, his offensive principles remains key in the league. It’s a shame his defense could play with more consistency, because quarterback Dan Fouts (Hall of Famer) could have led “Air Coryell” to a Super Bowl appearance. Maybe then, the story involved in this brief look back would be well known, even to the casual fans. Maybe then, we realize that in some ways, Coryell was as important to the league as Walsh and Gibbs. Hopefully, we can at least remember the fun in the sky experienced while traveling with “Air Coryell.”

Rest in peace, Don Coryell: October 27, 1924 — July 1, 2010