George Allen ( American football coach ) George Herbert Allen ( April 29 , 1918 – December 31 , 1990 ) was an American football coach in the National Football League and the United States Football League . He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002 . Early life . Allen was born in Nelson County , Virginia , the son of Loretta M . and Earl Raymond Allen , who was recorded in the 1920 and 1930 U . S . census records for Wayne County , Michigan as working as a chauffeur to a private family . He earned varsity letter s in football , track and basketball at Lake Shore High School in St . Clair Shores , Michigan . Allen went to Alma College and later at Marquette University , where he was sent as an officer trainee in the U . S . Navy ' s World War II V - 12 program . He graduated with a B . S . in education from Eastern Michigan University . He attended the University of Michigan where he earned his M . S . in Physical Education in 1947 . Coaching career . Morningside . Coach Allen was the head college football coach for the Morningside Mustangs located in Sioux City , Iowa . The Morningside team was called the Chiefs at that time . He held that position for 3 seasons , from 1948 until 1950 . His coaching record at Morningside was 16 wins , 11 losses and 2 ties . As of the conclusion of the 2009 season , this ranks him # 5 at Morningside in total wins and # 5 at the school in winning percentage ( ) . Whittier . From 1951 through 1956 , he coached Whittier College in California where he put together a 32 – 22 – 5 mark . Assistant coach in the NFL . Allen joined the Los Angeles Rams staff in 1957 , coaching under fellow Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman . Allen was dismissed after one season , and after several months residing in Los Angeles out of football , he was brought to Chicago during the 1958 season by George Halas , founding owner and head coach of the Chicago Bears . The original purpose of Allen ' s hiring was to scout the Rams , whom the Bears would play twice during the season ; Allen was asked for insights into Gillman ' s , and the Rams ' , offensive strategy and signals . Allen ' s thoroughness and attention to detail so impressed Halas that he eventually earned a full - time position on the coaching staff , and during the latter stages of the 1962 season Allen was given the responsibility of what is now known as " defensive coordinator , " replacing veteran Clark Shaughnessy . His defensive schemes and tactics — and his strong motivational skills — helped make the Bears ' unit one of the stingiest of its era . Allen ' s presence also had a formative effect on such future Hall of Fame players as linebacker Bill George and end Doug Atkins during their most productive years . By 1963 , in his first full season as coordinator , Allen ' s innovative defensive strategies helped the Bears yield a league - low 144 total points , 62 fewer than any other team , and earn an 11 - 1 - 2 record that sent them to the 1963 NFL Championship . Following their 14 - 10 victory over the New York Giants on December 29 at frigid Wrigley Field , the Bears ' players awarded Allen the honor of the " game ball . " NBC ' s post - game locker - room television coverage infamously captured Bears players singing " " Hooray for George , Hooray at last ; Hooray for George , He ' s a Horse ' s ass ! " " Allen was also given responsibility for the Bears ' college player drafts ; most likely his best - remembered choices were three players who won election the to the NFL Hall of Fame and became household names in American sport — end Mike Ditka ( chosen in 1961 ) , halfback Gale Sayers and middle linebacker Dick Butkus ( 1965 ) . Allen ' s was the most common name to be suggested as a replacement for Halas should the grand old man of the league decide to step down . Jeff Davis ' s biography " " Papa Bear " " states that Halas informally told Allen in 1964 and 1965 that he would ultimately name him as head coach . But in 1965 , after a 9 - 5 Bears finish that earned the iron - willed Halas NFL Coach of the Year honors , Allen decided to look elsewhere to fulfill his head - coaching ambitions . NFL head coaching career . Returning to the Rams . At the end of the 1965 season , Allen reached an agreement with owner Dan Reeves of the Los Angeles Rams to replace Harland Svare as head coach . He quickly faced a legal battle with Halas , who claimed that Allen ' s leaving was in breach of his Bears contract . ( Halas accused Allen and the Rams of " chicanery . " ) The Bears ' owner did win his case in a Chicago court but immediately allowed Allen to leave , saying he initiated the lawsuit to make a point about the validity of contracts . Halas would not be so magnanimous in an NFL meeting soon after when he attacked Allen ' s character . Upon hearing this , Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi joked to Reeves , " Sounds like you ' ve got yourself a hell of a coach . " The Rams had for some time been dwelling in or just above the NFL ' s basement . The team boasted considerable talent at several positions , most notably on the defensive line ; the " Fearsome Foursome " ( David Deacon Jones , Merlin Olsen , Rosey Grier , and Lamar Lundy ) had gained vast attention on a losing team . Allen brought his well - known motivational skills to Los Angeles , and his twice - daily rigorous training - camp practices took players by surprise . He revealed the philosophy that he would be known for throughout his NFL career — acquiring veteran players for draft picks to fill specific roles . His motto was " the future is now . " He also emphasized the role of special teams ( kickoff , punt , and field - goal units ) as integral to team success . He revamped the Rams ' secondary with trades and installed quarterback Roman Gabriel , previously relegated to the bench , as his starter . Allen vaulted the Rams from a 4 - 10 record in 1965 to 8 - 6 in his first year - - the team ' s first winning season since 1958 . Allen received 1967 Coach of the Year honors for leading the Rams to an 11 - 1 - 2 record and the NFL Coastal Division title , their first post - season berth since 1955 . After the Rams finished an injury - plagued 1968 season with a 10 - 3 - 1 mark , Allen was fired ; the news surprised the football world , but subsequent reports revealed that discord between Reeves and Allen had been growing for some time . By some accounts , the owner ' s lower - key temperament differed from Allen ' s intense approach ; more importantly , some animus had developed between the two men in November 1968 . After the favored Rams struggled to a tie at San Francisco , Allen disparaged the sloppy Kezar Stadium turf ; a few days later Reeves , addressing reporters , subtly admonished his coach for making what he considered an " alibi . " The next week , after a narrow home win over the New York Giants , Allen rebuffed Reeves ' s handshake and upbraided him for " embarrassing me and my family . " It might have been expected that Allen ' s firing met with criticism by fans and reporters , but what was not anticipated was the Ram players ' reaction ; thirty - eight members of the team ' s forty - man roster , including such standouts as Gabriel , Jones , Olsen , Lundy , Dick Bass , Jack Snow , Bernie Casey , Tom Mack , Irv Cross , Ed Meador , and Jack Pardee , stated for the record that they would seek a trade or retire if Allen were not reinstated . Many of these players convened a press conference at a Los Angeles hotel to urge their employer , Reeves , to reconsider his decision . Allen , wearing dark glasses , spoke briefly to thank his players for their support but did not make an appeal for his job . After some negotiation Reeves offered Allen a new two - year contract , although there was no indication that the two men had reconciled their differences . Allen and the 1969 Rams seemed to justify the coach ' s renewed presence ; the Rams ' 11 - 3 mark earned them a Coastal Division title as Gabriel won the NFL ' s Most Valuable Player award . But in both 1969 and 1970 Allen ' s team could not produce the championship that many had predicted for them . At the end of 1970 , with the Rams missing the playoffs and Allen ' s contract expiring , Reeves dismissed the coach again . It had been tacitly assumed that Allen had been granted the two extra years to bring the Rams a title , and so the second time the firing met with neither fan outrage nor player objection . Allen quietly left Los Angeles as the most successful coach in Rams history . He was replaced by UCLA coach Tommy Prothro , almost Allen ' s opposite in personality and approach . Washington Redskins . Allen was much sought after as soon as he parted ways with the Rams , and he agreed to terms with Redskins majority owner Edward Bennett Williams . Replacing interim coach Bill Austin , who had succeeded Vince Lombardi after his death in 1970 , Allen demanded ( and got ) full authority over player personnel decisions , as Lombardi had had . Shortly after joining the Redskins Allen began remaking the roster to his liking ; he made a series of trades with his former Ram team and brought seven 1970 Los Angeles players to Washington , including the starting linebacker corps ( Maxie Baughan , Myron Pottios , and Pardee ) . Sportswriters nicknamed the team the " Ramskins " or the " Redrams . " Allen continued his practice of bringing in veteran players at all positions ; one was quarterback Bill Kilmer , something of an NFL journeyman for a decade , whose wobbly but efficient passing and raw - boned leadership complemented and eventually supplanted strong - armed veteran Sonny Jurgensen . Allen restored the Redskins to competitiveness after over two decades of losing . The 1971 team was undefeated through late October and finished with a surprising 9 - 4 - 1 record and its first trip to the playoffs since 1945 . Perhaps Allen ' s most satisfying 1971 victory was a December Monday - night win in Los Angeles that not only clinched the NFC East title , but also all but ended the Rams ' playoff hopes . Allen ' s 1972 team , with Kilmer by now the starting quarterback , won the NFC East title with an 11 - 3 record ; the defense allowed a conference - low 218 points on the way to a NFC title , which was secured with a 26 - 3 home victory over the Dallas Cowboys . The Redskins gained the chance to contest the undefeated Miami Dolphins for the world championship , a team they had beaten in the pre - season , but in Super Bowl VII at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , the " ' Skins " were overmatched by the Dolphins ' relentless running game and staunch defense , losing 14 - 7 . With Allen ' s painstaking attention to detail and enthusiastic approach , Washington ' s teams were known for their spirited play and camaraderie , with the coach often leading a chant of " Three Cheers for the Redskins " ( " Hip Hip Hooray " ) in the locker room after wins . The Redskins acquired a reputation of a team that came by its success through hard work and workmanlike play that was rarely reflected in individual statistics . Becoming a household phrase among NFL fans was the " Over - the - Hill Gang " - - the aging Redskin veterans who seemed to save their best efforts for the most important games . They reached the playoffs in five of Allen ' s seven years , but were not able to duplicate their 1972 Super Bowl trip . It was during this time that the Redskins ' fierce rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys became a choice subject for pro football fans , and Allen inflamed it with bizarre actions like taunting Cowboys players while wearing an Indian headdress . As had been the case with the Rams , Allen ' s intense approach was seen to indicate that winning in the present was all - important , with planning for the franchise ' s future taking a lesser priority . In 1977 the Redskins failed to reach the postseason for the second time in three seasons , and although owner Williams did attempt to negotiate a new pact for Allen , there were rumors that he was beginning to question his coach ' s philosophy . Third stint with the Rams . After rejecting a $ 1 million , four - year contract offer throughout the 1977 season , Allen was dismissed by the Redskins after the 1977 season . Allen was replaced by one of his favorite players , Jack Pardee , by then the promising young head coach of the Bears . In February 1978 Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom was searching for a new coach after parting ways with Chuck Knox . Allen returned to Los Angeles with much media fanfare . His second stint as the Rams ' head coach was an unfortunate experience for all concerned . Allen did not have full authority over personnel and thus worked with general manager Don Klosterman to oversee a talented roster that had made the team a perennial playoff challenger . Allen brought with him his scrupulous discipline and attention to detail , which extended to practice - field protocol and dining - hall decorum . Almost immediately a group of Ram players chafed at the regulations , and some made their grievances public . A few , including standout linebacker Isiah Robertson , briefly left camp . As newspaper reports were quoting players expressing confidence that differences would be resolved , the Rams played listlessly and lost the first two games of the 1978 exhibition schedule . Rosenbloom decided that for the season to be salvaged a change must be made , and the announcement of Allen ' s abrupt dismissal was made on August 13 . Many of Allen ' s own players were surprised by the decision . Defensive coordinator Ray Malavasi , well - respected and liked by players ( and the only holdover from Chuck Knox ' staff ) , replaced him ; the Rams ultimately advanced to that year ' s NFC Championship Game . Allen soon joined CBS Sports as an analyst for NFL network telecasts , and worked in the broadcast booth from 1977 to 1983 . He , with former Cleveland Browns great running back Jim Brown and play - by - play announcer Vin Scully , made up the network ' s only three - man announcing team . Canadian Football League , United States Football League and Long Beach State University . George Halas biographer Jeff Davis notes that Allen had contacted Halas in late 1981 , asking to be considered for the vacant head coaching position with the Bears . Halas angrily rejected Allen ' s overtures and hired his old friend and former player Mike Ditka instead . Allen had a brief flirtation with the Canadian Football League when he was hired by the Montreal Alouettes as president and chief operating manager on February 19 , 1982 . Allen also agreed to purchase 20 percent of the team , with an option to become the majority shareholder . However , three months later , Allen resigned after continued financial troubles and a shift in majority ownership from Nelson Skalbania to Harry Ornest soured Allen on the situation . On June 21 of that same year , Allen became head coach and general manager of the Chicago Blitz of the fledgling United States Football League , returning to the city where he had established his NFL coaching credentials two decades earlier . In his first season in 1983 , the Blitz were tabbed as the early favorite to capture the league ' s inaugural title . The team finished in a tie for first with the Michigan Panthers with a 12 - 6 record , but lost the tiebreaker that made them the wild card team . In their playoff game against the Philadelphia Stars , the Blitz held a commanding 38 - 17 lead before a late comeback sent the game into overtime , where Chicago lost by a 44 - 38 score . Two months after that collapse , the Blitz were part of a bizarre transaction in which the entire franchise was essentially traded for the Arizona Wranglers , with the two teams switching cities . During that 1984 season , Allen ' s Wranglers struggled early before finishing with a 10 - 8 mark , earning another wild card spot . In the opening round of the playoffs , Arizona staged a comeback to knock off the Houston Gamblers , 17 - 16 . The following week , the Wranglers stopped the Los Angeles Express , 35 - 23 , in the Western Conference final . However , the run of success came to an end in the USFL Championship Game , when Arizona was shut down in a 23 - 3 defeat . In September 1984 , Allen resigned his positions with the team after the Wranglers ' financial troubles necessitated in severe budget cuts . Following several years out of the public eye , he accepted a one - year offer to coach at Long Beach State University . ( Note - I recall That George Allen ' s year at Long Beach State was rather remarkable and inspirational to the team , he really turned the program around . ) Legacy . Allen was considered one of the hardest working coaches in football . He is credited by some with popularizing the coaching trend of 16 - hour ( or longer ) work - days . He sometimes slept at the Redskin Park complex he designed . Allen ' s need for full organizational control and his wild spending habits would create friction between him and the team owners he worked for . Edward Bennett Williams , the Redskins ' president , once famously said , " George was given an unlimited budget and he exceeded it . " In ending Allen ' s second stint as the Rams ' head coach after only two preseason games in 1978 , Carroll Rosenbloom said , " I made a serious error of judgment in believing George could work within our framework . " and " He got unlimited authority and exceeded it . " Allen was also notorious for his paranoia , regularly believing that his practices were being spied upon and that his offices were bugged . He even went as far as being the first coach in the NFL to employ a full - time security man , Ed Boynton , to keep potential spies away and patrol the woods outside Redskin Park . As documented by NFL Films , Allen was known to eat ice cream or peanut butter for many meals because it was easy to eat , and saved time so Allen could get back to preparing for the next game . Allen kept in shape as a coach , and would run several miles at the start of each day . He did not curse , smoke , or drink , instead habitually consuming milk ( some suspected that this beverage of choice arose from ulcers they suspected the always - high strung coach to suffer from ) . Coach Allen would later be appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the President ' s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports . It ' s interesting to note President Richard Nixon ( an armchair coach ) once " recommended " the team run an end - around play by wide receiver Roy Jefferson . Allen agreed , choosing to run the play against the San Francisco 49ers in the 1971 NFC Divisional playoff game . Jefferson was tackled by the 49ers ' Cedrick Hardman for a 13 - yard loss on the play , a game the Redskins ended up losing . Preferring veteran players over younger players . As a coach , Allen was known for his tendency to prefer veteran players to rookies and younger players . During Allen ' s early years with the Redskins , the team was known as the " Over the Hill Gang , " due to the predominance of players over the age of 30 , such as quarterback Billy Kilmer . Upon becoming Redskins coach , Allen traded for or acquired many players - all veterans of course - he had formerly coached with the Rams , including Jack Pardee , Richie Petitbon , Myron Pottios , John Wilbur , George Burman , and Diron Talbert , leading to the Redskins sometimes being referred to in those days as the " Ramskins . " The phrase " " the future is now " " is often associated with Allen . Allen made 131 trades as an NFL coach , 81 of which came during the seven years he was coach of the Redskins . Emphasizing special teams play . Allen was also known for emphasizing special teams play , and is credited with being the NFL ' s second coach to hire a special teams coach ( Jerry Williams was the first in 1969 ) to focus exclusively on the play of that unit when he took over the Washington Redskins in the early ' 70 ' s . His first special teams coach , Dick Vermeil , would later win a Super Bowl as head coach of the St . Louis Rams . His second special teams coach , Marv Levy , would lead the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances . Marv Levy came to his staff after being the first special teams coach in the NFL having been hired by Philadelphia Eagles coach Jerry Williams in 1969 . Notable accomplishments . Allen had the third best winning percentage in the NFL ( . 681 ) , exceeded only by Vince Lombardi ( . 736 ) and John Madden ( . 731 ) . He also never coached a team to a losing season . This was particularly notable in the case of the Redskins , who had only finished above . 500 once over the past 15 seasons ( 1969 , under Lombardi ) before Allen ' s arrival . He was noted primarily as a defensive innovator , and as a motivator . Allen was an early innovator in the use of sophisticated playbooks , well - organized drafts , use of special teams and daring trades for veterans over new players . He is also known for sparking the Dallas Cowboys / Washington Redskins rivalry . He was 7 – 8 against the Cowboys in his career . He was inducted to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 . He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002 . Personal life . Family . Allen married the former Henrietta ( Etty ) Lumbroso , with whom he had four children , three sons and one daughter . His son George is a Republican politician , having served as Governor and U . S . Senator from Virginia . His son Bruce is the current general manager of the Washington Redskins and was a former general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League and also a former member of the front office of the Oakland Raiders . Gregory Allen is a sports psychologist . Allen ' s daughter Jennifer , a correspondent for the NFL Network , wrote a book about her relationship with her father titled " The Fifth Quarter " which outlined the man ' s icy demeanor toward his family , and his obsession with football to the exclusion of all else . Death . Allen ' s death may have been indirectly caused by a Gatorade shower . He died on December 31 , 1990 , from ventricular fibrillation in his home in Palos Verdes Estates , California , at the age of 72 . Shortly before his death , Allen noted that he had not been feeling well since some of his Long Beach State players dumped a Gatorade bucket filled with ice water on him following a season - ending victory over the University of Nevada , Las Vegas on November 17 , 1990 ( he remarked that the university couldn ' t afford actual Gatorade ) . The sports editor of the Long Beach State newspaper , the Daily Forty - Niner , was on the field that day and recalled that the temperature was in the 50s with a biting wind . Allen stayed on the field for media interviews for quite a while in his drenched clothing , and boarded the bus back to Long Beach State soaking wet . However , he had promised a winning season to a football program on the verge of collapse , and in his final game delivered on his promise . His players gleefully hoisted him on their shoulders as photographers snapped away , and Allen went out a winner . Allen said his season at Long Beach State was the most rewarding of his entire career . Allen ' s son George denied that the Gatorade shower caused the death , attributing it to an existing heart arrythmia . He stated that seeing Gatorade showers on television was a reminder that his father " went out a winner " . After Allen ' s death , the soccer and multipurpose field area on the lower end of campus was dedicated in his honor as George Allen Field . A youth baseball field in Palos Verdes Estates is also named after him .