Joe Kuharich Joseph Lawrence Kuharich ( April 14 , 1917 – January 25 , 1981 ) was an American football player and coach . He served as the head football coach at the University of San Francisco from 1948 to 1951 and at the University of Notre Dame from 1959 to 1962 , compiling a career college football record of 43 – 37 . Kuharich was also the head coach of the Chicago Cardinals in 1952 , the Washington Redskins from 1954 to 1958 , and the Philadelphia Eagles from 1964 to 1968 , amassing a career coaching record of 58 – 81 – 3 in the NFL . He played football as a guard at Notre Dame from 1935 to 1937 and with the Chicago Cardinals in 1940 , 1941 , and 1945 . Early life and playing career . Kuharich was born April 14 , 1917 in South Bend , Indiana . He played college football at the University of Notre Dame under coach Elmer Layden , who rated Kuharich as one of the best and smartest players he ever had . In his college career , Kuharich ' s greatest game was the stunning Fighting Irish comeback over Ohio State in 1935 . Early coaching career . Kuharich began his coaching career as an assistant freshman coach at Notre Dame in 1938 . In 1939 , he coached at the Vincentian Institute in Albany . He then moved to the pro ranks as a player , playing guard for the Chicago Cardinals in 1940 and 1941 . After serving in the Navy , he returned to the Cardinals in 1945 , his last season as a player . In 1946 , Kuharich served as line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers , then in 1947 he moved on to the University of San Francisco as line coach and was promoted to head coach in 1948 . His overall record was 26 – 14 , including an undefeated 9 – 0 docket in 1951 . Among his most prized pupils was Ollie Matson , who would become a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back with the Chicago Cardinals . When Kuharich felt the time was right , he moved up to the NFL himself , serving as head coach of the Chicago Cardinals in 1952 , succeeding Curly Lambeau . In 1953 , he served as a scout for several pro teams , then in 1954 became coach of the Washington Redskins , then owned by the controversial George Preston Marshall . Once again , Kuharich succeeded Lambeau . The team " boasted " of diminutive Eddie LeBaron , the smallest quarterback in the league , who had the daunting task of succeeding the legendary Sammy Baugh . A successful campaign in 1955 landed Kuharich " Coach of the Year " honors , then hardships sent Kuharich ' s ' Skins to a losing stretch . After five seasons in Washington , Kuharich resigned when Notre Dame beckoned . Notre Dame . He took the head coaching position at the University of Notre Dame in 1959 , realizing a longtime ambition to return to his alma mater . He had earlier been courted by Notre Dame after the 1956 season , after the Irish finished 2 – 8 , but before he had a chance to accept an offer , Terry Brennan was given a reprieve . He brought a professional touch to Irish football , putting shamrocks on the players ' helmets and shoulder stripes on their jerseys . Kuharich compiled a 17 – 23 record over four non - winning seasons and remains to this day the only coach ever to have an overall losing record at Notre Dame . Included was a school - record eight - game losing streak in 1960 , a year in which the Irish would finish 2 – 8 . It was one of the worst stretches in Notre Dame football history . The consensus opinion was that Kuharich never made the adjustment from pro football to college football , attempting to use complicated pro coaching techniques with collegiate players , and never adapted to the limited substitution rules in effect at the time , having big , immobile linemen playing both ways in an era where smaller , quicker players were preferred . He often said , " You win some and you lose some , " and seemed perfectly content finishing 5 – 5 every year . This did not sit well with the Irish faithful , who expected Notre Dame to beat everybody . When the pressure of winning became too much to bear , Kuharich resigned in the spring of 1963 and assumed the post of supervisor of NFL officials . Because it was so late in the spring , Hugh Devore was named interim head coach while the search for a permanent replacement was being conducted . Little did Joe know at the time that the players he had recruited would come to within 93 seconds of an undefeated season and a national championship in 1964 under first - year coach Ara Parseghian . Kuharich was involved in a game whose controversial ending resulted in a rule change still in effect today . In 1961 , Notre Dame faced Syracuse at home and trailed , 15 – 14 , with three seconds left to play . A desperation 56 - yard field goal attempt fell short as time ran out , and Syracuse appeared to have won the game . But the Orangemen were penalized 15 yards for roughing the placekick holder , and given a second chance with no time showing on the clock , Notre Dame kicker Joe Perkowski drilled a 41 - yard field goal for a 17 – 15 Irish victory . Syracuse immediately cried foul , claiming that under the existing rules , the second kick should not have been allowed because time had expired . It was later determined that the officials had erred in allowing the extra play , but the Irish victory was permitted to stand . The current rule which states that a half cannot end on an accepted defensive foul was implemented as a result of this game . Philadelphia Eagles . Kuharich returned to the NFL coaching ranks with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1964 . The team had gone through an unsteady 1963 . Eagles ' owner Jerry Wolman made Kuharich head coach and general manager with an unprecedented 15 - year contract . In return for quarterback Norm Snead and defensive back Jimmy Carr , Kuharich traded away Hall of Fame and perennial Pro - Bowlers Sonny Jurgensen and Tommy McDonald . Philadelphia also acquired Ollie Matson from the Detroit Lions . Despite the acquisitions , the Eagles continued to decline . Kuharich ' s only winning season with the Eagles came in 1966 . That gave the team a date with the Baltimore Colts in the " Playoff Bowl , " a postseason exhibition intended to draw fans and help coaches plan for the following season . In the " Playoff Bowl " of January 8 , 1967 that Kuharich became the first coach to wear a wireless microphone for NFL Films . Portions of his wiring and the Playoff Bowl itself , were used at the end of NFL Films ' 1967 special " They Call It Pro Football " . The 1968 season would be Kuharich ' s last ; the Eagles vied most of the season for the league ' s worst record , which would have had them finishing ahead of the Buffalo Bills , which thereby earned the chance to draft Heisman Trophy winner O . J . Simpson No . 1 overall . But the Eagles won their last two games and the Buffalo Bills won the rights to Simpson . Three months after the 1969 NFL draft , financially - distressed owner Jerry Wolman sold the Eagles on May 1 , 1969 to trucking millionaire Leonard Tose . Tose and Kuharich agreed to a settlement on the final eleven years of the ex - coach ' s $ 60 , 000 annual contract . Personal life . Kuharich was married to the former Madelyn Eleanor Imholz on October 6 , 1943 . They had two sons , Joseph Lawrence , Jr . ( Lary ) a former CFL and AFL head coach , and Bill who has followed in his father ' s footsteps as the New Orleans Saints General Manager from 1996 to 2000 and Vice President of Player Personnel for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2009 .