’Til Gabriel blows his horn. Coach Darrell K, Royal: 1924–2012.
Compiled by Deborah Hamilton-Lynne
On Nov. 7, a football legend, a Texas icon and an all-around great man, Coach D arrell K. Royal, passed away at the age of 88. He will be remembered for his wit, his innovative wishbone offense and for the man y causes he supported throughout his lifetime. Mainly, “Coach,” as he was known to players and friends alike, will be remembered for the many lives he touched. Even though he has heard the call of Gabriel’ s horn, the eyes of Texas will always be on Coach Royal on game day as fans fill the Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium to watch their beloved Longhorns take the field.
“Coach Royal is Texas football.” –Coach Mack Brown
“His name will always imply excellence.” – Coach Jody Conradt
“To me, Coach Royal was a teacher of not only football, but of life. We of the Longhorn Nation were blessed to have him on our side. He is and always will be Texas.” –Keith Moreland, UT football player, 1973, and color analyst for the Longhorn Sports Network
“He was more than a coach. He taught us life lessons and lived the values that were important to him. As players, he told us, ‘You represent your family, your school, your hometown, Austin and the University of Texas. You need to carry yourself with that in mind and represent them well.’ In one sentence, he could tell you something most people would take a lifetime to say.” – James Street, qb, 1969 National Championship Longhorn team
Coach Royal, By the Numbers
3 National Championships
5 time National Coach of the Year
11 Southwest Conference Championships
16 bowl games
20 seasons as Longhorn head coach
30 straight winning games
167-47-5 final record as Longhorn head coach
Royalisms
“Football doesn’t build character; it eliminates weak ones.”
“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity.”
“Only three things can happen when you pass, and two of them are bad.”
“I learned this about coaching: You don’t have to explain victory and you can’t explain defeat.”
