John Ralston (American football) facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 26, 1927 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 14, 2019 (aged 92) Sunnyvale, California, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1948–1950 | California |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1953–1954 | San Lorenzo HS (CA) |
| 1956–1958 | California (assistant) |
| 1959–1962 | Utah State |
| 1963–1971 | Stanford |
| 1972–1976 | Denver Broncos |
| 1978 | Philadelphia Eagles (OC) |
| 1981 | Toronto Argonauts (assistant) |
| 1983–1984 | Oakland Invaders |
| 1993–1996 | San Jose State |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1979–1980 | San Francisco 49ers (VP of admin.) |
| 1997–2013 | San Jose State (special asst.) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 97–81–4 (college) 34–33–3 (NFL) 9–12 (USFL) |
| Bowls | 2–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2 Skyline (1960–1961) 2 AAWU/Pac-8 (1970–1971) |
|
| Awards | |
| Sporting News College Football COY (1970) | |
| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1992 (profile) |
|
John R. Ralston (born April 26, 1927 – died September 14, 2019) was a famous American football player, coach, and sports leader. He was a head coach for college teams like Utah State University, Stanford University, and San Jose State University. He also coached the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL) and the Oakland Invaders in the United States Football League (USFL). John Ralston was so good at coaching that he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
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Early Life and Playing Days
Born in Oakland, California, John Ralston moved to Norway, Michigan, when he was eight years old. After finishing Norway High School in 1944, he went to the University of California, Berkeley. There, he played as a linebacker for the California Golden Bears football team. He even played in two Rose Bowl games! In 1951, he earned his degree in physical education.
A Career in Coaching
John Ralston started his coaching journey in 1952 at San Lorenzo High School in San Lorenzo, California. He also worked as an assistant coach at Cal before becoming a head coach.
College Coaching Success
In 1959, Ralston became the head coach at Utah State University. Over four years, his teams had a great record of 31 wins, 11 losses, and 1 tie. They also won two Skyline Conference championships.
In 1963, Ralston moved to Stanford University. He coached there for nine seasons, leading the team to 55 wins, 36 losses, and 3 ties. His last two seasons, 1970 and 1971, were especially successful. His Stanford teams won two Pacific-8 titles. They also won back-to-back Rose Bowl games against undefeated teams from Ohio State and Michigan. During this time, Stanford's quarterback Jim Plunkett won the famous Heisman Trophy in 1970.
NFL and Other Coaching Roles
In 1972, Ralston left college coaching to join the Denver Broncos in the NFL. In his first year, the Broncos finished with a 5–9 record. In 1973, he led the team to its first winning season in franchise history, with 7 wins, 5 losses, and 2 ties. He was even named the AFC Coach of the Year by UPI.
Ralston coached the Broncos for five seasons. He led them to winning records three times, with an overall record of 34 wins, 33 losses, and 3 ties. However, his teams never made it to the playoffs.
After leaving the Broncos, Ralston took on several other coaching roles. He was an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Toronto Argonauts in the Canadian Football League. He also coached the Oakland Invaders in the USFL.
Ralston even coached in Europe! He was the head coach for the Dutch Lions, which is the national football team of the Netherlands. With them, he won a bronze medal at the European Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in 1991.
Return to College Coaching
After being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992, Ralston came out of retirement. In 1993, he became the head coach at San Jose State University. He coached there until the end of the 1996 season. After that, he became a special assistant to the athletic director and later to the football team. He stayed in that role until 2013.
John Ralston passed away on September 14, 2019, at the age of 92.
