Lindy Infante facts for kids
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| No. 25 | |
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| Position: | Halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 27, 1940 Miami, Florida, U.S. |
| Died: | October 8, 2015 (aged 75) St. Augustine, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Miami Senior (FL) |
| College: | Florida |
| Undrafted: | 1963 |
| Career history | |
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| As coach: | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season: | NFL: 36–60 (.375) USFL: 15–21 (.417) |
| Postseason: | NFL: 0–1 (.000) |
| Career: | NFL: 36–61 (.371) USFL: 15–21 (.417) |
| Coaching stats at PFR | |
Gelindo "Lindy" Infante (born March 27, 1940 – died October 8, 2015) was an American football player and coach. He became a top coach, known as an offensive coordinator and head coach. He worked in both the National Football League (NFL) and the United States Football League (USFL). Infante played college football for the University of Florida. Later, he was the head coach for the Jacksonville Bulls in the USFL. He also led the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts in the NFL.
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Early Life and High School Football
Lindy Infante was born in Miami, Florida in 1940. He went to Miami Senior High School. There, he was a star fullback for the Miami Stingarees football team.
College Football Career
Infante earned a sports scholarship to the University of Florida. He played tailback for the Florida Gators football team. This was from 1960 to 1962 under coach Ray Graves.
He had some memorable moments during his college career. In 1960, Infante scored the winning touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. In 1961, he scored three touchdowns in a game against the Clemson Tigers. By 1962, he was a senior team captain. He was also chosen as a third-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) player.
Infante graduated from the University of Florida in 1964. He earned a degree in physical education. In 1988, he was honored by being added to the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.
Coaching Career Begins
After college, Infante returned to the University of Florida. He worked as an assistant football coach from 1966 to 1971. He helped recruit talented players like wide receiver Carlos Alvarez.
He then became an offensive coordinator for other college teams. He worked at Memphis State from 1972 to 1974.
NFL Assistant Coach and Coordinator
In the early 1980s, Infante became the offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. He worked under head coach Forrest Gregg. His offense, led by quarterback Ken Anderson, was very successful. It helped the Bengals win the 1981 AFC title. This led them to play in Super Bowl XVI.
In 1983, Infante was offered a head coach job for the new Jacksonville Bulls team. This team was part of the USFL. Because he took the new job, the Bengals let him go. Infante coached the Bulls for two seasons, in 1984 and 1985.
After the USFL stopped playing, Infante joined the Cleveland Browns. He became their offensive coordinator in 1986 and 1987. With quarterback Bernie Kosar, the Browns' offense was one of the best in the AFC in 1987.
Leading the Green Bay Packers
In 1988, Lindy Infante became a head coach in the NFL for the first time. He took over the Green Bay Packers. His first season was tough, with the team finishing 4–12.
However, his second season in 1989 was his best. The Packers finished with a 10–6 record. They just missed the playoffs by a tie-breaker. For his great work, Infante was named the 1989 AP NFL Coach of the Year.
The next two seasons were not as successful. In 1990, the Packers finished 6–10. In 1991, they ended with a 4–12 record. After the 1991 season, Infante was fired by the Packers' new general manager, Ron Wolf.
Coaching the Indianapolis Colts
Infante got another chance to be an NFL head coach in 1996. He became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts started the season well, winning five of their first six games.
They made it to the playoffs as a wild card team. However, they lost their playoff game to the Pittsburgh Steelers 42–14. This was Infante's only NFL playoff game as a head coach.
The 1997 season was very difficult for the Colts. They lost their first ten games. They finished the season with a 3–13 record. Infante was fired shortly after the season ended.
As an NFL head coach, Lindy Infante had a total record of 36 wins and 60 losses. In the playoffs, his record was 0 wins and 1 loss.
Head Coaching Records
NFL
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| GB | 1988 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 5th in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| GB | 1989 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 2nd in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| GB | 1990 | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 4th in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| GB | 1991 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 4th in NFC Central | – | – | – | – |
| GB Total | 24 | 40 | 0 | .375 | – | – | – | |||
| IND | 1996 | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 3rd in AFC East | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers in AFC wild card game |
| IND | 1997 | 3 | 13 | 0 | .188 | 5th in AFC East | – | – | – | – |
| IND Total | 12 | 20 | 0 | .375 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |||
| Total | 36 | 60 | 0 | .375 | 0 | 1 | .000 | |||
USFL
| Team | Year | Regular Season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| JAC | 1984 | 6 | 12 | 0 | .333 | 5th in EC Southern | – | – | – | – |
| JAC | 1985 | 9 | 9 | 0 | .500 | 6th in Eastern Conference | – | – | – | – |
| JAC Total | 15 | 21 | 0 | .417 | – | – | – | |||
Life After Football
After he retired from coaching, Lindy Infante lived in Crescent Beach, Florida. He lived there with his wife, Stephanie, their two sons, and five grandchildren. Lindy Infante passed away in St. Augustine, Florida, on October 8, 2015, at the age of 75.
Players Who Became Coaches
Some players who played for Lindy Infante later became head coaches themselves:
- Jim Harbaugh: Coached at San Diego, Stanford, and Michigan in college. He also coached the San Francisco 49ers and now the Los Angeles Chargers in the NFL.
- Vance Joseph: Coached the Denver Broncos in the NFL.
See Also
- List of Sigma Nu brothers
- List of University of Florida alumni
- List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members
