Sam Wyche facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sam Wyche

No. 15, 14, 17
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1945-01-05)January 5, 1945 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Died:	January 2, 2020(2020-01-02) (aged 74) Pickens, South Carolina, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:	North Fulton (Atlanta, Georgia)
College:	Furman
Undrafted:	1968
Career history
As player:
Wheeling Ironmen (1966–1967) Cincinnati Bengals (1968–1970) Washington Redskins (1971–1973) Detroit Lions (1974) St. Louis Cardinals (1976) Buffalo Bills (1976)
As coach:
South Carolina (1967) Assistant coach San Francisco 49ers (1979–1982) Assistant coach Indiana (1983) Head coach Cincinnati Bengals (1984–1991) Head coach Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1992–1995) Head coach Pickens HS (2002–2003) Quarterbacks coach Buffalo Bills (2004–2005) Quarterbacks coach Pickens HS (2006–2008) Quarterbacks coach Pickens HS (2011–2019) Offensive coordinator
Career highlights and awards
As assistant coach Super Bowl champion (XVI)
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 222 Passing completions: 116 Percentage: 52.3 TD–INT: 12–9 Passing yards: 1,748 Passer rating: 79.6 Player stats at NFL.com
Head coaching record
Regular season:	84–107 (.440)
Postseason:	3–2 (.600)
Career:	87–109 (.444)
Player stats at PFR

Samuel David Wyche (born January 5, 1945 – died January 2, 2020) was an American football player and coach. He was a talented quarterback and later became a well-known head coach. He is most famous for leading the Cincinnati Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII. He was also known for making the no-huddle offense a common strategy in football.

Wyche coached the Bengals from 1984 to 1991. His 64 wins with the team were the most by any Bengals coach for a long time. He also played for other teams like the Washington Redskins and Detroit Lions. As a coach, he worked with the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sam Wyche's College Football Journey

From 1963 to 1965, Sam Wyche played college football as a quarterback at Furman University. He earned his first degree from Furman. Later, he got a Master's degree in Business from the University of South Carolina.

Sam Wyche's Professional Playing Career

Playing for the Wheeling Ironmen

Before joining the NFL, Wyche played for the Wheeling Ironmen. This was a semi-professional team in the Continental Football League from 1966 to 1967.

Playing for the Cincinnati Bengals

In 1968, Wyche joined the Cincinnati Bengals when they were a new team in the American Football League. He started some games and also played as a backup quarterback. In his first year, he completed 35 passes for 494 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran with the ball for 74 yards.

In 1969, he played in seven games, starting three. He completed 54 passes for 838 yards and seven touchdowns. He also ran for 109 yards and one touchdown. Wyche continued to play for the Bengals when they joined the National Football League in 1970.

Playing for the Washington Redskins

From 1971 to 1973, Wyche played for the Washington Redskins. The Redskins even made it to Super Bowl VII. During this time, he mostly played as the team's holder for field goals.

Playing for Other NFL Teams

In 1974, Wyche played for the Detroit Lions. In 1976, he briefly played for the St. Louis Cardinals. He then signed with the Buffalo Bills but did not play in any games for them.

Sam Wyche's Coaching Career

Assistant Coach at University of South Carolina

In 1967, while studying for his Master's degree, Wyche was an assistant coach for the Gamecocks football team.

Assistant Coach for the San Francisco 49ers

Wyche was an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 1979 to 1982. He helped coach the passing game. He was part of the coaching team that won Super Bowl XVI in 1981.

Head Coach at Indiana University

In 1983, Wyche became the head coach for the Indiana University Hoosiers. His team finished the season with 3 wins and 8 losses.

Head Coach for the Cincinnati Bengals

Sam Wyche became the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals in 1983. He led the Bengals to their second Super Bowl appearance in 1988. They played against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII and lost 20–16. The 49ers scored the winning touchdown very late in the game.

Wyche was known for his creative play-calling. He introduced the "sugar huddle," where many players would huddle, and then some would leave the field. This was meant to confuse the other team. His Bengals team was also one of the first to use the no-huddle offense as their main way of playing. This meant they would quickly start the next play without huddling, which made it hard for the defense to get ready.

In 1989, during a game against the Seattle Seahawks, some Bengals fans threw snowballs onto the field. Wyche used the stadium microphone to ask the fans to stop. He was sometimes fined by the NFL for not following rules, like not allowing reporters into the locker room after games.

Wyche also had a strong rivalry with Jerry Glanville, the coach of the Houston Oilers. In one game, after the Bengals were winning by a lot, Wyche called for an onside kick. This is a special kick usually used when a team needs to get the ball back quickly. After a big win against the Oilers in 1989, Wyche waved at Glanville as the teams left the field.

On December 24, 1991, Wyche was fired by the Bengals' owner. He had a record of 61 wins and 66 losses with the team.

Head Coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Wyche became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992. During his four years there, he helped draft important players like Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, and John Lynch. These players later became key parts of successful Buccaneers teams. Wyche left the Buccaneers after the 1995 season.

Quarterbacks Coach for the Buffalo Bills

From 2004 to 2005, Wyche worked as the quarterbacks coach for the Buffalo Bills.

Coaching at High School Level

Wyche also volunteered as a coach at Pickens High School in South Carolina. He coached quarterbacks and was an offensive coordinator at different times between 2002 and 2019.

Sam Wyche's Head Coaching Records

College Coaching Record

NFL Coaching Record

Sam Wyche's Broadcasting Career

After his coaching career, Wyche worked as a sports analyst for TV networks like NBC and CBS. He would commentate on NFL games. He also worked on radio for Westwood One and Fox Sports South.

Sam Wyche's Personal Life

Sam Wyche was married to Jane, and they had two children and six grandchildren. He enjoyed flying planes, playing golf and tennis, jogging, and riding his motorcycle. He was also an amateur magician.

In 2016, Wyche had a heart transplant due to a heart condition. He was diagnosed with melanoma in 2019 and passed away on January 2, 2020, just before his 75th birthday. His brother, Bubba Wyche, also played football as a quarterback.

Sam Wyche's Political Career

In 2008, Sam Wyche was elected to the County Council for Pickens County, South Carolina. He ran as a member of the Republican Party and won the election.

See also

• List of American Football League players
• List of Furman University people