Last Updated on March 2, 2023

Tyrone Willingham Biography

Tyrone Willingham (Lionel Tyrone Willingham) is a retired American football player and coach. Tyrone was head coach at Stanford University (1995-2001), the University of Notre Dame(2002-2004), and also the University of Washington(2005-2008). He compiles a career college football record of 76-88-1.

Tyrone attended Jacksonville Senior High School in Jacksonville, North Carolina and lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. He then attended Michigan State University where he played football and baseball and graduated in 1977 with a degree in physical education.

Tyrone Willingham Age

Lionel Tyrone Willingham was born on December 30, 1953 in Kinston, North Carolina. He is 64 years old as of 2018.

Tyrone Willingham Wife

Tyrone got married to Kim Willingham in 1980.

Tyrone Willingham Children | Cassidy Tyrone Willingham | Kelsey Tyrone Willingham

Tyrone and wife Kim have three children, Cassidy, Nathaniel, and Lelsey. Cassidy was a gymnast at the University of Denver and then Kelsey was a softball player at the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Tyrone Willingham Career

He held assistant coaching positions at his alma mater (1977, 1980–82), Central Michigan University (1978–79), North Carolina State University (1983–85), Rice University (1986–88), and Stanford University (1989–91). Tyrone followed Dennis Green as running backs coach (1992-94) after he was hired as the Minnesota Vikings head coach in 1992. Dennis was then Stanford head coach.

Tyrone Willingham

Tyrone was appointed head coach of the football program at Stanford, succeeding Bill Walsh following the 1994 season despite lacking experience as a head coach or coordinator. He then led the Cardinal to a 44–36–1 record and four bowl game appearances in his seven seasons (1995-2001) as coach. Willingham was then presented with the Eddie Robinson Coach of Distinction Award that is given annually to honor “an outstanding college football coach and role model for career achievement” in 2000.

Tyrone’s best team was the 1999 team. It won the school’s first outright Pacific-10 Conference title in 29 years and also appeared in the 2000 Rose Bowl. His 44 wins were the most by a Stanford coach since John Ralston, who left the school for the Denver Broncos of the NFL after the 1971 season.

Tyrone Willingham Notre Dame

Willingham was hired as head coach at Notre Dame on December 31, 2001. He began the 2002 season by going 8–0, and later went on to become the only first-year coach in Notre Dame history to win 10 games.

For his efforts, he was named the ESPN/Home Depot College Coach of the Year,[3] the Scripps College Coach of the Year, the Black Coaches Association Male Coach of the Year, and the George Munger Award College Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club.[4]
ND was blown out by arch-rival USC, 44–13 in the 2002 regular -season finale, and was outgained 610–109—the worst such margin in school history. The loss knocked ND from a likely Bowl Championship Series berth down to the 2003 Gator Bowl—where they were beaten by North Carolina State, 28–6.

The 2003 team finished 5–7 and was also beaten badly in four of those losses. It got shut out twice in one season for the first time since 1960 and also finishing with a point differential of 243–315—the worst of any Fighting Irish team since the 2–8 team of 1956.

Notre Dame posted a 6–5 record in the regular season in 2004, including a 41–16 loss to Purdue (the second-worst home loss ever to Purdue) and then ending with Willingham’s third consecutive loss to USC for his fifth loss by 30 points or more, and also eighth by 22 points or more, in his three seasons. On November 30, after an overall record in South Bend of 21–15 (an 8-0 start followed by a 13-15 finish), Notre Dame terminated Willingham as head coach. Defensive coordinator Kent Baer served as the acting head coach for the Insight Bowl, which was a 38–21 loss to Oregon State.

Tyrone Willingham Washington

Tyrone was hired as the new head coach at Washington, succeeding Keith Gilbertson. The Huskies then returned 19 of 22 starters from the previous season. They had gone 1-10 (0–8 in conference play).

Washington was the only winless team in the FBS at 0-11, and also the owner of a 13-game losing streak stretching from the last season. Washington then closed out the season with a loss at 1–10 Washington State in double-overtime, making it four of the last five, and with also a season ending loss at California. He finished the season with an 0–12 record, the Huskies’ first winless season in 119 years. His .229 winning percentage is also the worst in school history.

What Is Tyrone Willingham Doing Now

In 2014,Tyrone was named as a member of the College Football Playoff selection committee. He also volunteered as a coach on the Stanford women’s golf team in 2011. He served as President on the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Board of Trustees in 2008. On July 18, 2010, at the age of 56 and also nearly two years after he had coached his last game, Tyrone announced he was retired from coaching.

Tyrone Willingham Net Worth

The retired coach has not yet revealed his net worth.

Tyrone Willingham Coaching Record

Key:

• ^†Indicates BCS bowl.
• ^#Rankings from final Coaches Poll.
• ^°Rankings from final AP Poll.

Tyrone Willingham Salary

According to Hero Sports, Tyrone received a salary of  $ 1,470,276 in 2007 and $ 1,414,772 in 2006.

Tyrone Willingham Height

Tyrone’s height has not yet known.

Tyrone Willingham Interview