Dennis Winston

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1955)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

|name=Dirt Winston

|number=53, 56, 55

|position=Linebacker

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1955|10|25|mf=y}}

|birth_place=Forest City, Pennsylvania, U.S.

|height_ft=6

|weight_lb=228

|height_in=0

|college=Arkansas (1973–1976)

|draftyear=1977

|draftround=5

|draftpick=132

|pastteams=

Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|1977|1981}})
New Orleans Saints ({{NFL Year|1982|1985}})
Pittsburgh Steelers ({{NFL Year|1985|1986}})

|pastcoaching=

Grove City (1987)
Linebackers coach
Slippery Rock (1988)
Linebackers coach
Arkansas State (1989–1991)
Linebackers coach
Grambling State (1992–1993)
Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach
Norfolk State (1994)
Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach
Grambling State (1995–1996)
Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach
Arkansas (1997–1998)
Outside linebackers coach
Lincoln HS (TX) (1999)
Defensive coordinator
Kentucky State (2000)
Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach
Toledo (2001–2002)
Linebackers coach
Toledo (2003)
Defensive line coach
Edmonton Eskimos ({{CFL Year|2005|2006}})
Defensive line coach
Mississippi Valley State (2007–2009)
Defensive line coach
Arkansas–Pine Bluff (2010–2012)
Defensive line coach
Grambling State (2013)
Defensive coordinator
Grambling State (2013)
Interim head coach
Eastern Illinois (2014–2015)
Defensive line coach

|highlights=

2× Super Bowl champion (XIII, XIV)
Second-team All-SWC (1974)

|statlabel1=Interceptions

|statvalue1=13

|statlabel2=Fumble recoveries

|statvalue2=13

|statlabel3=Defensive TDs

|statvalue3=3

|pfr=WinsDi20

}}

Dennis "Dirt" Winston (born October 25, 1955) is an American former professional football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints. He played college football at the University of Arkansas. He substituted for the injured Jack Ham in Super Bowl XIV as the starting left outside linebacker. On October 17, 2013, Winston was named interim head coach for the Grambling State Tigers football team.{{cite news |title=Dennis Winston named interim coach |url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/9840886/grambling-state-fires-interim-coach-george-ragsdale-replaces-dennis-winston |agency=ESPN.com news services |work=ESPN.com |date=October 17, 2013 |access-date=October 17, 2013}}

Winston coached for Grove City, Slippery Rock, Arkansas State, Norfolk State, Arkansas, Lincoln High School, Kentucky State, Toledo,{{Cite web |title=Pages 39-54 (PDF) |url=https://utrockets.com/documents/2015/4/17/03mg-pg41-54.pdf |access-date=2024-06-03 |website=University of Toledo Athletics |language=en}} the Edmonton Elks of the Canadian Football League (CFL), Mississippi Valley State, Arkansas–Pine Bluff, and Eastern Illinois.

Head coaching record

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Grambling State Tigers

| conf = Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

| startyear = 2013

| endyear = single

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 2013

| name = Grambling State

| overall = 1–4{{#tag:ref|Doug Williams began the 2013 season as Grambling State's head coach, but was fired after two games. George Ragsdale was appointed interim head coach and helmed the team for four games before he was relieved of his duties and replaced by Winston. Grambling State finished the season with an overall record of 1–11 and a mark of 1–8 in conference play, placing fifth in the West Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC)|group=n|name=2013season}}

| conference = 1–4

| confstanding = 5th (West)

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Grambling State

| overall = 1–4

| confrecord = 1–4