John Lyons (American football coach)

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1952)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = John Lyons

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1952|3|10}}

| birth_place = West Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1972–1974

| player_team1 = Penn

| player_positions = Defensive back

| coach_years1 = 1974–1984

| coach_team1 = Penn (DC)

| coach_years2 = 1985–1987

| coach_team2 = Boston University (DC)

| coach_years3 = 1988–1991

| coach_team3 = Dartmouth (DC)

| coach_years4 = 1992–2004

| coach_team4 = Dartmouth

| coach_years5 = 2005

| coach_team5 = Cologne Centurions (DB)

| coach_years6 = 2006–2007

| coach_team6 = Cologne Centurions (DC/DB)

| coach_years7 = 2007

| coach_team7 = Cologne Centurions (interim HC)

| coach_years8 = 2011–2021

| coach_team8 = New Hampshire (DC/DB)

| overall_record = 60–68–1 (college)
0–1 (NFL Europe)

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships = 2 Ivy (1992, 1996)

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

John Lyons (born March 10, 1952){{cite web|title=Football Coaches Career|website=National Collegiate Athletic Association|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careersearch|format=search for Lyons under Player/Coach Search|access-date=2011-02-03}} is a former American football head coach best known for his 13 years as head coach of Dartmouth College.

Lyons was an all-Ivy defensive back while playing for the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1974 he worked as an assistant at Penn for the next 11 seasons, eventually riding up to become defensive coordinator. In 1988, he was brought to Dartmouth by then-coach Buddy Teevens. When Teevens moved on, Lyons was promoted to head coach in 1992.{{cite news|last=Burrick|first=David|title=Lyons dismissed as Dartmouth football coach|work=The Daily Pennsylvanian|date=2004-12-01|url=http://thedp.com/node/44105|access-date=2011-02-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725014033/http://thedp.com/node/44105|archive-date=2011-07-25|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Dartmouth's Winning Tradition|website=Dartmouth College|url=http://dartmouthsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=11600&ATCLID=584975|access-date=2011-02-03}}

During his time as head coach, Lyons was successful during his first six seasons, winning two Ivy League titles and posting five winning seasons. The 1996 team won every game it played for a 10–0 record (with seven Ivy League games), becoming the first undefeated Dartmouth team since 1970. The ten wins also set a new record for most wins in a season (as with all Ivy League schools, they do not play bowl games). As of {{currentyear}}, it remains the last unbeaten Dartmouth team.{{cite book|title=ESPN College Football Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Game|publisher=ESPN Books|year=2005|page=1067|isbn=1-4013-3703-1}} He also coached future NFL quarterback Jay Fiedler. However, the program tailed off after 1997 and the school would finish in last place four times in the next seven years.{{cite book|title=2010 Ivy League Football Media Guide|publisher=Ivy League|year=2010|pages=29–33|url=http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/sports/fball/2010-11/Media_Guide/10fb-yearbyyear.pdf|access-date=2011-02-03|archive-date=March 17, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317123902/http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/sports/fball/2010-11/Media_Guide/10fb-yearbyyear.pdf|url-status=dead}} His later years saw increasing criticism from fans and the local media as his decision-making was called into question.{{cite news|last=Krishnamurthy|first=Anand|title=Lyons Out as Dartmouth Football Coach|work=Columbia Spectator|date=2004-12-02|url=http://eyedev.columbiaspectator.com/2004/12/02/lyons-out-dartmouth-football-coach|access-date=2011-02-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708175758/http://eyedev.columbiaspectator.com/2004/12/02/lyons-out-dartmouth-football-coach|archive-date=2011-07-08}} He was dismissed by the school after the 2004 season.{{cite web|title=Worst school record seals Lyons' fate |website=ESPN |agency=Associated Press|date=2004-11-30|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/news/story?id=1935245|access-date=2011-02-03}}

After being fired by Dartmouth he coached in NFL Europe for the Cologne Centurions.{{cite news|last=Zhe|first=Mike|title=With Lyons running defense, UNH is well-coordinated|work=The Portsmouth Herald|date=2011-04-07|url=http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20110407-SPORTS-104070424|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130201224530/http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20110407-SPORTS-104070424|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 1, 2013|access-date=2012-01-04}} He held the position from 2005 to 2007 and concurrently coached at Kimball Union Academy; he also was the school's athletic director, starting in 2008, and stayed in both jobs through 2010. In January 2011, he joined the University of New Hampshire's football program as its defensive coordinator{{cite press release|title=Former Dartmouth Head Football Coach John Lyons Named UNH Defensive Coordinator|publisher=University of New Hampshire|date=2011-01-21|url=http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/fball/2010-11/releases/201101217t0byj|access-date=2011-02-03|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202094757/http://www.unhwildcats.com/sports/fball/2010-11/releases/201101217t0byj|archive-date=2011-12-02}} and retired in 2021.{{cite web |author=rbrown |title=Lyons calls it a career |url=https://nhfootballreport.com/2021/12/24/lyons-calls-it-a-career/ |website=New Hampshire Football Report |access-date=August 8, 2024 |date=December 24, 2021}}