Sam Rutigliano

{{Short description|Former collage and NFL head coach (b. 1931)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Sam Rutigliano

| image = Sam Rutigliano.png

| alt =

| caption = Rutigliano in 2012

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1931|7|1|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1950-1951

| player_team1 = East Central Junior College

| player_years2 = 1951–1952

| player_team2 = Tennessee

| player_years3 = 1954–1955

| player_team3 = Tulsa

| player_positions = End

| coach_years1 = 1956–1958

| coach_team1 = Lafayette HS (NY)

| coach_years2 = 1959–1961

| coach_team2 = Greenwich HS (CT)

| coach_years3 = 1962–1963

| coach_team3 = Horace Greeley HS (NY)

| coach_years4 = 1964–1965

| coach_team4 = Connecticut (DB)

| coach_years5 = 1966

| coach_team5 = Maryland (WR)

| coach_years6 = 1967–1970

| coach_team6 = Denver Broncos (WR)

| coach_years7 = 1971–1973

| coach_team7 = New England Patriots (OB/WR)

| coach_years8 = 1974–1975

| coach_team8 = New York Jets (DB)

| coach_years9 = 1976–1977

| coach_team9 = New Orleans Saints (WR)

| coach_years10 = 1978–1984

| coach_team10 = Cleveland Browns

| coach_years11 = 1989–1999

| coach_team11 = Liberty

| coach_years12 = 2000–2003

| coach_team12 = Barcelona Dragons (OA)

| coach_years13 = 2004

| coach_team13 = Scottish Claymores (OA)

| coach_years14 = 2005–2006

| coach_team14 = Hamburg Sea Devils (OA)

| overall_record = 47–50 (NFL)
67–53 (college)

| bowl_record =

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

Sam William Rutigliano (born July 1, 1931) is an American former football coach who is a television football analyst for WEWS, the ABC affiliate in Cleveland. He served as the head coach for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1978 to 1984, compiling a record of 47–50. Rutigliano was the head football coach at Liberty University from 1989 to 1999, tallying a mark of 67–53.

Early life

file:Sam-Rutigliano-1979.jpg

Rutigliano, the son of Italian immigrants, played high school football at Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn.[http://www.nypost.com/seven/12312006/sports/the_rumble_sports_.htm?page=3 "The Rumble: AN OFF-THE-BALL LOOK AT YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS CELEBRITIES"], New York Post, December 31, 2006. Accessed December 13, 2007. "The five Erasmus Hall of Fame legends include Raiders owner Al Davis, Bears quarterback Sid Luckman, Yankee pitching great Waite Hoyt, Billy Cunningham and Knicks founder Ned Irish. Other sports notables include Bulls/White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, chess champion Bobby Fischer, ex-Browns head coach Sam Rutigliano, legendary NBA referee Norm Drucker and "Boys of Summer" author Roger Kahn." He played college football at East Central Junior College, Tennessee, where he roomed with future professional wrestling star Lou Albano,{{cite book|title=Often Imitated, Never Duplicated: Captain Lou Albano|last=Albano|first=Lou|pages=10–13|publisher=GEAN Publishing|year=2008|isbn=978-0-615-18998-7}} and Tulsa.{{Cite web|last=Call|first=Jeff|date=December 29, 2011|title=BYU football: Win over Cougars would be feather in Tulsa's cap|url=https://www.deseret.com/2011/12/29/20241212/byu-football-win-over-cougars-would-be-feather-in-tulsa-s-cap|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=Deseret News|language=en}}{{Cite web|date=March 15, 2019|title=Alumnus Sam Rutigliano to Join Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame|url=https://www.eccc.edu/alumnus-sam-rutigliano-join-mississippi-community-college-sports-hall-fame|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=www.eccc.edu|language=en}} He coached at the high school level in New York and Connecticut, including Horace Greeley High School in Chappaqua, NY and Greenwich High School.{{Cite news|last=Eskenazi|first=Gerald|date=July 25, 1975|title=Jets' Rookie Runs Backwards For the Chance to Play in Pros (Published 1975)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/07/25/archives/jets-rookie-runs-backwards-for-the-chance-to-play-in-pros.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|last=Skodnick|first=Leif|date=February 3, 2015|title=Once more into the end zone|url=https://www.wagmag.com/once-more-into-the-end-zone/|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=WAG MAGAZINE|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|date=August 18, 1962|title=Girl Killed; Coach, Wife Hurt In Crash|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/677934905/|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=Newspapers.com|language=en}}{{Cite news|date=July 13, 1964|title=UConns Name Football Aide (Published 1964)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/07/13/archives/uconns-name-football-aide.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}

Coaching career

He was then defensive backs coach at the University of Connecticut from 1964 to 1965{{cite news|title=UConn football spring game capsule|url=http://www.ctpost.com/uconn/article/UConn-football-spring-game-capsule-4446011.php|website=Connecticut Post|accessdate=May 24, 2016|date=April 20, 2013}} and the wide receivers coach at the University of Maryland in 1966.{{cite web|title=The football coaches|url=https://archive.org/stream/universityofmary1966univ#page/10/mode/2up/search/Rutigliano|website=Maryland Football Guide|publisher=University of Maryland, College Park|page=10|date=1966}} He became a professional football assistant with the Denver Broncos in 1967.{{Cite web|date=December 21, 1966|title=Sam Rutigliano To Follow Saban|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/371421835/|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=Newspapers.com|language=en}} He was an assistant with the New England Patriots, New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints over the next eleven years before being given the head coaching job for the Cleveland Browns in 1978.{{cite web|title=Sam Rutigliano|url=http://www.liberty.edu/Athletics/football/coaches/srutigliano.html|publisher=Liberty University|accessdate=May 24, 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20000613030756/http://www.liberty.edu/Athletics/football/coaches/srutigliano.html|archivedate=June 13, 2000}}{{Cite news|last=Upi|date=October 23, 1984|title=BROWNS, AT 1-7, DROP RUTIGLIANO (Published 1984)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/23/sports/browns-at-1-7-drop-rutigliano.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}

Over the next six years, Rutigliano was the coach of the famed "Kardiac Kids" Browns. He led the 1980 Browns to the AFC Central Division Championship.{{Cite web|last=Podolski|first=Mark|title=Recap of the Browns' 'Kardiac Kids' season of 1980|url=https://www.news-herald.com/sports/browns/recap-of-the-browns-kardiac-kids-season-of-1980/article_b1c6f67a-1df2-11eb-a426-8ffc17e53e40.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=The News-Herald|language=en}} The final play of the Browns' playoff game with the Oakland Raiders would be the most memorable moment in Rutigliano's coaching career.{{Cite web|last=Schudel|first=Jeff|title=Frozen in time: Newsome recalls Red Right 88 in Browns' 1980 playoff loss to Raiders|url=https://www.news-herald.com/sports/browns/frozen-in-time-newsome-recalls-red-right-88-in-browns-1980-playoff-loss-to-raiders/article_45e894ba-1df0-11eb-a486-ebfed5e8e5db.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=The News-Herald|language=en}} Down 14–12 and within field goal range, Rutigliano decided to run one more play rather than kick a game-winning field goal. The play, called "Red Right 88", resulted in an end-zone interception with 41 seconds left that led to the Browns losing. Despite the early playoff exit, Rutigliano received NFL Coach of the Year honors for the 1980 season.{{Cite web|title=Little Liberty lets Rutigliano pursue a happy life, career|url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/09/18/little-liberty-lets-rutigliano-pursue-a-happy-life-career/|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=Tampa Bay Times|language=en}} The Browns returned to the playoffs in 1982 in the strike-shortened season that saw them go 4-5 and rally around Paul McDonald as the quarterback for the last three games due to an injury to Sipe. They trailed by three to the Raiders at halftime but gave up 14 unanswered points and lost 27–10. After a 9–7 season the following year, Sipe left the Browns for the United States Football League.{{cite web | url=https://www.brownsnation.com/sam-rutigliano/ | title=The Life and Career of Sam Rutigliano (Complete Story) | date=July 27, 2021 }} McDonald was left as the starter for Cleveland for 1984. After a stretch where the team went 1–7, Rutigliano was fired. He was replaced by defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer, who went 4–4 as interim coach and was later retained.{{Cite news|title=Rutigliano Fired by Browns|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1984/10/23/rutigliano-fired-by-browns/856352ba-229e-4099-8acc-18cc21e2cb81/|access-date=March 2, 2021|issn=0190-8286}} In his six and a half seasons with the Browns, Rutigliano compiled a 47–50 record.{{Cite web|title=Sam Rutigliano, fired Monday as coach of the Cleveland...|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/10/22/Sam-Rutigliano-fired-Monday-as-coach-of-the-Cleveland/5138467265600/|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=UPI|language=en}}

After being let go by the Browns, Rutigliano served as an analyst for NBC Sports and ESPN for three years. He also held football camps in Italy and was a consultant for the Italian Football League.{{Cite web|last=Tressler|first=Jonathan|title=Former Cleveland Browns Coach Sam Rutigliano to speak at Lakeland's 51st Commencement|url=https://www.news-herald.com/news/ohio/former-cleveland-browns-coach-sam-rutigliano-to-speak-at-lakeland-s-51st-commencement/article_34074f64-4629-5b3b-b7ca-bda5d9627c86.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=The News-Herald|language=en}}

In 1988, he was given the head coaching job at Liberty University, with founder Jerry Falwell stating that Rutigliano seemed the man to help "establish a sports program for evangelical young people." He was hired to take over the program from Morgan Hout.{{Cite web |title=Sam Rutigliano, who once nearly guided the Cleveland Browns... - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1988/12/21/Sam-Rutigliano-who-once-nearly-guided-the-Cleveland-Browns/2988598683600/ |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=UPI |language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Pucin|first=Diane|title=AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, IT'S IN GOD THEY TRUST|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-11-18-9004070805-story.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=chicagotribune.com|date=November 18, 1990 |language=en-US}} He had said no at first when approached but when invited to speak at the campus, he found the idea of being "part of this mission and use my God-given ability as a coach" compelling.{{Cite web |title=Little Liberty lets Rutigliano pursue a happy life, career |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1998/09/18/little-liberty-lets-rutigliano-pursue-a-happy-life-career/ |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}} In a program that followed Christian standards of no drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or co-ed rooms to go with having curfew and worship, Rutigliano saw it as an advantage for who he wanted in players rather than a disadvantage. The school was subject to creditors not long after he joined the program, but he got to work in raising money for the school utilizing his connections (which he later estimated was in the millions). Owing to their independent status in Division I-AA, the Flames were in a tough position in reaching the playoffs (which they did not end up doing in his tenure), although they did finish in the final rankings in 1995 and 1997. The 1989 season saw Liberty beat top-20 schools in James Madison and Eastern Illinois before their matchup against Eastern Michigan. Playing on the road, the Flames pulled off the 25–24 upset for their first victory over a Division I-A opponent in school history. They won their first six games of the season, the best start for a first-year Liberty coach until 2023.{{cite web | url=https://libertyflames.com/news/2023/10/8/football-from-the-media-room-jax-state | title=From the Media Room: Jax State }}{{Cite web |date=December 10, 2021 |title=The first meeting between Liberty and Eastern Michigan led to one of LU's biggest wins in school history |url=https://www.aseaofred.com/the-first-meeting-between-liberty-and-eastern-michigan-led-to-one-of-lus-biggest-wins-in-school-history/ |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=A Sea of Red |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=December 7, 2021 |title=Crash Course: Eastern Michigan Eagles |url=https://www.aseaofred.com/crash-course-eastern-michigan-eagles/ |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=A Sea of Red |language=en-US}} The 1990 team won their first four games and reached 8th in the football rankings. The nine wins in the 1997 season were a season record for the team until 2008. He would serve as coach for eleven years until retiring in 2000. He still ranks as the winningest coach in Liberty football history. His jersey (under "HC") was retired alongside Eric Green, a player on his roster that became Liberty's first NFL draft pick in history, in 2008. He was later inducted into the Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.{{Cite web|title=Liberty Coach Retires After 11 years|url=https://apnews.com/article/e1cf33b4dc84c3377330c636248273f8|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=AP NEWS}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=September 13, 1998 |title=Liberty Is Where Rutigliano Now Pursues Happiness |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-sep-13-sp-22223-story.html |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=June 15, 2015 |title=Sam Rutigliano - Liberty Athletics Hall of Fame |url=https://newsadvance.com/sports/college/liberty_university/sam-rutigliano---liberty-athletics-hall-of-fame/youtube_45823501-8cae-5cea-b92e-bb398196bd26.html |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=NewsAdvance.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=LU to Retire Jerseys for Rutigliano and Green |url=https://libertyflames.com/news/2008/10/10/lu-to-retire-jerseys-for-rutigliano-and-green |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=Liberty University |language=en}}

Hours after leaving the Flames in what seemed like retirement, Rutigliano was hired as an assistant coach under Jack Bicknell with the Barcelona Dragons of the NFL Europe.{{Cite web |title=Sam Rutigliano {{!}}Cleveland Browns |url=https://www.clevelandseniors.com/people/rutigliano.htm |access-date=January 10, 2024 |website=www.clevelandseniors.com}} He later served the same position for the Scottish Claymores of the NFL Europe.

Beginning in 2005, Rutigliano became a Browns analyst for WKYC channel 3 in Cleveland and also for SportsTime Ohio when it began operations in 2006. In 2011, he moved to WEWS-TV 5 to become their Browns analyst.

Player addiction recovery program

Throughout the 1970s, substance abuse, particularly of cocaine, was a rampant problem among NFL players.{{Cite news|last=Litsky|first=Frank|date=June 10, 1982|title=PLAYER TELLS OF WIDE DRUG USE IN N.F.L. (Published 1982)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/10/sports/player-tells-of-wide-drug-use-in-nfl.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|issn=0362-4331}} During Rutigliano's tenure with the Browns, he and Dr. Gregory Collins of the Cleveland Clinic, with the support of team owner Art Modell, founded an anonymous support group known as the "Inner Circle" to help players with substance abuse problems.{{Cite web|last=Reed|first=Tom|date=June 7, 2014|title=Former Cleveland Browns coach Sam Rutigliano says relaxing NFL rules on marijuana would be a 'catastrophe'|url=https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2014/06/former_cleveland_browns_coach_1.html|access-date=March 2, 2021|website=cleveland|language=en}}

In 2007, Rutigliano was given the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence's Bronze Key Award by the NCADD's Northeast Ohio affiliate, Recovery Resources.{{Cite web |last=McManamon |first=Pat |date=February 3, 2015 |title=Sam Rutigliano on Johnny Manziel: 'Recovery makes a life' |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/cleveland-browns/post/_/id/11594/sam-rutigliano-on-johnny-manziel-recovery-makes-a-life |access-date=March 2, 2021 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}

Head coaching record

=NFL=

rowspan="2"\|Team	rowspan="2"\|Year	colspan="5"\|Regular season	colspan="4"\|Postseason
class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align:center;"
Won	Lost	Ties	Win %	Finish	Won	Lost	Win %	Result
CLE\|\|1978 \|\|8\|\|8\|\|0\|\|.500\|\|3rd in AFC Central\|
\| –	–	–
CLE\|\|1979 \|\|9\|\|7\|\|0\|\|.563\|\|3rd in AFC Central\|\| – \|\| – \|\| – \|\| –
style="background:#fdd;" !CLE	1980	11	5	0	.688	1st in AFC Central	0	1	.000	Lost to Oakland Raiders in AFC Divisional Game.
CLE\|\|1981 \|\|5\|\|11\|\|0\|\|.313\|\|4th in AFC Central\|\| – \|\| – \|\| – \|\| –
style="background:#fdd;" !CLE	1982	4	5	0	.444	3rd in AFC Central	0	1	.000	Lost to Los Angeles Raiders in AFC Wild-Card Game.
CLE\|\|1983 \|\|9\|\|7\|\|0\|\|.563\|\|2nd in AFC Central\|\| – \|\| – \|\| – \|\| –
CLE\|\|1984 \|\|1\|\|7\|\|0\|\|.125\|\|3rd in AFC Central\|\| – \|\| – \|\| – \|\| –
colspan="2"\| CLE Total\|\|47\|\|50\|\|0\|\|.485\|\|\|\|0\|\|2\|\|.000\|\|
colspan="2"\| Total[https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/RutiSa0.htm Sam Rutigliano Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks – Pro-Football-Reference.com]\|\|47\|\|50\|\|0\|\|.485\|\|\|\| 0\|\| 2 \|\| .000 \|\|