By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
The original head coach of the Seattle Seahawks died on Wednesday, the team announced. Jack Patera was 85-years-old.
The team did not say how he died. Yet, there are some reports on social media that suggest he was battling pancreatic cancer.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of Jack Patera and extend our utmost sympathies and condolences to the entire Patera family,” the Seahawks said in a statement. “… A fair, hard-nosed, and often times funny head coach, Patera recorded the first winning seasons for the Seahawks, going 9-7 in 1978 and 1979, earning NFL Coach of the Year honors in ’78. We will remember coach Patera most for his big heart, sense of humor, and genuine spirit.”
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Patera was born on August 1st, 1933 in Bismarck, North Dakota. He died on October 31st, 2018 in Cle Elum, Washington.
He coached the Seahawks from 1976 through 1982. He went 35-59 through 94 games. He was fired two games into the 1982 season.
“He was a great coach, he was a great dude,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “I know the guys who played for him really loved playing for him. They think the world of him. We meet them on the days they come in—the alumni days—and he was really important to all those guys, important to a lot of people, so we’ll miss him.”
The Seahawks were his final coaching job in the NFL. In his third-year with the Seahawks, he was named the AP NFL Coach of the Year in 1978.
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He also was an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Rams from 1963 through 1967. He then was hired as an assistant coach of the New York Giants from 1967 through 1968. He then coached the Minnesota Vikings, as an assistant coach, from 1969 through 1975.
Patera also played in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts from 1955 through 1957. He also played for the Chicago Cardinals from 1958 through 1959. His final playing tenure was with the Dallas Cowboys, where he played from 1960 through 1961.
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