College Football Coach, National Football League Assistant Coach. Raised in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, he played at the center and linebacker positions during his collegiate years at the University of Pittsburgh and was named team MVP in 1959. Drafted by the Boston Patriots of the American Football League, Fazio would instead pursue a coaching career beginning at the high school level while earning a Masters Degree in Education. He returned to Pitt during the 1970s as an assistant. In 1982 he succeeded Jackie Sherrill as head coach and guided a Panthers' team that was ranked number 1 in the nation, quarterbacked by Dan Marino to a Cotton Bowl appearance (1983), culminating with a 7 to 3 defeat to Southern Methodist University. He was dismissed following the 1985 season after compiling a 25 win, 18 loss and 3 tie career record. From 1986 to 1987, he served as defensive coordinator under Lou Holtz at the University of Notre Dame. He reached the professional ranks as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets before replacing Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings in 1996. In 1998, he assembled a formidable defense that helped the Vikings achieve a 15 win 1 loss regular season record leading to an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Other NFL coaching stints included the Washington Redskins and new Cleveland Browns' franchise, where as defensive coordinator he contributed to them clinching their first playoff berth in the team's history in 2002. He later returned to the Vikings as a consultant to coach Mike Tice. Beginning in 2008, he worked as a radio analyst for the University of Pittsburgh football broadcasts until illness forced him to stop. He died from leukemia.
College Football Coach, National Football League Assistant Coach. Raised in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, he played at the center and linebacker positions during his collegiate years at the University of Pittsburgh and was named team MVP in 1959. Drafted by the Boston Patriots of the American Football League, Fazio would instead pursue a coaching career beginning at the high school level while earning a Masters Degree in Education. He returned to Pitt during the 1970s as an assistant. In 1982 he succeeded Jackie Sherrill as head coach and guided a Panthers' team that was ranked number 1 in the nation, quarterbacked by Dan Marino to a Cotton Bowl appearance (1983), culminating with a 7 to 3 defeat to Southern Methodist University. He was dismissed following the 1985 season after compiling a 25 win, 18 loss and 3 tie career record. From 1986 to 1987, he served as defensive coordinator under Lou Holtz at the University of Notre Dame. He reached the professional ranks as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets before replacing Tony Dungy as defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings in 1996. In 1998, he assembled a formidable defense that helped the Vikings achieve a 15 win 1 loss regular season record leading to an appearance in the NFC Championship Game. Other NFL coaching stints included the Washington Redskins and new Cleveland Browns' franchise, where as defensive coordinator he contributed to them clinching their first playoff berth in the team's history in 2002. He later returned to the Vikings as a consultant to coach Mike Tice. Beginning in 2008, he worked as a radio analyst for the University of Pittsburgh football broadcasts until illness forced him to stop. He died from leukemia.
Bio by: C.S.
Family Members
Advertisement
