Former Broncos, CSU, and UNC coach Kay Dalton dies at age 90
Former UNC Bears head football coach O. Kay Dalton has passed away at the age of 90.
Dalton's career spanned six decades. He was on staff at UNC as offensive coordinator for both their National Championship wins in 1996 and 1997, and served as the Bears' head coach from 2000 to 2005.
He retired in 2005, but in 2012 returned to the Bears to serve as an offensive consultant.
Dalton also previously worked for the University of Colorado and Denver Broncos coaching staffs.
His coaching career began at Trinidad State Junior College in 1958, where he served for four years. From there he spent four years as head coach at Western State before moving to the CFL, where he served as defensive coordinator for the Montreal Allouettes for the 1966-1967 season. He was promoted and served as head coach there from 1967 to 1969.
In 1971, he moved to the British Columbia Lions and spent a season coaching their offensive line and wide receivers.
In 1972, he returned to the United States and served as offensive coordinator at the University of Colorado from 1972 to 1974 before his first stint with the Broncos as wide receivers coach from 1974 to 1977.
In 1978, he was hired as the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach for the Buffalo Bills.
One year later, he began a 5-year stay with the Kansas City Chiefs as their quarterbacks/wide receivers coach.
The Houston Oilers hired Dalton as their offensive coordinator, where he stayed from 1983 to 1985. After his stay there, he came back to Denver for a season to serve as their wide receivers coach for the 1986-1987 season. During his tenure, he coached the "Three Amigos" of Mark Jackson, Vance Johnson, and Ricky Nattiel, some of John Elway's favorite targets during the mid-1980s.
After that season, Dalton moved up to Fort Collins, where he coached CSU's offense for the 1987-1988 season. After that season, he would move to Greeley in what would be the final stop in his storied career.
He served as the Bears' offensive coordinator from 1989 to 1999, in which he helped Northern Colorado win two National Championships in 1996 and 1997. He took over the reins of the Bears' program in 2000 and stayed there for five years.
Dalton worked with players such as Floyd Little, Earl Campbell, and Warren Moon. He graduated from Colorado State in 1954 and played for the Rams for three years and was voted onto the All-American team in 1953.