Former Chargers, SDSU Football Coach Tom Bass Dies

ENCINITAS, CA – Longtime National Football League coach, executive and author Tom Bass died on July 27 at his Encinitas home. He was 83.

Bass' NFL career included roles as defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Diego Chargers. He also served as vice president of player personnel for the Buccaneers and vice president of pro personnel for the New England Patriots. Additionally, Bass held leadership positions with the Canadian Football League, serving as team president of the Sacramento Gold Miners and San Antonio Texans. He also was head coach of an American football team in France, the Paris Castors.

Regarded as a Renaissance man in the football world, Bass also published two books of poetry, "Fly Free My Love" and "Pro Football from the Inside." A devoted teacher of the game, he authored the NFL's first instructional book, "Play Football the NFL Way" and also wrote "Football Skills and Drills" for Human Kinetics and "Youth Football Skills and Drills" for McGraw Hill, both youth coaching books, still enormously popular today. Bass is believed to be the first NFL coach to lead football seminars for women.

His passions extended beyond the football field, including board positions with the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego and the Gulfcoast Symphony in Florida.

In the 1950s, Bass was a promising lineman at San Jose State University with aspirations to play football professionally. But he was diagnosed with polio while in college and was told he would never walk again. Undaunted, he devised his own exercise program, which allowed him to walk again and launched his coaching career as the freshman coach with Dick Vermeil at San Jose State.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in biological science, Bass was hired by then-San Diego State head coach Don Coryell as an assistant football coach for the Aztecs and also did graduate work at SDSU. Bass later worked as an offensive coach and defensive coordinator with the Chargers under Hall of Fame coach Sid Gillman, during the team's early American Football League years. Bass then went on to coach as a defensive coordinator for three NFL franchises from the 1960s until the 1980s (under Hall of Fame coach Paul Brown with the Cincinnati Bengals; coach John McKay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and coach Don Coryell with the San Diego Chargers).

After his career in the NFL, CFL and European football, Bass continued his passion to teach football in a variety of ways. Through his own business, Tom Bass Enterprises, he led football clinics and offered coaching consulting services. He also was a technical football content writer and advisor for USA Football, as well as director of football education for the San Diego Hall of Champions. Additionally, Bass was a commentator with Ted Leitner on Aztecs football radio broadcasts in San Diego.

In his later years, Bass was a beloved fixture at local youth basketball, baseball and football sporting events throughout North County.

Bass is survived by his wife Michele; brother Bob; sons Michael (Mona), Robert (Paula) and David (Igmar); daughter Shana (Jonah); five grandchildren and one great-grandchild; niece Gina and nephews Lance and Jake. The family plans a private memorial service and celebration of life.

– Prepared by Steve Carpowich with permission from the family.