Dick Tomey, Former Arizona Head Football Coach, Dies at 80
May 11, 2019, 10:39 AM | Updated: Jun 8, 2022, 5:09 pm
30 Dec 1998: A portrait of head coach Dick Tomey of the Arizona Wildcats as he watches from the sidelines during the Holiday Bowl against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. Arizona defeated Nebraska 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Todd Warshaw /Allsport
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Dick Tomey, the winningest football coach in University of Arizona history, has died of cancer. He was 80.
Tomey’s family and the university said he died Friday night in Tucson. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in December.
Tomey won 95 games against 64 losses and four ties at Arizona while posting 11 winning season out of 14 with the Wildcats.
He was 183-145-7 overall in 20 years as head coach at Hawaii, Arizona and San Jose State.
His family said in a statement that Tomey was a “tough as nails coach” who loved competition but who “was always, first and foremost, a people person.”
He is survived by his wife, Nanci; a son, Rich, and daughter, Angie.
The family said a celebration of life will be announced later.
