Remembering George Darlington: A Legendary Assistant Coach's Impact on Nebraska Football
Nebraska Athletics is saddened by the passing of longtime assistant coach George Darlington, who passed away in Lincoln at the age of 87. Darlington was a fixture on the Cornhuskers' coaching staff for 30 seasons, contributing to three national championship teams. He holds the record for the longest tenure as an assistant coach in program history, during which Nebraska achieved remarkable success, winning three national championships, 14 conference titles, and finishing in the top 10 nationally 21 times. Darlington's coaching career began at Johnson Regional High School in New Jersey before he joined the Huskers in 1973 under head coach Tom Osborne.
Born in West Virginia, Darlington played college football at Rutgers and later earned two degrees at Stanford. He started his coaching journey at the high school level before transitioning to collegiate coaching at San Jose State. Darlington's impact on the Nebraska football program was significant, serving as the defensive ends coach for 13 seasons before taking on the role of defensive backs coach in 1986. He was the only assistant coach to work alongside Osborne for his entire 25-year tenure as head coach. Following his time at Nebraska, Darlington continued coaching at various universities before retiring in 2010.
In addition to his coaching contributions, Darlington was known for his dedication to teaching the game of football. He taught a Football 101 class for many years, authored a book titled "Football 101" that delved into the intricacies of Husker style football, and remained actively involved in observing practices and game days at Memorial Stadium. Nebraska Athletics described Darlington as 'legendary' and expressed the football program's deep sorrow at his passing. George Darlington's legacy as a coach and mentor will forever be remembered by the Nebraska football community.