Arnsparger, who died Friday at 88 at his home in Athens, Alabama, was remembered in Gator circles as an athletic director who led Florida through NCAA sanctions in football and men’s basketball from 1986-92.
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William Stephen Arnsparger was born December 16, 1926, in Paris, Ky. He posted an overall record in the three years of 26-8-2 and 13-3-2 in the SEC.
The Miami team that won the Super Bowl in January 1973 had the only flawless season in National Football League history. After another Sugar Bowl loss to Nebraska (30-15), the Coach left LSU to become Athletic Director at Florida.
Legendary Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula released a statement after yesterday’s passing of Bill Arnsparger. He was the head coach of LSU for three years, and then Tulane assistant for two, according to Nola. Execution would be a trademark of Arnsparger’s defenses when he went with Shula to the Dolphins in 1970.
Mr. Arnsparger started his coaching career at his alma mater, spent time under Hayes at Ohio State, and also had stints at Kentucky and Tulane before jumping to the NFL’s Baltimore Colts with Shula in 1964.
Arnsparger arrived in Gainesville after three seasons and two Sugar Bowl berths as head coach at LSU.
The Dolphins ranked in the NFL’s top five defensively five times under Arnsparger, and, twice, No. 1 – the 1972 17-0 flawless Season and 1982. He then re-joined Shula in Miami, where he stayed through 1983 and was the architect of Miami’s “Killer Bs” defense of the early 80s. I recruited the area when I was a college assistant, and I know all about the feeling of being in Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night. “It was unlike any other coach I’ve ever had”. He is the only assistant coach to have a place on the Ring of Honor. Arnsparger would announce his retirement at that time, citing the prostate cancer surgery he had undergone the year before.
When his former high school coach, Blanton Collier, was hired at Kentucky, Collier lured Arnsparger to Lexington to serve as his defensive line coach.
He completed his pro coaching career as defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers from 1992 through 1994.
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Arnsparger left LSU for the University of Florida athletic director’s job. “Our condolences to his wife B.J., his son David, and his daughter, Mary Susan, and for those that shared his life with him”.
