Former New England Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks died from brain cancer on Tuesday at age 79, according to a release from the team.
According to ESPN.com, Fairbanks was the Patriots coach during the mid to late 70s and he helped lead the team to some of its best records of the era after taking over a 3-11 team. He coached from 1973 to 1978 and went 11-3, 9-5 and 11-5 during his final years. Fairbanks eventually left for Colorado, but the foundation he helped build with the organization still resonates today with coach Bill Belichick.
He drafted a number of top players for the team and Fairbanks also served as head coach for the Oklahoma Sooners. Fairbanks gave offensive coordinator Barry Switzer the OK to use the wishbone offense and that helped transform the team and college football.
"Chuck has been a good friend for a long time and he's meant a lot to this organization. At the time he came here, he did a great job turning the Patriots around and making them into one of the top teams in the AFC," Belichick said.
Fairbanks led Oklahoma to a number of big wins, leading the team to a 10-1 record and win in the Orange Bowl in his first season. After some disappointing play, the wishbone was brought in an eventually became a huge success for the team. He spent six seasons as head coach there and won three Big Eight titles and 52 games.
He also had the opportunity to coach in the 1971 "Game of the Century" that saw Nebraska rally against Oklahoma to win the championship.
