Donald Jerome Lawrence (June 4, 1937 – October 30, 2024) was an American football player and coach. He was the offensive coordinator for the Berlin Thunder in NFL Europa. He won two World Bowl rings with the Amsterdam Admirals and Frankfurt Galaxy. As the tight ends coach from 1990 to 1993, he took the Buffalo Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls. He coached at Notre Dame, Kansas State, Cincinnati, Texas Christian, and Missouri.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 4, 1937 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | October 30, 2024 (aged 87) Overland Park, Kansas, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Notre Dame |
| Playing career | |
| 1959–1961 | Washington Redskins |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1964–1965 | Kansas State (assistant) |
| 1966 | Cincinnati (assistant) |
| 1967–1970 | Virginia (DC) |
| 1971–1973 | Virginia |
| 1974–1975 | TCU (DC) |
| 1976–1977 | Missouri (assistant) |
| 1978–1979 | BC Lions (OL) |
| 1980 | Kansas City Chiefs (ST) |
| 1981–1982 | Kansas City Chiefs (DL) |
| 1983–1984 | Buffalo Bills (DC/DL) |
| 1985–1986 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (DL) |
| 1987–1988 | Kansas City Chiefs (DL) |
| 1989 | Winnipeg Blue Bombers (OL) |
| 1990–1997 | Buffalo Bills (TE) |
| 2000 | Arizona Cardinals (TE) |
| 2002–2003 | Frankfurt Galaxy (OL) |
| 2005 | Amsterdam Admirals (OL) |
| 2006 | Cologne Centurions (assistant) |
| 2007 | Berlin Thunder (OC/OL) |
| 2011–2012 | Omaha Nighthawks (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 11–22 |
Lawrence served as the head football coach at the University of Virginia. He played college football at Notre Dame. He played three seasons in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins.[1]
During his 45-year coaching career, Lawrence is unique in having coached in four straight Super Bowls (NFL) and four straight World Bowls (NFLE).[citation needed] Lawrence died in Overland Park, Kansas on October 30, 2024, at the age of 87.[2]
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Cavaliers (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1971–1973) | |||||||||
| 1971 | Virginia | 3–8 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1972 | Virginia | 4–7 | 1–5 | T–6th | |||||
| 1973 | Virginia | 4–7 | 3–3 | 4th | |||||
| Virginia: | 11–22 | 6–11 | |||||||
| Total: | 11–22 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Don Lawrence Stats". Pro Football Archives.
- ^ Obituaries (November 6, 2024). "Donald "Don" Jerome Lawrence". Johnson County Post. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
 | This biographical article relating to an American football offensive lineman born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |