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Legendary Head Football Coach Darrell Royal Has Died

Updated: Monday, November 12 2012, 10:01 AM CST
Legendary Longhorn football coach Darrell Royal died Wednesday in Austin.  He was 88 years old.

Royal, whom the UT football stadium is named for (Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium), is the Longhorns all-time winningest coach. He posted a 167-47-5 record from 1957-76, won three National Championships and 11 Southwest Conference titles.

"Today is a very sad day. I lost a wonderful friend, a mentor, a confidant and my hero. College football lost maybe its best ever and the world lost a great man. I can hardly put in words how much Coach Royal means to me and all that he has done for me and my family. I wouldn't even be at Texas without Coach. His council and friendship meant a lot to me before I came to Texas, but it's been my guiding light for my 15 years here," current Head Football Coach Mack Brown said Wednesday.

"Coach Royal was a tremendous football coach, athletic director and member of the community, and I'm proud to say he was a close friend," said University of Texas at Austin President Bill Powers. "More than anything else was a great man, and we will miss him. Our prayers and thoughts go out to Edith and all of the Royal family."

The UT Tower will burn orange tonight.  Royal's statue at Royal Memorial Stadium will stay open until 11 p.m. tonight and tomorrow.

Saturday the UT players
will wear DKR decals and UT's first offensive play will be in the Wishbone
formation.



A public memorial will be held at noon at the Erwin Center.  Royal will be buried at the Texas State Cemetery in East Austin.

The former head coach was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

He leaves behind his wife, Edith.

More on Royal's life

Photo gallery: http://www.keyetv.com/news/features/share-it/news/

The LBJ Presidential Library and Johnson Family Remember Darrell Royal: http://www.lbjlibrary.org/press/darrell-royalLegendary Head Football Coach Darrell Royal Has Died