Former Florida Assistant Coach Buddy Teevens Passes Away at 66

Former Gators Football assistant coach Buddy Teevens has passed away at 66 due to complications from a bicycle accident back in March. Teevens coached at Florida from 1999-2001 under former head coach Steve Spurrier. He gained his fame as Dartmouth’s winningest coach with a record of 117-101-2.

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In a letter to the Dartmouth community, President Sian Leah Beilock and Athletic Director Mike Harrity wrote:

“This is tragic news for Dartmouth and the entire football world. Buddy not only was synonymous with Dartmouth football, he was a beloved coach and an innovative, inspirational leader who helped shape the lives of generations of students.”

Teevens began his collegiate football career as the Big Green’s quarterback and even earned the Ivy League Player of the Year award in 1978. After he concluded his collegiate career, he accepted a head coaching job at Maine in 1986. However, Teevens returned to his alma mater as the head coach from 1987-1991.

He had short coaching stints at Tulane, Stanford and Florida. Then, he again returned to coach for the Big Green more permanently. After returning in 2005, he led his team to share the Ivy League title in 2015, 2019 and 2021. He became the winningest coach in Dartmouth history in 2019.

Legacy

Teevens was widely known for his innovative approaches to protecting the safety of his players. Almost unheard of, he pioneered no-contact practices at Dartmouth in 2010. Additionally, the Ivy League adopted Teevens’ no-contact practices for their members. Working with Teevens, the Thayer College of Engineering developed the Mobile Virtual Player, a robotic device players can practice their tackling on.

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As if safety wasn’t enough, Teevens believed in equality for women in athletics. He hired Callie Brownson at Dartmouth, which made her the first female full-time coach in Division I collegiate history.

At the 2023 NFL Draft, Commissioner Roger Goodell had nothing but praise for Teevens.

“His impact both on college football and the NFL has been enormous. He has been a leader in making our game safer through breakthrough innovations. He is a pioneer in hiring female coaches, two of whom are currently coaching in the NFL.”

Furthermore, Teevens’ impacts on the game are immeasurable, and the football community will greatly miss him.

There will be a moment of silence held for Teevens at Dartmouth’s home game against Lehigh.