Adam RittenbergESPN Senior Writer September 19, 2023, 9:43pm ET2 minutes read
Dartmouth football coach Eugene F. “Buddy” Teevens, who introduced innovative methods to make the sport safer, died Tuesday from injuries sustained in a bicycle accident in March. He was 66.
Teevens, Dartmouth’s all-time winningest coach, had two head coaching stints at his alma mater, posting a 117-101-2 record with five Ivy League championships.
In March, he was hit by a truck while riding his bike in Florida. He suffered spinal cord injuries and his right leg had to be amputated.
Dartmouth announced in May that assistant Sammy McCorkle would serve as interim coach during the 2023 season. Teevens moved to Boston over the summer to continue his rehabilitation after the accident.
“Throughout this journey, we have always passed on the thoughts, memories and love that were sent his way,” Teevens’ family said in a statement released through Dartmouth. “Your kindness and encouraging letters did not go unnoticed and were greatly appreciated by both Buddy and our family. We are hopeful and take comfort in the fact that he has passed away and know how much he was loved and admired.”
Buddy Teevens in 2010 became the first coach to forego full-contact drills year-round, a practice that was implemented across the Ivy League in 2016.Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
McCorkle and athletic director Mike Harrity informed the team of Teevens’ death after practice on Tuesday. Teevens had overseen the program since 2005 and also from 1987 to 1991. He led Dartmouth to shared Ivy League championships in 1990, 2015, 2019 and 2021 and the overall title in 1991.
In 2010, he became the first coach to forego full-contact drills year-round, a method adopted throughout the Ivy League in 2016. Teevens’ efforts led Dartmouth’s engineering school to develop the Mobile Virtual Player, a robotic tackling device used by other college teams and in the NFL.
“His impact on both college football and the NFL has been tremendous,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said of Teevens during the 2023 NFL Draft. “He has been a leader in making our game safer through groundbreaking innovations. He is a pioneer in hiring female coaches, two of whom currently coach in the NFL.”
Teevens first became the head coach at Maine in 1986 and held two such FBS jobs, at Tulane and Stanford, where he posted an overall record of 21-68.
He played quarterback at Dartmouth and was named Ivy League player of the year in 1978 when the Big Green won the conference title. Teevens also played hockey in college.
Dartmouth will observe a moment of silence for Teevens before this week’s home game against Lehigh.
“This is tragic news for Dartmouth and the entire soccer world,” Dartmouth President Sian Leah Beilock and Harrity said in a joint statement. “Not only was Buddy synonymous with Dartmouth football, he was also a beloved coach and an innovative, inspirational leader who helped shape the lives of generations of students.”