Spartan Nation Says Goodbye to a Michigan State and Football Legend: Chuck Fairbanks!
Former Spartan Player and legendary coach, Chuck Fairbanks passed on April 2, 2013 from Brain Cancer.
Charles Leo Fairbanks was 79 years of age!
Fairbanks was born in Detroit and played for Michigan State from 1952 thru 1954 including the Spartans unbeaten 1952 National Championship team. Fairbanks graduated in 1955.
Fairbanks was part of a group of Spartans that ushered in one of the truly great dynasties at the start of the modern era of football (generally considered to commence with mass distribution of TV in 1950).
Here is how it unfolded in East Lansing. Clarence “Biggie†Munn was hired by Michigan State College (MSC) President John Hannah in 1947 to build a Championship team and in so doing, help Hannah in his quest to build a world class university as well as gain entry into the fabled Big Ten.
Munn did exactly that. He exceeded expectations and compiled a record of 54-9-2 (83%) from 1947 thru 1953…including “back to back†National Titles in ’51 & ’52…a 28 game winning streak…a Rose Bowl win…and a 1st place tie in the Spartans inaugural Big Ten season in 1953.
In the era of 9 game schedules, the Spartans won 9 games in three consecutive seasons (’51; ’52; ’53) including unbeaten seasons in ’51 & ’52 respectively and during that era, Chuck Fairbanks was one of the young titans who helped Biggie Munn compile his prodigious record.
After Michigan State, Fairbanks coached 3 yrs (’55-’57) at Ishpeming High School before he got a call to return to college.
Fairbanks accepted an offer in 1958 to become an assistant at Arizona State for former Spartan teammate, Frank Kush who was building a west coast dynasty of his own. Fairbanks was an ASU Assistant from ’58-’61 and during his four year tenure, ASU compiled a record of 31-10 (76%) including two 1st place finishes in the former Pacific Athletic Conference (later to become PAC 12).
In 1962 Fairbanks accepted a job as assistant coach at University of Houston where he coached for former Michigan State assistant, Bill Yeoman who took over the Cougar job in 1962. In those days, the Cougars were an upstart and during Fairbanks tenure the Cougars were middling at best…but together, Fairbanks and Yeoman set the platform from which Yeoman later won 4 Southwest Conference titles.
Then with a wealth of coaching experience on his resume and under his belt, Fairbanks took a job at University of Oklahoma in 1966 as assistant to Head Coach, Jim Mackenzie.
Upon the untimely passing of Jim MacKenzie in April 1967…Fairbanks was appointed Head Coach at Oklahoma and held title as Head Coach for 6 years whereupon Fairbanks compiled a record of 52-15-1 (76%) including 34-8 (81%) in (now defunct) Big Eight Conference…including three 1st place finishes…2 Sugar Bowl wins…1 Orange Bowl win…and 4 Top 10 finishes.
It should also be noted that Fairbanks helped Steve Owens earn a Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma in 1969!
It was during that time that Oklahoma Offensive Coordinator, Barry Switzer encouraged Fairbanks to install the Wishbone….he did…and Oklahoma’s good Football fortunes got better. But Fairbanks wasn’t one to stay in one place too long and so Fairbanks departed for the NFL leaving Oklahoma in the very capable hands of Barry Switzer who went on to win 3 National titles shortly thereafer.
Nevertheless, Fairbanks tenure in Norman, Oklahoma was an auspicious start for a Head Coach.
Fairbanks then accepted a job with the New England Patriots of NFL where he coached for 6 years (’73-’78). Fairbanks took over a bad team that won a mere 11 games in three previous seasons.
In the era of 14 game NFL schedules, Fairbanks compiled a meager record of 15-27 (38%) his first three seasons…but once he got his system implemented, Fairbanks went 31-13 (72%) in his last three seasons including two 11-win seasons. Fairbanks earned coach of the year in 1976…as well as a first place conference finish in 1978.
During his tenure in New England, Fairbanks along with Defensive Coordinator (and former Spartan teammate) Hank Bullough created and deployed the now legendary 3-4 Defense or sometimes known as the 3-4 two-gap!
Internal strife and disagreements with the Sullivan family, owners of the Patriots, caused Fairbanks to look elsewhere and in 1979 Fairbanks went back to college!
Fairbanks accepted the Head Coaching job at Colorado University amidst more controversy and he coached in Boulder from 1979 thru 1981. By all accounts, Fairbanks contract was too rich for Colorado administration and so it was subsidized by a group of Colorado fund raisers. So it was with a great deal of questionable “behind the scenes†maneuvering that Fairbanks was hired but the anticipation and excitement was for naught.
Fairbanks tenure was inauspicious at best. Fairbanks compiled an embarrassing 7-26 (21%) record overall and 5-16 (23%) in Big Eight Conference and amongst Fairbanks many embarrassments during his tenure was an embarrassing 84-42 pasting (in Boulder) at the hands of Barry Switzer and Oklahoma! By all accounts, it wasn’t hard for Fairbanks to move on…and he did.
Finally in June of 1982, Fairbanks took the reins of the New Jersey Generals of the now defunct USFL.
Once again, Fairbanks got embroiled in controversy, this one involving Herschel Walker’s early signing with the NJ Generals out of Georgia…but that was the least of Fairbanks woes inasmuch as he finished his one and only season in New Jersey with a record of 6-12 (33%)…and that was Fairbanks last hurrah in coaching.
While Fairbanks was known as a tough and hardnosed football innovator, his coaching prowess enabled Fairbanks to enjoy a great measure of success at most stops. Nevertheless, Fairbanks voracious ambition lead to controversy and turmoil more often than not.
Fairbanks finally settled upon a career in real estate and Golf Course development and quietly retired away from the Football spotlight.
By all accounts, Chuck Fairbanks was quiet and reserved coach…or said another way, Chuck Fairbanks was not renowned to be gregarious and gracious…but he could coach football and he found success as a coaching pioneer…unfortunately controversy usually went along for the ride!
But from a Spartan perspective, Chuck Fairbanks was a proud Spartan, who helped build one of the great and most successful collegiate football dynasties of the ‘50’s and ‘60’s!
Rest in peace Chuck Fairbanks!
