Frank Gansz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Gansz (born November 22, 1938) was an American football coach of the Kansas City Chiefs from 1987-1988. He later served as the special teams coach for the St. Louis Rams. He was formerly an assistant at the United States Air Force Academy and United States Naval Academy, his alma mater. He recruited players such as George Korson in College, and brought Jason Hanson, among others into the NFL and behind the likes of Mel Gray, established a career worthy of the label "best special teams coach ever"..given to him from Dick Vermeil

He took over as head coach for the Chiefs in 1987 after John Mackovic was fired. In his first year, he finished 4-11( which so happened to be a strike year, where he was voted in by his own players after excelling as the special teams coach), then nearly matched that record the following season with a 4-11-1 mark. Gansz was then fired and replaced by Marty Schottenheimer.

While not successful as a head coach, Gansz is best remembered as one of the best and most influential special teams coaches in NFL history. Gansz was twice named special teams coach of the year, once with the chiefs when his special teams unit set a record for kick blocks in a season, and the other in 1999 with the St Louis Rams, where he helped the Rams go on to the super bowl...Gansz's NFL Career spanned over 23 seasons. Frank resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife Barbara and now speaks around the country at various colleges including the University of Hawaii as well as the University of Pittsburgh

His son, Frank Gansz Jr. was the special teams coach for the Chiefs from 2001-2005. Prior to coaching for the chiefs, Gansz Jr. Spent 3 seasons with the Raiders under John Gruden, and now is the special teams coach as of 2006 with the Baltimore Ravens. Gansz Jr. Left the Ravens in January of 2008 along with Rick Neuheisal, and is now the special teams coordinator of UCLA as of 2008, under Neuheisal. Gansz Jr also coached the top special teams unit in the nation prior to his NFL career at the University of Houston, and is best known for coaching Dante Hall into the end zone 5 times during the 2003 season with the Kansas City chiefs. Gansz Jr also drafted top end punter Dustin Colquitt in 2005.

On February, 20th, 2008, Frank Gansz came out of retirement at age 70, to be named the special teams coach for the SMU Mustangs under new head coach June Jones. Gansz had last coached in 2001 with the Jacksonville Jaguars.