This is fun for me. Old friend Allen Lessels has a very entertaining story about the retirement of old friend John Lyons, the former head football coach at Dartmouth and until now the accomplished defensive coordinator at New Hampshire.
This will bring a chuckle to those who knew Lyons during a 13-year run as Big Green head coach highlighted by a 10-0 season in 1996:
DURHAM, N.H. – Casey DeAndrade was "Spicoli," the young, go-his-own-way man, played by Sean Penn in the popular 1982 movie "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."Defensive back Steven Thames was "Stevie Wonder."
Offensive lineman Mickey DiLima was, "Cut me, Mick" from the Rocky movies.
And Mike Murphy, UNH's associate athletic director for marketing & communications, has long been labeled "Murph the Surf."
John Lyons tagged a large number of the players – and other team personnel – whom he came in contact with over his nearly half a century of coaching football with assorted nicknames through the years.
When Lyons retired last week after running the University of New Hampshire defense as defensive coordinator for head coach Sean McDonnell for the last decade, he left with his own colorful nickname.
He was "Blue" to a decade's worth of Wildcat football players: "Blue" – the fun-loving, much-older gentleman who meets his untimely demise in "Old School," the Will Ferrell movie.
"I'd argue some people didn't even know Coach Lyons' real name," said DeAndrade, an All American cornerback for the Wildcats who now is an assistant football coach at Holy Cross. "He was always 'Blue.'"
Find the full story HERE.
Green Alert Take: Among my favorite Lyons player nicknames when he was at Dartmouth were "Concrete Charlie," "Billy Idol" and "Fred." Among his assistants at one point were, "Scrapper," "Bopper" and "Sloppo."
Green Alert Take II: Whooee, would I like to see a video of JL's Dust in the Wind performance.
Green Alert Take III: Congratulations to "JL," who has earned the right to spend more time with his nine grandchildren.
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EXTRA POINT
The football season is over. My big end-of-year project is done. Now if I can find my Kindle I'll find out if I still know how to read. But first . . . time to finish Christmas shopping. I'm outta here.
