RIP George Deleone

[Scooch]

Ugh, 73 is wayyyyyyy too young.

 

[orangemass]

RIP George... Seemed like a great guy...

 

[Jake]

The two phrases that immediately come to mind with George are “freeze option” and “mad scientist”. Good job by Mink to get them in that piece, even though he wasn’t here for George.

Hope they reach to forner coaches and players and do a more in depth piece.

He deserves it.

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[Cuse1992]

The best - the bomb on first play from scrimmage 1987.
The low - run run pass (too short) kick - and the pizza box placed on the window

 

[SU94]

For those too young, he was a football coach, yes, but maybe more so, he was a football servant.

Came back for second tenure at SU and served as defensive coordinator IIRC.
Hard to believe that he was never a HC, but he seemed to be the type that never would care about that.

Very sad, of course, but I have to think he lived his life as he wanted, in the game, so there is that.

Condolences to his football family, including the old guard at SU.

 

[OrangePA]

Sadly, I heard today from a reliable source that former SU Offensive/defensive Coordinator George Deleone passed away from cancer. The man contributed a lot to Syracuse and the game of football. Will be missed

A great man.

A great coach.

Honest, ethical, hardworking beyond compare and remarkably intelligent.

A wonderful husband and father of two very successful sons.

Many will never understand or appreciate the enormous impact he had on Syracuse University Football.

 

[OrangePA]

Except Mungro was a Parade All American/PA Player of the Year and Reyes was the #2 RB in Ohio behind his cousin (Maurice Clarett).

All of that to say DeLeone was as good a recruiter as he was innovator.

I remember discussing Reyes with some well connected individuals in advance of the 2004 Florida State game in the Dome.

I was told that Walter would not get on the field for the Seminoles.

 

[Chip]

and the pizza box placed on the window

He was a good sport about the pizza box play call thing. I recall his quote being something along of the lines of I was thinking of trying it at that point.

Some of those games in the 90s took your breath away. (and your liver).

 

[Pyle]

RIP Coach. You helped define an era and a damn fine one at that.

 

[IthacaMatt]

The two phrases that immediately come to mind with George are “freeze option” and “mad scientist”. Good job by Mink to get them in that piece, even though he wasn’t here for George.

Hope they reach to forner coaches and players and do a more in depth piece.

He deserves it.

For me, I remember DeLeone as one of the very best O line coaches ever. How many O line coaches do you even know the name of, right?

 

[ForCuseSake]

I remember discussing Reyes with some well connected individuals in advance of the 2004 Florida State game in the Dome.

I was told that Walter would not get on the field for the Seminoles.

Burt Reynolds told you that!?!

 

[OrangeXtreme]

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[cusefan88]

His wife Roberta (who also passed from cancer probably 15 years ago maybe) always had a funny line.

If the house was flooding and it was between his football tapes and her to save...he would save the tapes. RIP George. He was a really nice guy. His son Mark coaches and my thoughts are with him and his brother.

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[CuseLegacy]

 

[MadNY3]

Oh man. I really loved George. Got to know him well through the recruiting process. Some memories that stick out to me:

Things George yelled at me during an elite camp. For those that don’t know, I was a 6’3 320 pound OL/DL that went through the recruiting process with Cuse. He wanted me to focus on OL. I loved DL. The amount of times he screamed at me through a megaphone. “Insert swear word, Roe. RamRod your ****ing back.

I went up against former Cuse OL Adam Rosner in a 1V1 and put him on his ass with a bulrush (no pads). “JFC Roe, if you think that makes you a DL, you’re FOS.”

“Hey Roe; I bet you were even a fat baby.”

He was tough, but you knew he cared.

My junior year of HS when I tore my knee up for the third time in a game against APW, I was laying in the ER when he unexpectedly stopped by my room. He sat with me for a while. At the end of the end of the conversation, he told me there’s not too many 320 pounds with three knee surgeries that get full scholarships. I asked if that meant my dream of playing for Cuse was over. He told me he knew I would be successful. Growing up without a father, I appreciated how candid he was but you could tell he cared.

Hope he rests in peace.

Wow. This is a great story and thanks for sharing.

There is GOOD in this Forum.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

The best - the bomb on first play from scrimmage 1987.
The low - run run pass (too short) kick - and the pizza box placed on the window

What was the pizza box thing again?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

What was the pizza box thing again?

We were having a hard time moving the ball against Va Tech one year, so fans were drawing plays on empty pizza boxes and holding them up to the glass around the coaches box.

 

[SWC75]

I was surprised when he didn't get the head coaching job when Mac left. He and Coach P certainly contributed a great deal to the Syracuse football program and created a generation of fans that will never forget them.

Both were much criticized toward the end by many, (including me) but we've never gotten the program back to the level it was when they were coaching. Now the same thing has happened to the lacrosse program and is happening to the basketball program. Hopefully we can learn from what happened to the football program and appreciate what we have and how hard it can be to maintain success.

 

[tipphill]

Sadly, I heard today from a reliable source that former SU Offensive/defensive Coordinator George Deleone passed away from cancer. The man contributed a lot to Syracuse and the game of football. Will be missed

ditto--- except he has been missed

 

[OrangePA]

Listen to the interview.

Daryl Johnston captures the essence of Coach Deleone so well.

 

[Millhouse]

Sadly, I heard today from a reliable source that former SU Offensive/defensive Coordinator George Deleone passed away from cancer. The man contributed a lot to Syracuse and the game of football. Will be missed

I'm just seeing this, that is too bad. I've heard some funny stories from a former lineman so played for him, he sounded like a fun character