Former North Carolina State football coach Dick Sheridan, who helped transform the program in the late 1980s and early 1990s, died Thursday, the university announced.
He was 81 years old.
Sheridan died near his home in South Carolina after a brief illness, the school said. Details are not known.
“I have such great respect for Coach Sheridan and I am saddened to hear this news,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said in a statement. “He did so much to build NC State’s football program and impacted many players, coaches and staff during his tenure. I’ve enjoyed getting to know him during my time here.”
Sheridan got his start as a coach at Furman, where he spent four seasons. He led the Paladins to the Division I-AA (now known as FCS) title game in 1985, where they lost by two runs to Georgia Southern, and he holds the league’s best winning percentage. Furman’s story.
Sheridan then made the jump to NC State in 1986 and resumed a program that had three consecutive 3–8 seasons. He compiled an overall record of 59-29-3 in seven seasons with the Wolfpack and reached one game good luck in all seasons except one.
Sheridan then resigned after the 1992 season, citing health reasons and the death of his friend and NC State basketball coach Jim Valvano. He was no longer a coach. Sheridan was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2020.
“Today is an incredibly sad day for me personally, as well as so many others, to learn of the passing of revered coach Dick Sheridan,” said Furman coach Clay Hendrix, who played for Sheridan at Furman and coached with him at NC State, said in a statement. “The lessons he taught and the example he set for so many still resonate with us all. I can assure you there is a group of older guys like me with incredibly heavy hearts today. The class, integrity, care for his players and competitiveness he always displayed will forever be among those who knew him. What he accomplished at Furman was nothing short of remarkable. impact he had on so many young men will last for years to come. He was such a special man, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Sheridan family.”