PHOENIX — The winningest head football coach at the University of Arizona, Dick Tomey passed away on Friday night at the age of 80.
Tomey was the second-longest tenured coach at Arizona and from 1987 to 2000, he led the team to a 95-64-4 record.
In his 14 seasons, the Wildcats went 4-3 in bowl games, including a 1993 Fiesta Bowl win over Miami and a 1998 Holiday Bowl win over Nebraska.
The 1998 team finished with a 12-1 record and ranked No. 4 in the final AP and Coaches Polls, both top marks for Arizona under the head coach.
According to a release from Tomey’s family, the former coach had been battling lung cancer for months.
Donations on Tomey’s behalf can be made to the Dick Tomey Legacy Fund established through the Positive Coaching Alliance.
The fund supports scholarships and programs in Arizona, Hawaii and the Bay Area.
In addition to his time spent at Arizona, Tomey was also the head coach of the University of Hawaii from 1977 to 1986 and coached as an assistant in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers in 2003.
In 1992, Tomey was named the Pac-12 coach of the year.