George Darlington cemented his legendary legacy around Nebraska football, serving as the longest-tenured assistant coach in the program's history. He passed away in Lincoln on Sunday morning at the age of 87, per Cornhuskers Wire.

He spent 30 seasons at Nebraska from 1973 to 2002.

Tom Osborne hired him as defensive ends coach in 1973, Osborne's very first season as Nebraska's head coach. Darlington held that role for 13 years before becoming the defensive backs coach in 1986.

He was the sole assistant remaining throughout all 25 seasons of Osborne's tenure as head coach. Subsequently, he coached defensive backs for five more seasons under Frank Solich after Osborne's retirement in 1997.

Nebraska achieved an impressive record of 304-65-3 over 30 seasons during his tenure, leading the nation in both wins and winning percentage.

The Huskers won three national championships in 1994, 1995, and 1997, along with 14 conference titles. They finished in the top 10 nationally 21 times during his run, and played in a bowl game every single season he was on staff.

He began his coaching career at Arthur L. Johnson Regional High School in New Jersey in 1962, later moved to San Jose State, and then joined Lincoln under Osborne.

After Nebraska, Darlington kept coaching at Marshall, Louisiana Tech, Southeast Missouri State, and San Diego. He officially retired in 2010.

Darlington Stayed Connected to Nebraska Long After He Stepped Away From Coaching

Even in retirement, Darlington never really left the program. He taught a Football 101 class for decades, both during his coaching career and well after it ended.

He wrote a 150-page textbook on Husker-style football in the 1990s, covering everything from offense and defense to officials' signals.

He remained a regular presence at Nebraska practices in his later years and was a familiar face in the Memorial Stadium press box on game days. For generations of players and fans, he was simply part of the program.

George Darlington was 87 years old. Three national championships and 30 years on the sideline tell part of his story. The decades he spent teaching the game to anyone willing to learn tell the rest of it.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore