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Posted on Wed, Oct. 28, 2009 11:13 PM
Longtime Chiefs assistant coach Wallis dies
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Darvin Wallis, the second-longest tenured assistant coach in Chiefs history, has died at age 60.
He was in Colorado when he died in his sleep. The cause of his death is unknown.
Wallis accompanied Marty Schottenheimer from Cleveland to Kansas City in 1989 and worked behind the scenes for Schottenheimer, Gunther Cunningham, Dick Vermeil and Herm Edwards as a defensive assistant/quality control coach for 19 years before retiring in January 2008.
Wallis’ tenure with the Chiefs as an assistant ranked second only to Tom Pratt’s 21 years.
“He was at the forefront of the coaching profession’s analysis of trends through video analysis,” Schottenheimer said. “In the role in which he was cast, I’ve never been with one better — the best I was ever involved with.”
Wallis was a member of 14 playoff teams, including nine with the Chiefs and five with Cleveland, where he began coaching under Sam Rutigliano in 1982.
Wallis was one of 19 coaches in NFL history to work for a team in all 10 years of a 100-win decade as Kansas City produced a 102-58 record during ’90-99.
“Darvin was truly at the cutting edge when it came to introducing computer technology into the NFL,” Rutigliano said. “In terms of applying research and development to the strategy of the game, he was at the forefront of that movement.”
Wallis is survived by his wife Vicky and three sons: Tyson, Darvin Jr. and Austin.
A memorial service for Wallis will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Overland Park Baptist Temple, 11648 Antioch Road, Overland Park, Kan., 66210. The Wallis family has requested memorials in honor of Darvin Wallis be directed to Voice of the Martyrs (c/o Brenda Matlock), P.O. Box 443, Bartlesville, Okla., 74005.
Posted on Wed, Oct. 28, 2009 11:13 PM
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