BYU legend LaVell Edwards, who influenced Andy Reid’s coaching career, dies

The Chiefs’ Andy Reid didn’t seriously consider becoming a coach until LaVell Edwards suggested it.

According to a 2005 story in the Deseret News, Reid was finishing his college career as a Brigham Young offensive lineman when Edwards asked if Reid had thought about being a coach. “You’d be a good one,” Edwards said.

Edwards, 86, a college coaching icon, died on Thursday.

Reid became a graduate assistant at BYU, climbed the ranks in college, including Missouri, to the NFL. He has the Chiefs headed to their third playoff appearance in four years.

After two years in junior college, Reid spent three years in the BYU program as a player, redshirting in 1978 while recovering from a knee injury and two years on the Cougars’ line.

It was then Edwards noticed Reid would not only understand his assignments but was helping other offensive linemen with theirs. And Reid wanted to understand concepts.

When his playing days ended, Reid joined the staff as a graduate assistant working with Edwards and assistant coach Mike Holmgren, who won a Super Bowl as the Packers head coach.

In 1983, Edwards also recommended Reid for his first full-time coaching position, as an assistant at San Francisco State.

A few years later, Edwards reached the pinnacle of his career, leading Brigham Young to an undefeated season in 1984 and the national championship.

From 1972-2000, Edwards amassed a 257-101-3 record. His entire career as a head coach was spent at BYU, where he served as an assistant before becoming the head coach. Edwards was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.

This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 1:34 PM with the headline "BYU legend LaVell Edwards, who influenced Andy Reid’s coaching career, dies."