Stockton in San Joaquin County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Leadership
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, July 3, 2022
1. Leadership Marker
Inscription.
Leadership. .
Tom Flores ‘58. Tom Flores, who experienced great success as the starting quarterback of the Pacific Tigers in the late 1950s, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, 2021. Flores was the NFL’s first Latino starting quarterback, first Latino head coach in the Super Bowl, the winner of four Super Bowls as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He was the second-winningest coach in Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders history before serving as team president and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks and later a radio broadcaster for the Raiders. Flores came to Pacific in 1956, via Fresno City College, where he played football and baseball. He starred for the Tigers and coach Jack “Moose” Myers for 2 seasons before graduating with honors with a bachelor of arts degree in physical education in 1958. Following his playing career with the Tigers, Flores began coaching at Pacific and worked toward his master’s degree. After on season coaching at Pacific, Flores was invited to try out for the Oakland Raiders of the newly formed American Football League. Flores quareterbacked the Raiders during the inaugural 1960 season. In six seasons with the Raiders, Flores threw for 11,635 yards and 92 touchdowns before he was sent to the Buffalo Bills. He finished his playing career in 1969 as a member of the Kansas City Chief’s Super Bowl-winning team. Following his playing career, his first professional coaching opportunity came in 1971 when Flores was hired as the Bill’s quarterback coach. He was in Buffalo for one season before joining the Raiders as the wide receivers coach under head coach John Madden. After Madden retired from coaching in 1978, Flores became head coach of the Raiders and led the team to a victory in Super Bowl XV, and again three years later after the team had moved to Los Angeles. In nine seasons as the Raider’s head coach, he went 91-56, including an 8-3 playoff record and then later joined the Seattle Seahawks as president and eventually head coach. ”I learned a lot about coaching while working as an assistant at Pacific. The program embraced a culture of honesty and loyalty to its players. I carried those traits with me throughout my career as a coach in the NFL.” - Tom Flores,
Bruce Colset ‘68. Bruce Colset was a standout blocker and receiver as a tight and for the Tigers from 1965-67, tallying 37 catches for 473 yards in 29 games. Colset graduated from Pacific in 1968 with a degree in history and played eight years with the Cincinnati Bengals. As an NFL head coach, he led the New York Jets from 1990-1993 and the Cincinnati Bengals from 1996-2000. Colset took over a New York team that had finished 4-12 in 1989 but he coached the Jets to the playoffs in 1991. As head coach for the Bengals, Colset led Cincinnati to a 7-2 finish in 1996 and their offensive unit was ranked in the NFL’s top 10. Im 1997, Colset’s offense again finished in the top ten in points scored and total yards.,
Pete Carroll ’73, ‘78. Seattle Seahawks Head Coach and Super Bowl Champion Pete Carroll, enjoyed a two year playing career in football at University of the Pacific in the early 1970s. The two-time Pacific graduate is one of only three football coaches who have won both a Super Bowl and a college football national championship, having won the Super Bowl with Seattle in 2013 and two college national championships with the University of Southern California in 2003 and 2004. Carroll played free safety for two years at Pacific, earning All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference honors both years (1971-1972). He graduated from Pacific with his bachelor of science degree in business administration in 1973. Carroll’s energetic and positive personality impressed the Pacific coaching staff, and he was offered a graduate assistant position following his undergraduate playing days. He went on to earn a secondary teaching credential and master’s degree in physical education in 1978, while serving as a graduate assistant for three years working with the wide receivers and defensive backs. After graduating, Carroll later worked as an assistant coach at University of Arkansas, Iowa State, Ohio State and North Carolina State before returning to Pacific in 1983 as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. He then moved to the NFL, where he would eventually become head coach for the New York Jets and New England Patriots before returning to college football as head coach at USC. ”Pacific will always hold a special place in my heart.” - Pete Carroll,
Hue Jackson ‘87. Hue Jackson transferred to Pacific after two standout seasons at Glendale Community College. Jackson played quarterback for the Tigers in 1985 and 1986., throwing for 2,544 yards and 19 touchdowns in his two seasons. He also lettered in basketball in 1986-87 before completing his college degree in physical education in 1987. After a long and distinguished 24-year career as an assistant coach in college and the NFL, Jackson was named head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2011 and led the team to an 8-8 record season. In 2016, Jackson took over the helm of the Cleveland Browns and served as their head coach for 3 seasons. Grambling State University hired Jackson as their head coach in 2022., Pacific may well be considered the “Cradle of Coaches West.” Many former Tiger players went on to become assistant coaches in both professional and college football, while the majority made their mark at the high school and community college level. Four Pacific alumni became head coaches in the NFL, in addition to several Pacific coaches serving as assistants and some became head coaches in the NFL.,
Alumni College Head Coaches. Pete Carroll ’73 ’78 USC 2001-09 . Wayne Hardin ‘46† Navy 1959-64, Temple 1970-82 . Walt Harris ’68 Pacific 1989-1991, Pittsburgh 1997-04, Stanford 2006-06 . Hue Jackson ’87 Grambling State 2022- . Greg Robinson ’75 Syracuse 2005-08 . Doug Scovil ’52 Pacific 1966-69, San Diego State 1981-85 . Ron Turner San Jose State 1992, Illinois 1997-04, Florida International 2013-16 †Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame,
Pacific Football Head Coaches. 1919 George Sperry . 1920 Paul McCoy . 1921-32 Erwin “Swede” Righter . 1933-46 Amos Alonzo Stagg . 1947-50 Larry Siemering . 1951-52 Ernie George . 1953-60 Jack “Moose” Myers . 1961-63 Joh Rohde . 1964-65 Don Campora . 1966-69 Doug Scovil . 1970-71 Homer Smith . 1972-78 Chester Caddas . 1979-82 Bob Toledo . 1983-88 Bob Cope . 1989-91 Walt Harris . 1992-95 Chuck Shelton, Erwin “Swede” Righter (1921-32) “Swede” Righter followed George Sperry and Paul McCoy as the first coaches in Pacific history, and was the first to serve more than one season. Righter’s 12-year tenure and 54 wins are second only to Stagg’s 59 victories in 14 seasons. He guided COP to its first winning season in his first year as coach, and his six straight winning campaigns through 1927 remained a school record. A charter member of the Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame, Righter also served the second longest tenure as head coach in Pacific men’s basketball history – 12 years – compiling an 88-75 record from 1922-1933., Larry Siemering (1947-50) Larry Siemering is the winningest coach by percentage in Tiger history (35-5-3, .875). He finished 10-1 in his first season in 947, claiming a CCAA championship and offering a glimpse of the future. His 1949 team, led by All-American and Heisman Trophy contender Eddie LeBaron, destroyed its competition, finishing 11-0 and earning a no. 10-national ranking by the Associated Press. Siemering began his Pacific career as a Stagg assistant in 1942, and was largely credited with building what was considered the strongest line in the West in 1943. He was inducted as a charter member of Pacific’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982., Jack “Moose” Myers (1953-60) Pacific’s gridiron boss for eight years, “Moose” Myers guided COP to five straight winning seasons from 1954 to 1959 and posted an overall record of 39-33-5. Standout players and Pacific Hall of Famers such as All-Americans Ken Buck and Dick Bass, and QB Tom Flores highlighted Myers’ tenure at Pacific. A total of 20 players from his team were selected in the NFL Draft. He was an assistant to Ernie Jorge when the Tigers advanced to back-to-back Sun Bowls on New Year’s Day in 1952 and 1953 and was inducted into Pacific’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983. , Doug Scovil (1966-69) A Pacific quarterback during Bowl years in 1950 and 1951, Doug Scovil originally was the backup to Eddie LeBaron in 1949. He returned as the team’s head coach following years of de-emphasis in the early 1960s, guiding the Tigers through a revival era which resulted in 6-4 and 7-3 finishes in 1968 and 1969, respectively. Scovil’s 1969 club also helped usher in the beginning of the PCAA, now the Big West Conference. Two eventual longtime NFL pros earmarked his reign, QB Bob Lee and LB Bob Heinz. Scovil finished with an overall record of 21-19 during his four seasons at the helm of the Tigers. He was inducted as a member of Pacific’s Athletic Hall of Fame during the 1996-97 school year., Chester Caddas (1972-1978) The Tiger’s boss through seven years in the 1970s, Chester Caddas used a ball-control offense and hard-hitting defense to post four winning seasons and become the only coach in Pacific history to boast a winning record (15-14-1) in PCAA/Big West Conference Play. He ended his Pacific career at 38-38-2 with the help of such stars as RB Willard Harrell, OG Willie Viney, and LB Brad Vassar. Named NorCal Coach of the Year in 1972 when Pacific finished 8-3 and ranked 5th nationally in rushing defense, Caddas is remembered for the slew of former players and assistants who went on to become successful coaches or administrators in college and the NFL. He was inducted into the Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.
Tom Flores ‘58
Tom Flores, who experienced great success as the starting quarterback of the Pacific Tigers in the late 1950s, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on August 8, 2021.
Flores was the NFL’s first Latino starting quarterback, first Latino head coach in the Super Bowl, the winner of four Super Bowls as a player, assistant coach and head coach. He was the second-winningest coach in Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders history before serving as team president and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks and later a radio broadcaster for the Raiders.
Flores came to Pacific in 1956, via Fresno City College, where he played football and baseball. He starred for the Tigers and coach Jack “Moose” Myers for 2 seasons before graduating with honors with a bachelor of arts degree in physical education in 1958.
Following his playing career with the Tigers, Flores began coaching at Pacific and worked toward his master’s degree. After on season coaching at Pacific, Flores was invited to try out for the Oakland Raiders of the newly formed American Football League.
Flores quareterbacked the Raiders during the inaugural 1960 season. In six seasons with the Raiders, Flores threw for 11,635 yards and 92 touchdowns before he was sent to the Buffalo Bills. He finished his playing career in 1969 as a
Click or scan to see this page online
member of the Kansas City Chief’s Super Bowl-winning team.
Following his playing career, his first professional coaching opportunity came in 1971 when Flores was hired as the Bill’s quarterback coach. He was in Buffalo for one season before joining the Raiders as the wide receivers coach under head coach John Madden.
After Madden retired from coaching in 1978, Flores became head coach of the Raiders and led the team to a victory in Super Bowl XV, and again three years later after the team had moved to Los Angeles. In nine seasons as the Raider’s head coach, he went 91-56, including an 8-3 playoff record and then later joined the Seattle Seahawks as president and eventually head coach. ”I learned a lot about coaching while working as an assistant at Pacific. The program embraced a culture of honesty and loyalty to its players. I carried those traits with me throughout my career as a coach in the NFL.” - Tom Flores
Bruce Colset ‘68
Bruce Colset was a standout blocker and receiver as a tight and for the Tigers from 1965-67, tallying 37 catches for 473 yards in 29 games. Colset graduated from Pacific in 1968 with a degree in history and played eight years with the Cincinnati Bengals. As an NFL head coach, he led the New York Jets from 1990-1993 and the Cincinnati Bengals from 1996-2000. Colset took over a New
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, July 3, 2022
2. Leadership Marker
York team that had finished 4-12 in 1989 but he coached the Jets to the playoffs in 1991. As head coach for the Bengals, Colset led Cincinnati to a 7-2 finish in 1996 and their offensive unit was ranked in the NFL’s top 10. Im 1997, Colset’s offense again finished in the top ten in points scored and total yards.
Pete Carroll ’73, ‘78
Seattle Seahawks Head Coach and Super Bowl Champion Pete Carroll, enjoyed a two year playing career in football at University of the Pacific in the early 1970s.
The two-time Pacific graduate is one of only three football coaches who have won both a Super Bowl and a college football national championship, having won the Super Bowl with Seattle in 2013 and two college national championships with the University of Southern California in 2003 and 2004.
Carroll played free safety for two years at Pacific, earning All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference honors both years (1971-1972). He graduated from Pacific with his bachelor of science degree in business administration in 1973.
Carroll’s energetic and positive personality impressed the Pacific coaching staff, and he was offered a graduate assistant position following his undergraduate playing days. He went on to earn a secondary teaching credential and master’s degree in physical education in 1978, while serving as a graduate assistant for three years working
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, July 3, 2022
3. Stagg Memorial Football Plaza
with the wide receivers and defensive backs.
After graduating, Carroll later worked as an assistant coach at University of Arkansas, Iowa State, Ohio State and North Carolina State before returning to Pacific in 1983 as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.
He then moved to the NFL, where he would eventually become head coach for the New York Jets and New England Patriots before returning to college football as head coach at USC. ”Pacific will always hold a special place in my heart.” - Pete Carroll
Hue Jackson ‘87
Hue Jackson transferred to Pacific after two standout seasons at Glendale Community College. Jackson played quarterback for the Tigers in 1985 and 1986., throwing for 2,544 yards and 19 touchdowns in his two seasons. He also lettered in basketball in 1986-87 before completing his college degree in physical education in 1987. After a long and distinguished 24-year career as an assistant coach in college and the NFL, Jackson was named head coach of the Oakland Raiders in 2011 and led the team to an 8-8 record season. In 2016, Jackson took over the helm of the Cleveland Browns and served as their head coach for 3 seasons. Grambling State University hired Jackson as their head coach in 2022.
Pacific may well be considered the “Cradle of Coaches West.” Many former Tiger players
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, July 3, 2022
4. Stagg Memorial Football Plaza
went on to become assistant coaches in both professional and college football, while the majority made their mark at the high school and community college level. Four Pacific alumni became head coaches in the NFL, in addition to several Pacific coaches serving as assistants and some became head coaches in the NFL.
Alumni College Head Coaches
Pete Carroll ’73 ’78 USC 2001-09 • Wayne Hardin ‘46† Navy 1959-64, Temple 1970-82 • Walt Harris ’68 Pacific 1989-1991, Pittsburgh 1997-04, Stanford 2006-06 • Hue Jackson ’87 Grambling State 2022- • Greg Robinson ’75 Syracuse 2005-08 • Doug Scovil ’52 Pacific 1966-69, San Diego State 1981-85 • Ron Turner San Jose State 1992, Illinois 1997-04, Florida International 2013-16
†Inducted into College Football Hall of Fame
Pacific Football Head Coaches
1919 George Sperry • 1920 Paul McCoy • 1921-32 Erwin “Swede” Righter • 1933-46 Amos Alonzo Stagg • 1947-50 Larry Siemering • 1951-52 Ernie George • 1953-60 Jack “Moose” Myers • 1961-63 Joh Rohde • 1964-65 Don Campora • 1966-69 Doug Scovil • 1970-71 Homer Smith • 1972-78 Chester Caddas • 1979-82 Bob Toledo • 1983-88 Bob Cope • 1989-91 Walt Harris • 1992-95 Chuck Shelton
Erwin “Swede” Righter (1921-32)
“Swede” Righter followed George Sperry and Paul McCoy as the first coaches in Pacific history,
and was the first to serve more than one season. Righter’s 12-year tenure and 54 wins are second only to Stagg’s 59 victories in 14 seasons. He guided COP to its first winning season in his first year as coach, and his six straight winning campaigns through 1927 remained a school record. A charter member of the Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame, Righter also served the second longest tenure as head coach in Pacific men’s basketball history – 12 years – compiling an 88-75 record from 1922-1933.
Larry Siemering (1947-50)
Larry Siemering is the winningest coach by percentage in Tiger history (35-5-3, .875). He finished 10-1 in his first season in 947, claiming a CCAA championship and offering a glimpse of the future. His 1949 team, led by All-American and Heisman Trophy contender Eddie LeBaron, destroyed its competition, finishing 11-0 and earning a no. 10-national ranking by the Associated Press. Siemering began his Pacific career as a Stagg assistant in 1942, and was largely credited with building what was considered the strongest line in the West in 1943. He was inducted as a charter member of Pacific’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1982.
Jack “Moose” Myers (1953-60)
Pacific’s gridiron boss for eight years, “Moose” Myers guided COP to five straight winning seasons from 1954 to 1959 and posted an overall record of 39-33-5. Standout players and Pacific Hall of Famers such as All-Americans Ken Buck and Dick Bass, and QB Tom Flores highlighted Myers’ tenure at Pacific. A total of 20 players from his team were selected in the NFL Draft. He was an assistant to Ernie Jorge when the Tigers advanced to back-to-back Sun Bowls on New Year’s Day in 1952 and 1953 and was inducted into Pacific’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983.
Doug Scovil (1966-69)
A Pacific quarterback during Bowl years in 1950 & 1951, Doug Scovil originally was the backup to Eddie LeBaron in 1949. He returned as the team’s head coach following years of de-emphasis in the early 1960s, guiding the Tigers through a revival era which resulted in 6-4 and 7-3 finishes in 1968 and 1969, respectively. Scovil’s 1969 club also helped usher in the beginning of the PCAA, now the Big West Conference. Two eventual longtime NFL pros earmarked his reign, QB Bob Lee and LB Bob Heinz. Scovil finished with an overall record of 21-19 during his four seasons at the helm of the Tigers. He was inducted as a member of Pacific’s Athletic Hall of Fame during the 1996-97 school year.
Chester Caddas (1972-1978)
The Tiger’s boss through seven years in the 1970s, Chester Caddas used a ball-control offense and hard-hitting defense to post four winning seasons and become the only coach in Pacific history to boast a winning record (15-14-1) in PCAA/Big West Conference Play. He ended his Pacific career at 38-38-2 with the help of such stars as RB Willard Harrell, OG Willie Viney, and LB Brad Vassar. Named NorCal Coach of the Year in 1972 when Pacific finished 8-3 and ranked 5th nationally in rushing defense, Caddas is remembered for the slew of former players and assistants who went on to become successful coaches or administrators in college and the NFL. He was inducted into the Pacific Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.
Erected by University of the Pacific.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Sports.
Location. 37° 58.665′ N, 121° 18.956′ W. Marker is in Stockton, California, in San Joaquin County. Marker can be reached from Larry Heller Drive. The marker is mounted to a red brick masonry pillar in the Stagg Memorial Football Plaza on the University of the Pacific campus. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1163 Larry Heller Drive, Stockton CA 95211, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 1, 2022. It was originally submitted on July 24, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 82 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 26, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
