Buddy Teevens gained national recognition while being the Ivy League Football coach for his dedication to making the game safer during Dartmouth College’s practices. However, in a tragic turn of events, Teevens lost his life at the age of 66 after battling for six months, on September 19.
The world of football is indebted to him for championing inclusivity in college football with the appointment of Callie Brownson as quality control coach. However, his sudden demise has left the football world in shock as they mourned the loss of their beloved coach.
The culmination of the six-month-long battle
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Teevens met with a devastating accident while riding his bike when he was hit by a pickup truck. The incident took place back on March 16 while he was traversing through the St. Augustine area in Florida. Suffering from severe injuries, Teevens underwent amputation surgery on his right leg. Left with an injured spinal cord, Teevens and his wife, Kirsten, relocated to Boston to proceed with the rehabilitation process being nearer to their close ones.
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Detained by immense challenges, Teevens continued to exhibit his resilience and his indomitable spirit encouraged him to fight this battle. During this break, Sammy McCorkle, Teeven’s longtime assistant took up the role as an interim coach for the Dartmouth football team this season. It was McCorkle who informed the team about Teeven’s death. As reported by Scripps News, the Dartmouth College President, Sian Leah Beilock stated in an email, “ Buddy not only was synonymous with Dartmouth football, he was a beloved coach and an innovative, inspirational leader who helped shape the lives of generations of students.”
The football community remembers Teevens’ remarkable coaching career
The man behind the implementation of robotic tackling dummies has left an indelible mark in the world of football. He earned the prestigious title of Ivy League player in the year 1978 leading the Dartmouth team to victory in the league. Besides, Teevens had a widely spanned coaching career as he mentored for several institutions including Stanford, Maine, Illinois, and Florida among others. However, at Dartmouth his coaching tenure has been the longest, spanning 23 long seasons.
Within this significant period, his teams grabbed Ivy League championships five times showcasing his coaching prowess. As a gesture of showing tribute to their beloved coach, during Big Green’s opening match against Leigh on Saturday, there will be a moment of silence before the game.
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It is with heavy hearts that we share that Buddy Teevens '79, the Robert L. Blackman Head @DartmouthFTBL Coach, has died. A Dartmouth original, he will be greatly missed.
Our hearts go out to his loved ones. https://t.co/8r5gSgZbNa
— Dartmouth 🌲 (@dartmouth) September 20, 2023
His coaching ideas have resulted in technological advancements and his pioneering move in reducing full-contact practices has revolutionized player safety in football.
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The football community laments the death of Buddy Teevens, their visionary coach whose endless contributions have helped both the sports world and technology. He will continue to be an idol for future generations for his generous contributions during his lifetime.
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