East/ West Coaches Both From California!

The East West Shrine Game is Jan.19 2008 Get Your Tickets Now!!

EAST TEAM COACH -DICK VERMEIL

One of the most distinguished head coaches in the history of both professional and college football, Vermeil spent 19 seasons as a head coach in the NFL and two years at UCLA. Vermeil is the only head coach to lead teams to victories in both the Super Bowl and the Rose Bowl. He finished his professional career with an overall mark of 126-114 and was 15-5-3 in his two seasons with the Bruins.

A former color analyst for NFL and college football broadcasts from 1983-96, Vermeil returned to the sidelines in 1998, eventually leading the St. Louis Rams to a franchise-best 13-3 mark in 1999 and a victory in Super Bowl XXXIV over Tennessee. Vermeil has been named “Coach of the Year” at four different levels: high school, junior college, NCAA Division I and has earned the honor twice in the NFL.

“To me, the East-West Shrine Game goes back to my childhood and is much deeper,” said Vermeil. “I grew up in Napa Valley in Northern California, and my grandpa was a Shriner. My dad would take me to the East-West Shrine Game every year.

“Now, to have the opportunity to coach in this wonderful game is very exciting.”



WEST TEAM COACH -MIKE WHITE

White spent 47 years coaching at both the college and professional levels, including head-coaching stints at his alma mater, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of Illinois and the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. He compiled an overall collegiate record of 82-71-4, and finished at 15-17 in his two years with the Raiders.

A two-time National Coach of the Year (1975 and 1983), White was the PAC 8 Coach of the Year in 1975 in leading Cal to a PAC 8 Co-Championship with UCLA. Later at Illinois, he led the Illini to a Big 10 Championship in 1983 and was named the Big 10 Coach of the Year in both 1983 and 1985.

“Like Coach Vermeil, I, too, am from Northern California and grew up with the East-West Shrine Game,” added White. “When I was a college coach, I had the pleasure of coaching in the game twice. I guess it comes full circle that I can coach again.

“This is a great cause. The key to the game is the hospital and the hospital visit by the players. It has settled in Houston, which has not only the great services and hospitals for the children, but it also has the facilities and backing from the Houston Texans and the University of Houston.”

The Roster will be posted soon!