DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Texan Hayden Fry, who went on to a Hall of Fame college football coaching career, has died at the age of 90.
Born in Eastland and playing high school football in Odessa, Fry traced his Texas roots back to a great-great-grandfather who fought under Sam Houston. at the battle of San Jacinto.
Playing for Baylor in the late 40s, his coaching career included eleven seasons at SMU and six at North Texas State (now UNT) before a 20 year stretch at Iowa where he finished his career with 232 victories.
Fry's greatest season at Iowa was 1985, when the Hawkeyes were No. 1 in the AP rankings for five weeks and had Heisman Trophy runner-up Chuck Long at quarterback. Iowa finished 10-2 as Big Ten champions and ranked 10th in the country. He coached three Rose Bowls with Iowa, though he never won one.
Fry's family announced through the University of Iowa that the former coach died Tuesday with his family at his side after a long battle with cancer. He had been living in the Dallas area with his wife, Shirley.
Funeral services are not yet final.