Billy Michael, a senior co-captain and lineman on Coach Frank Broyles' first Arkansas football team in 1958, died Friday. He was 81.
Michael, a Blytheville native, had a long career in college coaching, including a stint as Texas-El Paso's head coach from 1977-81, before retiring after the 2000 season. He was an assistant coach at Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Texas-El Paso, Southern Mississippi and North Texas.
Michael was a teammate of Barry Switzer's at Arkansas and coached with him at Oklahoma.
"I called him Billy Gene Michael," said Switzer, who as a head coach won three national championships at Oklahoma and a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.