Former Detroit Lions, Connecticut and Navy coach Rick Forzano has died at the age of 90, the Lions announced Thursday.
Forzano coached the Lions in 1974 to 1976, compiling a 15-17 record as the team moved from Tiger Stadium to the Silverdome, but his tenure in Detroit is better known for helping to start the career of New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick.
Forzano briefly lived with Belichick's family in 1959 after joining Navy as an assistant coach and asked 10-year-old Bill to break down film.
Years later, after Belichick spent a year as a staff assistant with the Baltimore Colts, Forzano gave the 23-year-old his first full-time NFL job in 1976, first as a special teams assistant and then as wide receivers and tight ends coach.