Dick MacPherson, who resurrected a declining football program at Syracuse University and returned it to national prominence, died on Tuesday at his home in Syracuse. He was 86.
His death was announced by the university, which did not specify the cause.
MacPherson had a relatively brief coaching career in professional football, including a disappointing stint as head coach of the New England Patriots. But it was in college ball that he made his greatest mark.
He arrived at Syracuse before the 1981 season, replacing Frank Maloney and taking over a program that had slumped through a decade of mediocrity, in which it produced only three winning seasons.