Former OU Assistant Football Coach Larry Lacewell Dies At 85

A former assistant coach who coached alongside and under Barry Switzer at Oklahoma has died.

Larry Lacewell, 85, is an Arkansas native who spent 10 total seasons in various coaching capacities for the Sooners beginning in the mid-1960s. He returned to Norman in 1969 and coached there until 1977.

Lacewell was the football program’s freshman coach in 1966. Upon his return in 1969, he served as the Sooners’ defensive ends coach, defensive coordinator (1970-1972) and later became Switzer’s associate head coach as well as his defensive coordinator from 1973 to 1977.

Lacewell’s coaching career then took him back to his home state of Arkansas. He was Arkansas State’s head football coach from 1979 to 1989. He guided ASU to 69 victories, two Southland Conference titles and an appearance in the 1986 Division I-AA National Championship Game. Lacewell was also Arkansas State's athletic director.

He joined the Dallas Cowboys in 1992 as the director of college scouting. Two years later, the Cowboys hired Switzer -- Lacewell’s old boss – to lead Dallas following the departure of ex-Oklahoma State and Super Bowl-winning head coach Jimmy Johnson.

Longtime Dallas Cowboys reporter Ed Werder shared a personal memory with Lacewell.

Lacewell retired from his scouting role from the Cowboys following the 2004 season.