Longtime Arizona Cardinals personnel executive and former Oklahoma State coach Jim Stanley died Thursday at his home in Chandler, Ariz., after a two-year battle with cancer. He was 77.
Stanley served as the Cardinals' defensive line coach for one season (1995) before moving into the team’s scouting department, where he spent 12 seasons until he retired in 2008.
His coaching career included a six-year tenure as head coach at Oklahoma State. He had a 35-31-2 record while leading the Cowboys from 1973-78.
“Football meant so much to Jim Stanley, and he meant so much to all of us who had the pleasure of knowing him,” Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill said in a statement. “Even in the last year or so, that I know had been difficult for him, he was still able to follow the sport closely and I know was very excited earlier this month when Oklahoma State was here for the Fiesta Bowl. All of us at the Cardinals and throughout the football community send our condolences to the entire Stanley family.”
A Kentucky native, Stanley was a three-year letterman at guard and defensive tackle at Texas A&M, where he played for legendary head coach Bear Bryant. He was a member of Bryant’s “Junction Boys” at Texas A&M, as well as the Aggies’ undefeated conference championship team in 1956.
Stanley was an assistant coach at SMU, Texas-El Paso, Oklahoma State and Navy before he was named Oklahoma State's head coach in 1973.
He went on to serve as an assistant coach for the New York Giants (1979) and Atlanta Falcons (1980-82) before he served as head coach of the United State Football League's Michigan Panthers from 1983-84. He returned to the NFL as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1986) and Houston Oilers before joining the Cardinals organization.
Stanley is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sylvia; daughters, Rhonda and Starlyn; sons, Mark and Matthew; 10 grandchildren; and four great grandchildren.
Services are pending.
