Former Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Frank Gansz Jr. dies at 64
Former Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Frank Gansz Jr. has died. He was 64 years old.
Former Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Frank Gansz Jr. has died.
He was 64 years old.
Gansz Jr. began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Kansas in 1987. He coached special teams at Pittsburgh, Army, Houston, and UCLA, among other colleges en route to the National Football League.
Gansz Jr. served as the Chiefs’ special teams coordinator from 2001 through 2005, coaching up franchise greats like Dante Hall, Lawrence Tynes, and even a rookie Dustin Colquitt. He spent nine seasons as an NFL special teams coordinator, including stints with the Oakland Raiders (1998 through 1999) and Baltimore Ravens (2006 through 2007).
Northeastern State University head coach Darrin Chiaverini announced the news Tuesday morning, Aug. 18, with a touching post on X.
This is a tough post to write. One of my coaching mentors and friend Frank Gansz Jr passed away over the weekend. “Frankie” was one of the best coaches and teachers I have been around in my career. I was his assistant (at UCLA) in 2009 and I enjoyed everyday being around Coach Gansz! He taught you about more than football…he taught you about life! I will forever miss you “Frankie”…Love you always for everything you did for our family and who you were as a person! Rest in paradise
Darrin chiaverini
Northeastern State University Head Coach
Our friends at Chief Concerns encapsulated what he did for the franchise: “(Frank Gansz Jr.) helped build one of the most dynamic special teams units in the NFL. Under his leadership, Kansas City led the NFL in both punt return and kickoff return average in 2003, while Dante Hall became one of the most electric returners in league history.”
Hall became a First-Team All-Pro return specialist and a two-time Pro Bowler under Gansz Jr.’s watch.
Gansz Jr. most recently served as the special teams coordinator for the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks. He worked under head coach Ricky Proehl this past spring. The team finished 6-4 and reached the UFL semifinals in the playoffs.
The Gansz family has longtime coaching ties to the Chiefs
Funny enough, Gansz Jr. was actually the second one in his family to serve as Chiefs special teams coordinator. Gansz Jr.’s father, Frank Gansz Sr., coached the Chiefs as head football coach during the 1987 and 1988 seasons. He also served as tight ends coach from 1981-1982, and special teams coordinator in 1986. Unfortunately, in his two seasons as head coach, Gansz Sr. put up an 8-22-1 record. Marty Schottenheimer took over as the franchise head coach in 1989, and Gansz Sr. became the special teams coordinator for the Detroit Lions.
