Professional Football Head Coach. He coached the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1974 to 1976. Born Richard Edward Forzano, he turned to coaching after a high school eye injury ended his football playing career. He started his coaching career at two Akron, Ohio high schools before joining the College of Wooster as an assistant in 1956. He went on to Kent State University to be an assistant coach before beginning a five-year stretch at the United States Naval Academy as an assistant in 1959. It was at the Naval Academy where he helped recruit future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach. From 1964 to 1965, he served as the head coach at the University of Connecticut. In 1966, he moved on to the professional level, first as an assistant coach with the NFL's St. Louis Cardinals and then with the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals. In 1969, he became the head football coach of the United States Naval Academy and served in this position for four years before resigning in February of 1973. Later that year, he became an assistant coach under Don McCafferty with the NFL's Detroit Lions. He served as an assistant under McCafferty until July 28, 1974 when he was named the head coach of the team after McCafferty's sudden passing of a heart attack. He went on to coach the Lions for 2 and half seasons before resigning on October 4, 1976. His win-loss record with the Lions was 15-17. After his tenure with the Lions, he left coaching and started his own company, Rick Forzano Associates, a company that introduces domestic and international companies to the U.S. Government, military, heavy truck and automotive industry. He also served as a football color analyst for both ABC-TV and NBC radio.