Former Texas Longhorns linebacker and assistant coach Tim Doerr dies at 81
AUSTIN - Former Texas linebacker and assistant football coach Tim Doerr has died after a long illness, his family has confirmed. He was 81.
Doerr had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for several years but died peacefully at his home Wednesday in Naples, Fla., with his wife, Sally, and sons Brandon and Michael at his side. He is also survived by a daughter, Peggy Doerr.
Doerr played during three of the best football seasons in school history, part of a recruiting class that won Texas' first national championship with a perfect 11-0 record in 1963 - its first 11-win season - and posted an impressive 30-2-1 record from 1962 to 1964.
The Longhorns' only losses during that three-year span were a 13-0 defeat by LSU in the 1963 Cotton Bowl and a 14-13 blemish against No. 8 Arkansas in 1964.
"We're all burnt orange in our family," said Brandon Doerr, who got his master's degree from the Red McCombs School of Business. "We were so proud of him and all his accomplishments."
Tim's wife, Sally, and Michael are both UT graduates.
Doerr, a native of Cleburne like former linebacker and head Longhorns coach David McWilliams and linebacker great Pat Culpepper, served as an assistant coach under Darrell Royal from 1969 to 1976. He worked with the linebackers and later the defensive backs and retired from coaching when Royal stepped down in December 1976.
Doerr was a team captain on the 1964 team and a big contributor on teams that included All-Americans Tommy Nobis and Scott Appleton.
That Texas defense in 1963 held eight opponents to a touchdown or less that season, including three shutouts of Tulane, Baylor and TCU, and gave up just 10 touchdowns all year.
Texas drubbed Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach and No. 2 Navy 28-6 in the Cotton Bowl. The next year the Longhorns finished 10-1, and only that narrow defeat by Arkansas kept them from back-to-back national crowns.
Before that, Doerr coached high school football in three stops, two as an assistant in Corpus Christi and at Abilene High under McWilliams, before becoming head coach at Liberty. He was a high school math teacher.
After retiring from coaching, Tim and Sally moved to Westfield, N.J. - her hometown - where they operated a successful memorial business.
A memorial service is set for Sept. 28 at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield with visitation scheduled for Sept. 27 at the Gray Funeral Home.
This story was originally published September 19, 2024, 6:48 PM.
