Joseph Dennis Fitzgerald (March 13, 1936 – January 14, 2001) was an American freestyle wrestler and football player and coach. Fitzgerald played college football as a halfback at the University of Michigan and was selected as named the most valuable player on the 1960 Michigan Wolverines football team. He holds the University of Michigan record for the longest kickoff return at 99 yards. Fitzgerald also competed as a wrestler, winning Big Ten Conference championships in 1960 and 1961 and winning a gold medal representing the United States as the 1963 Pan American Games in São Paulo. Fitzgerald spent more than 35 years working as a football coach for several university and professional football teams. He held assistant coaching positions at, among others, the University of Michigan, University of Kentucky, Syracuse University, Tulane University and Grand Valley State University. He was the head football coach at Kent State University from 1975 to 1977 and spent seven years (1982–1988) as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers under head coach Chuck Noll. His final coaching position was as the defensive coordinator for the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League. Early years A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Fitzgerald graduated from St. Thomas High School in 1954. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1954 to 1957. He was a member of the Camp LeJeune wrestling team in 1956 and 1957. University of Michigan Football After being discharged from the Marines, Fitzgerald enrolled at the University of Michigan where he walked on as a 5-foot, 9 inch halfback. He was a starting halfback for Michigan in 1959 and 1960. In October 1960, Fitzgerald had a 99-yard kickoff return against Michigan State. He set the record for the longest kickoff return in University of Michigan history, though Tyrone Wheatley tied the record in September 1992 against Houston. Fitzgerald was among the last American football players to play the game wearing a leather helmet with no face guard. He also ran five miles a day to warm up and developed a reputation as "Michigan's hardest working football player." In October 1960, he came down with a sudden illness that reduced his efficiency in Michigan's 1960 victory over Duke. He caught a touchdown pass in the game but reported that he was not feeling well. The team doctor, Dr. A.W. Coxon, told head coach Bump Elliott, "Denny is just plain tired, and that