Rest in Peace, Howard "Red" Hickey
The man who was coaching the 49ers when I was born...died yesterday in his home in Santa Cruz of natural causes. He was 89 years old. Hickey coached the Niners for 4 years, where he helped develop the original shotgun formation. He was the first HC to use the shotgun as a primary offensive set in the NFL. When Red left SF in 1963, he was hired by Dallas HC Tom Landry to come in and help teach what Dallas later dubbed "the spread offense" under Roger Staubach. Red worked with Dallas as a scout and consultant until 1986.
A very bright fella...and a great "football guy."
Red Hickey in the center, enjoying a breakfast of coffee and gameplanning with assistant Jack Myers (left) and Dick Vores (right) 
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