Murray Warmath made a difference in my life. For that influence I offered a prayer on Thursday night after the news came by telephone that the 98-year-old former Golden Gophers coach passed away.
In a silent prayer I thanked Murray for being my friend and coaching the Gophers to the heights of college football. God bless you, Murray.
Today his admirers will say goodbye at St. Stephen’s Church in Edina. The funeral will be attended by many of his former players, men who have revered him for decades.
Warmath, who coached the Gophers from 1954-1971, was a survivor who outlived not only many of his players and assistant coaches, but most of his family. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Louise, daughter Carol and son Billy. Another son, Murray Jr., was with the coach during his final hours last week.
In recent years Warmath’s memory declined but that didn’t stop a regular parade of visitors from going to his residence at Friendship Village in Bloomington. I brought Tim Brewster out to meet the coach and also Brad Childress. Chilly said: “Where do I sign up to be 95?”
Although Warmath was interested in the Vikings, his DNA was maroon and gold. He coached the Vikings defensive line for two seasons in the late 1970s, several years after he was forced out as Gophers coach. He sometimes attended Vikings practices at Winter Park, located just a few blocks from Friendship Village.
But it was at Gophers games that admirers could count on seeing the wheelchair- confined Warmath. Even last fall, only weeks after old age seemed to have announced his passing was imminent, the former national championship coach was down on the field during a ceremony to recognize perhaps his greatest player, defensive tackle Bobby Bell.
During his lifetime Warmath saw the Gophers in three football homes: Memorial Stadium, the Metrodome and TCF Bank Stadium. At the Bank the largest locker room in football is named after him.
In the five decades since he stopped coaching at the U, Warmath watched seven men try to replace him. None of them has come close to accomplishing his national title, two Big Ten Championships and two Rose Bowl teams. And that’s not to mention his longevity as Gophers coach.