Woody Hayes could be stubborn, but George Chaump got him to open up his archaic offense a little bit to take a program meddling in mediocrity to the next level. Chaump — an assistant on Ohio State’s football staff under Hayes from 1968-1978 — is credited with turning all that talent loose on offense on the way to a magical 1968 national championship run.
Chaump passed away Sunday at age 83 per several reports but will always be remembered for a life dedicated to coaching.
Before serving on the Ohio State staff, Chaump was a well-known and respected high school coach in Pennsylvania. After his time in Columbus, he went on to be an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before landing head coaching gigs at IUP, Marshall, and Navy. He took the Thundering Herd to the 1987 1-AA national championship game.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Chaump’s family and friends. Rest in peace.
