Trumbull Coaching Legend Jerry McDougall Passes Away At 76

Former Trumbull High School football coaching legend Jerry McDougall passed away early Wednesday morning at the age of 76, the Connecticut Post reported.

McDougall coached football at Trumbull from 1967-1998, winning 265 games, which was No. 1 all-time in the state when he retired. His teams captured three state championships and five FCIAC crowns.

Truly one of the state's coaching giants, McDougall is a member of both the National High School and Connecticut Hall of Fame.

McDougall also coached baseball at Trumbull and his teams won 510 games, nine division titles, three FCIAC titles and two Class LL championships in that sport. He also served as the school's athletic director and started Trumbull's successful wrestling program.

A three-sport star and captain at Bassick High School, McDougall played football, basketball and baseball at the University of Bridgeport. Starting in 1961, he spent six seasons as the football coach at Central Catholic before beginning his more-than 30-year tenure at Trumbull in 1967.

Current Staples football coach Marce Petroccio played on McDougall's first state championship team in 1977.

"Coach McDougall was one of a kind,” Petroccio told the Connecticut Post. “There will never be another guy like him. He loved the game of football. He loved people. He loved life.”