Dick Vermeil is the embodiment of a champion.


In honor of the NFL coaching legend, Super Bowl Champion, 2-time NFL Coach of the Year and Spartan Quarterback (1956-57), San José State University has established the Dick Vermeil Fund for Football Excellence to build upon the 2020 Mountain West Conference Championship season.

"If it wasn't for San Jose State, I wouldn't be wearing this world championship ring."

Sustaining a Championship Spartan Football Program


The Spartan Football program proved in 2020 that it can win championships at San Jose State. In order to build a sustainable championship program, we invite you to invest through the Vermeil Fund to provide resources for:

Retaining/hiring football coaches and support staff

Recruiting talented student-athletes

Enriching the student-athlete experience through academic and life skills support

Enhancing the dietary and nutritional support for student-athletes

Other operational or programmatic support for Spartan Football

Dick Vermeil concluded one of the most distinguished coaching careers in NFL history in 2006 after 15 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles.

He knows what it takes to be a champion, posting major wins in both college and the NFL with a Rose Bowl victory after the 1975 season with UCLA and a Super Bowl title with the St. Louis Rams after the 1999 season. He also owns the rare distinction of being named "Coach of the Year" on four levels: high school, junior college, NCAA Division I and the NFL.

A native of Calistoga, California, Vermeil graduated in 1959 with an M.A. from San José State University following his days as the Spartans' signal caller. Vermeil continues to have a deep-rooted passion for his alma mater, attributing his championship prowess to the opportunities presented while attending San José State. He will remain a fixture of Spartan football and the university for generations to come.