Here’s How LaVell and Patti Edwards Shaped BYU Football 6 Decades Ago

BYU football did not rise because of one brilliant coach standing alone on the sideline. The real story started with a husband and wife who built something far bigger than wins and trophies. LaVell and Patti Edwards changed the direction of the program through trust, warmth, and a rare sense of loyalty that players still talk about today.

Back in 1972, BYU football was far from a national name. The program had struggled for decades and rarely finished with winning seasons. Then LaVell Edwards stepped in as head coach and quietly changed everything. Over the next 29 years, BYU became one of college football’s most respected programs. His teams won 257 games, captured 19 conference titles, and secured the 1984 national championship.

Fans remember the exciting passing attack that shocked college football. Opposing defenses struggled to keep up as quarterbacks like Jim McMahon, Steve Young, and Ty Detmer lit up scoreboards across the country. Long before spread offenses became common, LaVell trusted the air game and forced the sport to adapt. Coaches everywhere borrowed ideas from his system.

Still, former players insist his biggest gift had nothing to do with strategy. They remember long talks about life, family, and faith. LaVell did not act like a distant celebrity coach. He listened carefully and treated players like people first. Many players later admitted that those conversations shaped their lives long after football ended.

Patti Edwards Created the Heart of the Program

E Online / While LaVell managed Saturdays, Patti Edwards handled something just as important. She created the feeling that BYU football was one giant family.

Ironically, Patti did not start as a football fanatic. During their honeymoon, she admitted she had never actually watched LaVell play. At first, she hoped coaching might simply be a temporary phase. Instead, football became the center of their lives for decades.

Patti soon discovered her own role inside the program. She focused less on schemes and more on relationships. Players constantly visited the Edwards home for meals, advice, and comfort. Married players and their families especially leaned on her support during difficult seasons away from home.

Thanksgiving dinners became one of her traditions. Patti made sure nobody spent the holidays alone. Young players far from their parents suddenly found themselves welcomed into the Edwards household. That kindness created deep bonds inside the locker room.

She also paid attention to the smallest details. Patti clipped every newspaper article mentioning BYU players and saved them carefully in envelopes. Upon graduation, players received stacks of memories from their college years.

LaVell and Patti Changed Coaching Culture Nationwide

GTN / The Edwards family influence stretched far beyond Provo. Patti especially understood the emotional pressure that coaching families faced every season.

In 1987, Patti shared a walk in Park City, Utah, with Jackie Harbaugh and several other coaches’ wives. During that conversation, Jackie mentioned how rare it felt for coaching wives to truly feel connected. That simple moment sparked a much bigger idea.

Two years later, Patti helped launch the American Football Coaches’ Wives Association. She became the organization’s first president in 1989. What started with about 50 names scribbled on a yellow notepad eventually grew into a network with thousands of members across the country.

Even after LaVell retired in 2000, the Edwards family remained deeply connected to the program. Players, coaches, and fans still looked to Patti as a trusted voice around BYU football.

Patti continued attending games, speaking with players, and appearing at reunions long after LaVell’s passing in 2016. Former athletes treated her like royalty whenever she entered a room. The connection never faded because the memories never faded.

When Patti Edwards passed away in February 2026 at age 93, many former BYU stars returned to honor her life. Members of the 1984 national championship team gathered once again to celebrate the woman they viewed as the emotional center of the program.