ObituaryBill Brashier

Bill Brashier as a student-athlete in 1951

Bill Brashier (‘52, ’59 M.S.), 93, a former football player and coach whose skills earned him a spot in the North Texas Athletics Hall of Fame, died Nov. 4. He was a defensive back, quarterback and punter for North Texas from 1949 to 1951, and set two records that still stand today – single season interceptions (10 in 1951) and career interceptions (19). In 2013, he was named to the North Texas All-Century team as one of the 12 best defensive players in the school’s history. He served as an assistant football coach for 11 years at North Texas for Rod Rust and Hayden Fry. Then he followed Fry to the University of Iowa, where he was a defensive coach and coordinator for 17 years. He helped build the Iowa program into a Big Ten contender, producing All Americans and top defenses, and is remembered as a great mentor to players and coaches alike. In 1978, the Mean Green topped three defensive categories in the NCAA while he was defensive coordinator. He also served in the U.S. Navy for three years.