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Archie Cooley, the innovative longtime Black college football coach whose offense helped Jerry Rice become a record-breaking receiver at Mississippi Valley State, has died. Cooley's family announced his death through the school, but provided no details. He was 84. Nicknamed "Gunslinger" for his passion for the passing game, Cooley spent more than 25 years as a head coach at four HBCUs and went 83-78-5. The Mississippi native played at Jackson State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the early 1960s. His 1984 Mississippi Valley State team with Rice set dozens of NCAA records, including averaging 60.9 points per game.
