Former NFL player, assistant Yarno dies

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former NFL player and coach George Yarno has died after a lengthy battle with stomach cancer. He was 58.

Yarno went undrafted out of Washington State in 1979. The Spokane, Wash., native was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and not only earned a roster spot, but played in all but one game through his first three NFL seasons. Following the 1983 season, Yarno signed with the Denver Gold of the USFL.

He returned to the Bucs after the USFL folded following the 1985 season and finished his NFL career in 1989 after spending one year apiece with the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Oilers.

His son, George Yarno Jr., is the new head football coach at Sandpoint High School, and was an All-American center at Idaho State University. Offensive line clearly runs in the Yarno family, as George Sr.’s brother John Yarno was a starter at both the University of Idaho and Seattle Seahawks, where the went head-to-head on occasion.

Yarno played every position on the offensive line in 136 games over 10 NFL seasons. He was also Tampa’s emergency kicker and successfully converted an extra point during Tampa’s 2-14 season in 1983. After his playing career, Yarno returned to his alma mater in 1991 as an offensive line coach. After four seasons in Pullman, Yarno spent time on the college staffs at Idaho, Houston, Arizona State and LSU before a second stint at Wazzu from 2003-07.

He was hired by then-Bucs coach Jon Gruden as the offensive line coach in 2008 and held the same position with the Detroit Lions from 2009-12. He spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons on Gus Bradley’s staff in Jacksonville. Despite leaving the team following the 2014 season to receive cancer treatment, the Jaguars kept him on the team payroll.

“The Jacksonville Jaguars organization is deeply saddened by the passing of former offensive line coach George Yarno and our condolences are with his wife, Cindy, his daughter, Adrianne and his sons, Josh and George,” the team said in a statement. “Yarno had courageously battled stage IV cancer for nearly three years. Coach Yarno’s loyal friendship and his infectious passion for coaching football were two of the many reasons he was so well-liked and well-respected. The entire Jaguars family was touched by his energy and he will be missed by all that had the pleasure of knowing him.”