PCC Hall of Fame Football Coach Dennis Gossard Passes at 78

Gossard at the 2023 PCC Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Dennis Gossard, who won the most games by a Pasadena City College football coach, died on Monday night due to complications from cancer. The PCC Hall of Fame coach was 78.

Although a head coach in only 10 of his seasons, Gossard served on the Lancers football coach staff for a remarkable 32 consecutive years from 1979-2010. In 2010, he recorded win #53 to allow him to become the winnningest HC in the 100-year history of PCC teams on the gridiron.

As head coach from 1987-1994, Gossard’s teams scored postseason victories, first in the 1990 Orange County Bowl. In 1992, his squad finished 10-1 overall, winning the PCC-hosted Rose City Classic Bowl over College of the Desert. His final win as an interim head coach in 2010 was also over College of the Desert.

Among his many roles, he served as a defensive coordinator for head coach Tom Maher’s 2001 Mission Conference champion squad. On that team, he guided the development of All-American linebacker James Griffin, who was inducted in the same PCC Hall of Fame ceremony as Gossard in May of 2023. Griffin recently became head coach at San Bernardino Valley College.

Gossard coached a number of future NFL players including Darick Holmes (1991 PCC), a 1995 All-Rookie running back for the Buffalo Bills, wide receiver Ray Ethridge (Baltimore Ravens, 1990 Lancers) and defensive back Charles Mincy (Oakland Raiders, 1988 PCC). He produced 14 All-Americans as head coach.

A local legend as first a player, then a long-time coordinator/assistant coach for his alma mater Crescenta Valley High, Gossard went on to play at Glendale College and later earned a degree at San Diego State. Son, Hudson Gossard, an All-CIF quarterback at CV who led the state in passing in 2001, worked together with his father for many years at CV. In 2019, Hudson took over as head coach of the Falcons program.

Gossard was part of a crew of former Lancers football coaches who meet semi-regularly at alumni lunches that includes other PCC Hall of Famers in former athletic director Skip Robinson and former head coach Harvey Hyde. The late Myron Tarkanian was also a regular in that group.

Gossard was married to wife Jeri and he is also survived by Hudson and daughter Jessica.