Former Patriots assistant coach Cleve Bryant passes away at age 75

Former football coach Cleve Bryant, who spent two seasons as an assistant with the New England Patriots, has passed away. He was 75 years old.

A former quarterback at Ohio University, Bryant was an 11th-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos in 1970. He did not make the team, though, and turned his attention to coaching.

After starting his career at Miami (OH) and North Carolina, Bryant was hired by the Patriots in 1982 to coach their running back position. In his two seasons under head coach Ron Meyer, the team ranked second and fifth in the league in rushing yards. In total, New England went 13-13 during those years.

Bryant left the Patriots in 1984 to return as head coach to his alma mater. He went 9-44-2 in five seasons with the Bobcats, and later finished his coaching career as position coach at Illinois, Texas and North Carolina.

He later became an executive at Texas, retiring in 2011.