RICHMOND, Ky. (LEX 18) — Eastern Kentucky University legendary football coach Roy Kidd passed away at 91.
Coach Kidd was moved into hospice care on September 6.
He was born in Corbin on December 4, 1931, and was the EKU football coach from 1964 to 2002.
The honorable coach led his alma mater to two national I-AA championships, two runner-up finishes, 16 Ohio Valley Conference titles, and 314 wins, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
After graduating from Corbin High School, Coach Kidd continued his career as a Little All-American quarterback at EKU.
He also led the Madison-Model High School football team to a 54-11-1 record from 1956 to 1961.
Coach Kidd spent one year as an assistant football coach at Morehead State University before returning to EKU, where he served one year as assistant football coach before embarking on a 39-year reign.
He coached the Colonels to 25 consecutive winning seasons and 17 NCAA I-AA playoff appearances, twice winning NCAA Division I-AA National Coach of the Year honors.
41 of the players that he coached went on to sign NFL contracts, along with 55 All-Americans.
In January 2023, he earned the American Football Coach Association's Amos Alonzo Stagg Award.
EKU released the following statement regarding his passing:
Dear Campus Community,
It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Coach Roy Kidd. At 91 years old, Coach Kidd passed away surrounded by family and friends today, September 12, 2023. He leaves behind an indelible legacy at his alma mater, in the EKU community and in the lives of so many all across the world.
Coach Kidd joined our Colonel family as a student-athlete, then built a monumental career as head football coach at EKU from 1964 to 2002. As coach, he led the Colonels to two national I-AA championships and two runner-up finishes, 16 conference titles and 314 wins, earning induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Besides establishing Eastern as a football powerhouse and bringing national acclaim to the university, Coach Kidd is remembered by his former players as a thoughtful and compassionate mentor who cared about their personal success, far beyond their playing days. His love and support also went beyond the field and his players. He was such a great support to so many in our local community and to countless programs that have a positive impact.
Coach Kidd truly represents what it means to be an EKU Colonel, and we mourn his loss alongside his wife and family. Visitation and funeral services will be held at the EKU Center for the Arts. Dates and times to come. In lieu of flowers, the Kidd family has asked that donations be made in Coach’s honor to the Roy and Sue Kidd Endowed Scholarship at Eastern Kentucky University.
Coach Kidd is survived by his wife of 62 years, Susan 'Sue' Purcell Kidd; their three children, six grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren, along with numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
Services for Coach Kidd will be held at the EKU Center for the Arts, and a private burial will follow. The visitation will be on Sunday, September 17, from 4-7 p.m., and the funeral service will be on Monday, September 18, at 11 a.m.
