Former NFL Coach Dead From Leukemia At 79

Geis enjoyed a 30-year career in college and professional football coaching that saw him cross paths with some of the all-time greats such as Calvin Johnson, Sterling Sharpe, Marvin Harrison and Troy Aikman.

Before his coaching career, he was a star baseball and football player at Altoona Area High School, graduating in 1965. He soon went into coaching and by the late-1970s, he was becoming an established name in college football.

Between 1977 and 1987, Geis coached at Tulane, the University of Kansas, Memphis State and even the former USFL's Jacksonville Bulls. He parlayed his experience at the amateur and semi-pro level into his first NFL job with the Green Bay Packers in 1988.

Under head coach Lindy Infante, Geis became the wide receivers coach. His first task was developing rookie Sterling Sharpe into a viable starter - a task he quickly achieved. Sharpe became not only one of the best wide receivers in franchise history under Geis' tutelage, but one of the best of all-time.

His second stop was the Indianapolis Colts, where he worked alongside Marvin Harrison and then-quarterback Jim Harbaugh. 

His third and final stop in the NFL was with the Dallas Cowboys, where he worked with Michael Irvin and Troy Aikman in the twilight of their incredible careers.

One of his final stops in coaching was Georgia Tech in the mid-2000s, which saw him work alongside a young Calvin Johnson well before he became "Megatron."

Geis is survived by his wife Jere, their son and daughter, and several grandchildren.

Our hearts go out to Geis' family and loved ones.