Former Arizona football offensive coordinator Calvin Magee dies following heart attack

Former Arizona Wildcats offensive coordinator Calvin Magee has passed away after suffering a heart attack.

Jacksonville State announced Magee’s passing Friday. Magee joined the JSU football program in December 2021 as associate head coach and offensive coordinator.

At JSU, Magee teamed up with Gamecocks head coach Rich Rodriguez, their fourth stint together.

Magee joined Rodriguez to Arizona in 2011 and served as the Wildcats’ associate head coach/co-offensive coordinator/running backs and tight ends coach for the next six seasons.

Magee left Arizona after the 2017 season, following Rodriguez’s dismissal.

“Our hearts are broken with the loss of our beloved friend Calvin Magee,” Rodriguez said in a statement. “Calvin was a great husband, great father and grandfather, great coach, great friend and great man. He impacted my life and the lives of so many others in such a positive way. Our thoughts and prayers are with his beautiful family – wife Rose, daughters Jade and Jasmine, son Bryson, his grandchildren, and all his friends and relatives. Our world is less, but heaven got better. I miss him dearly already. I love you my brother.”

A New Orleans native, Magee played college football at Southern University where he turned into an All-American tight end. He then played four seasons (1985-88) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Magee began his coaching career at Tampa Catholic High School before transitioning to college coaching beginning in 1996 as tight ends coach for South Florida.

Magee joined Rodriguez’s West Virginia staff in 2001 and followed Rich Rod to Michigan, where they coached from 2008-10.

Magee spent one season at Pittsburgh under Todd Graham in 2011 before moving to Arizona to reunite with Rodriguez.

At Arizona, Magee managed the Wildcats’ spread-option offense. Under Magee, Arizona established the school’s single-game records for team scoring, total offense and rushing offense.

Between 2018-21, Magee coached at Duke, Ole Miss and Duke before accepting the JSU offensive coordinator job.

Our prayers are with Magee’s family and friends.