Jan. 21, 2005
SportsLine.com wire reports

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Louis Crews, who led Alabama A&M to its only undefeated football season and four conference titles, died Thursday. He was 87.

Crews died at Huntsville Hospital, the school announced Friday in a statement.

Crews, a native of Bessemer, compiled a 94-52-3 record from 1960-75 and is the school's all-time winningest coach. The school later named its stadium after Crews.

A former Alabama A&M quarterback and running back, he led the Bulldogs to an 8-0 record in 1963. He finished with four Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships.

His most famous player was receiver John Stallworth, who went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Crews, nicknamed "Sugar Bear," refused to take credit for his teams' success before his 1993 induction into the SIAC Hall of Fame.

"We had some outstanding athletes when I was head coach," he said at the time. "You can't be a great coach unless you have great athletes."

Crews was fired as head football coach following the 1975 season after back-to-back losing records, but remained at the school to teach physical education until retiring in 1982.

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