Jim Corrigall, Kent State football legend and CFL Hall of Famer, passes away at 80
An acclaimed Flash from the late 1960s, Corrigall enjoyed a long CFL career before coaching his alma mater.
Jim Corrigall, a former Kent State and Toronto Argonauts legend, passed away on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. He was 80 years old.
"We mourn the passing of Kent State great Jim Corrigall. Jim embodied what it means to be a Golden Flash both as a player and a coach," Kent State athletics said via social media. "Our thoughts are with his family, friends, teammates, and all who had the privilege of knowing him."
Corrigall, born in Barrie, Ontario, Canada, grew a love for football in his native land, spending time between Scollard Hall and Barrie North Collegiate before committing to play across the boarder with the Golden Flashes.
Corrigal would key prominently for the late-60s versions of the Golden Flashes at defensive end for three scintillating years before going pro in 1970, the same year Kent State saw the debut of a young defensive back named Nick Saban.
While Corrigall missed out on the turnaround that Don James engineered for a few years in the early 70s (the Flashes went 11-19 in his time there), his individual achievements cemented him firmly as one of Kent State’s all-time best to don the colors. In his time at KSU, Corrigall became the first Flash to earn three-straight All-MAC selections and was named a first-team All-American in his senior year despite KSU's paltry 1-5 league record. He also earned awards for the MAC's Most Valuable Sophomore, Best Defensive Lineman, and Most Inspirational Player awards prior to his departure.
His number 79 was retired by the university upon his graduation, becoming the first-ever Flash football player to receive the honor.
Corrigall was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 1970 NFL Draft, but opted instead to return home to the Canadian Football League to play for the Toronto Argonauts, his local team.
Corrigall won the Eastern Division’s Most Outstanding Canadian Rookie award in his first campaign, kicking off an 11-year career which saw him feature as a starter in 148 regular season games and five playoff games, including the Argos’ 1971 Grey Cup appearance, a soaker against Calgary that Toronto lost 14-11. (Of note: Toronto rookie quarterback Joe Theismann, who went on to a prolific career in the NFL with Washington, would lead the Argos out to the artificial turf to play Calgary– the first time the Grey Cup had ever been on such a surface.)
Corrgiall would be named a CFL All-Star four times in his career, and earned a CFL Eastern Division All-Star nomination in eight of his 11 seasons. The most shining prize of all, though, had to be when not only he was named the East’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player, but also the league’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player– to date Toronto’s only winner of that particular award.
Much like at Kent State, Corrigall was recognized handsomely for his achievements after his playing days ended in 1981. He was named to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1990, and named an All-Time Argo in 1997.
“The Toronto Argonauts Alumni Association is heartbroken to hear of the passing of a true legend,” Argos Alumni Association President Jason Pottinger said via press release. “Jim’s combination of enormous talent and ferocity as a player, coupled with the boyish enthusiasm of his post-sack cartwheels, made him an obvious fan favourite. Our deepest condolences to his family, friends and former teammates.”
After his playing days, he spent time as an assistant coach at Akron and North Carolina State. In 1994, Corrigall took one of the hardest jobs in the country: coaching his alma mater.
The Flashes were fresh off a winless season, and were in a slump not dissimilar to the one Massachusetts is in now. It was a short and relatively fruitless stint, as he went 8-35-1 in three seasons, but while he wasn't able to revive the program quickly, the team's three wins in the '97 campaign, were the most by the program dating back to 1988.
After his coaching foray at Kent State, Corrigall and his family settled down in Kent, where he spent the rest of his life as an assistant at various local high schools in the Kent and Akron areas, as well as touring the country to speak at coaching clinics.
He was loved by everyone who knew him. Former colleagues on coaching staffs across the country, as well as coaches who met him through the clinic circuit, heaped praise on him, highlighting his gregariousness and passion for the sport.
Thank you, Coach.
