Former EKU head coach Roy Kidd dies at 91 after entering hospice care

Hall of Famer and former Eastern Kentucky coach Roy Kidd has died at 91, the school said in a statement Tuesday. EKU confirmed the news of his demise after being informed by Kidd's family.

Per the EKU Football Facebook page, Kidd had been hospitalized at the University of Kentucky Medical Center and entered hospice care last week.

Roy served as the head coach of the Eastern Kentucky Colonels for nearly four decades, from 1964 to 2002. His coaching tenure was remarkable, boasting 314 wins, 124 losses and eight ties.

Roy was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Under his guidance, the Colonels clinched NCAA Division I-AA Football Championships in 1979 and 1982. He is the second-winningest coach in NCAA Division I-AA/FCS history, trailing Eddie Robinson of Grambling State.

Current Eastern Kentucky coach Walt Wells said in a press release:

"There aren't enough words to express everything that Coach Kidd meant to Eastern Kentucky University and the EKU football program. He was and will continue to be a huge influence on me, not just as a coach, but also as a father and a husband. Coach, I'll miss you and I love you!"

EKU Football announced the news on their social media handle:

A memorial service for Roy Kidd is in preparation at EKU's Center for the Arts, with First Baptist Church pastor Bill Fort preceding, followed by a private burial at Richmond Cemetery. The Kidd family will release the dates and times for both services.

Kidd is survived by his wife of 62 years, Sue, and three children.

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Exploring Roy Kidd's impact on Eastern Kentucky football

Roy Kidd's legacy with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels is immortalized, with the school naming its stadium in his honor and dedicating the street in front of it as Roy and Sue Kidd Way. A statue commemorating his achievements graced the stadium's exterior in 2017.

"I want our people to have pride in this place, work hard to make it nice, get a good education, be a good person when you go out in the world, and treat others the way you want to be treated. My job was to win games and to make our players good people when they go out in the world," Coach Roy Kidd once said.

He was a three-sport athlete at Corbin High School, transitioned into a record-setting Little All-American quarterback at Eastern Kentucky, and excelled as a center fielder in baseball.

Kidd started as an assistant coach in 1963, gradually earning the spot as head coach. His 39-year remarkable tenure included 25 consecutive seasons.