| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 16, 1926 Paris, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 2015 (aged 88) Athens, Alabama, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Miami (OH) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1950 | Miami (OH) (DL) |
| 1951–1953 | Ohio State (DL) |
| 1954–1961 | Kentucky (DL) |
| 1962–1963 | Tulane (DL) |
| 1964–1969 | Baltimore Colts (DL) |
| 1970–1972 | Miami Dolphins (DC/LB) |
| 1973 | Miami Dolphins (AHC/DC) |
| 1974–1976 | New York Giants |
| 1976–1983 | Miami Dolphins (AHC/DC) |
| 1984–1986 | LSU |
| 1992–1994 | San Diego Chargers (DC) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1986–1992 | Florida |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 7–28 (NFL) 26–8–2 (college) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| SEC (1986) | |
| Awards | |
| 2x SEC Coach of the Year (1984, 1986) | |
William Stephen Arnsparger (December 16, 1926 – July 17, 2015) was an American college and professional football coach. He was born and raised in Paris, Kentucky, served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, and graduated from Miami University (Ohio) in 1950. Immediately upon graduation, Arnsparger was hired as an assistant coach with the Miami football program, beginning a long career in the profession.
Arnsparger is best known for two stints as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins won consecutive Super Bowls (1972 and 1973) during his first tenure and reached another Super Bowl in 1982 during his second, all under head coach Don Shula. Arnsparger's defenses were an important part of the Dolphins' success, and they earned nicknames in different decades – the "No-Name-Defense" in the 1970s and the "Killer B's" in the 1980s.
Arnsparger served as a defensive assistant for several college football teams before moving to the NFL, and his first job in the league was as an assistant with the Baltimore Colts, also under Shula. Between his two stints with the Dolphins, Arnsparger served as the head coach of the New York Giants in the mid-1970s, and after his second stint in Miami, he served as the head coach of the Louisiana State University (LSU) Tigers in the mid-1980s. He left LSU to accept the position of athletic director at the University of Florida, a post he held from 1986 until 1992, when he returned to the professional coaching ranks as the defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers. He retired after helping lead the Chargers to their first Super Bowl berth in 1994.[1]