Former Aggie Dale Gardner Passes Away

Dale Gardner, former Utah State University student-athlete, coach and administrator, passed away April 8, 2011, at the age of 83.

Gardner spent the 1951-52 seasons playing football at Utah State and the 1952-53 seasons playing basketball. He co-captained the 1952 football team and earned all-Skyline Conference honors as a defensive tackle.

After graduating from Utah State University, Gardner spent two years as the athletic director, head football, basketball, and baseball coach at Teton High School in Driggs, Idaho.

He then spent one season as an assistant football coach at Utah State (1955) before moving into athletic administration, spending the next 13 years (1956-68) as assistant athletic director at USU.

He earned his master's degree from Utah State in 1961.

Gardner was named athletic director at Weber Junior College in 1968 and served in that capacity for nine years. During his years with the Wildcats, he hired former Aggie Phil Johnson as men's basketball head coach. Johnson won three Big Sky titles in his three years as head coach, before moving on to the NBA.

Gardner was born March 27, 1928, in Deweyville, Utah. He graduated from Bear River High School in 1946 where he earned high school letters in football, basketball, baseball and track. He served in the United States Army from 1946-1948.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, April 12, 2011, at 11 a.m. at the LDS Chapel, 770 East 2100 North, in North Ogden.

Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics website.