Pat Peppler

Albert Patterson Peppler (April 16, 1922 – June 23, 2015) was a football coach and executive who worked for teams that won five National Football League titles. He may be best remembered for serving as head coach of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons during the final nine games of the 1976 NFL season.

Peppler was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1922, but was a native of Shorewood, Wisconsin. During his time at Michigan State University, he played not only football, but baseball and basketball as well.

After graduating from Michigan State, Peppler tried playing minor league baseball and became a head football coach at the high school level, winning state championships at both East Lansing and Grant High Schools. That success led to an eight-year tenure as an assistant at North Carolina State University beginning in 1954, followed by one year at Wake Forest University in 1962. On January 28, 1963, one month after winning their second straight NFL title, the Green Bay Packers hired Peppler as director of player personnel, where he worked with head coach Vince Lombardi in helping continue a talent pipeline that won three more championships, including their first two Super Bowls.

Even before Lombardi left following the 1967 NFL season, however, Peppler's talent for player procurement stumbled as the team failed to replace the host of future Pro Football Hall of Famers that dotted the roster. On March 24, 1972, Peppler resigned to become director of professional scouting for the Miami Dolphins, replacing Joe Thomas.

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