JACKSON, Miss. - Roland Dale, who coached Southeastern Louisiana University's football team from 1972-73, died Monday evening at the age of 84.

Visitation is scheduled for Thursday at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Jackson.  Services will follow at 11 a.m., also at the church, with the graveside service set for 2 p.m. in  Magee, Miss.  Wright  Ferguson Funeral Home is in charge.

Born Oct. 30, 1927 in Magee, Miss., Dale attended Magee High School where he was an outstanding prep athlete.  Highly recruited out of Magee High, he signed a football scholarship with Ole Miss and was a 205-pound, two-way player for Coach Harry Mehre's Rebels in 1945, averaging more than 50 minutes per game, while earning a letter in his true freshman season. 

Dale, who played at Ole Miss for legendary coach Johnny Vaught, was the last living assistant coach from Ole Miss' 1962 undefeated season. He played for the Rebels in 1945 and then again from 1947-49. He joined the assistant coaching staff in 1960 and remained there for 11 years.

He entered the senior college coaching ranks when he served as line coach (1955-57) at Mississippi Southern College (now USM), helping lead the team to a 26-3-1 record and two appearances in the Tangerine Bowl. Dale then stepped away from coaching in 1958 to enter private business in Jackson, Miss., before once again returning to coaching in 1959 as defensive line coach at Tulane.

Dale returned to Ole Miss in 1960 when he joined Vaught's staff as an assistant coach and scout. He became coach of the ends in 1963 and took over as defensive coach in charge of ends and linebackers in 1967. During his 12 years as an assistant at Ole Miss, including 11 with Vaught and one with Billy Kinard (1971), Dale helped lead the Rebels to three SEC championships, a share of two national titles and bowl games all 12 years.

Dale replaced Pat Kenelly as head coach of the Lion football team after the 1972 season and posted records of 3-8 and 4-6 before being replaced by Billy Brewer.

It was under Dale in 1973 that Alan Klein earned All-America honors for the first of two straight years.

After finishing his career at Southeastern, Dale became the athletics director at Southern Miss in 1974.

Dale is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame and Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, the former Teenie Coleman of Indianola, Miss.; his sister, Kathryn Dale Parker (Billy) of Jackson; and two children, Christy Dale Wilson (John) of Clinton and Frank Coleman Dale (Terri) of Dallas.  He also had seven grandchildren, Rev. Jacob Dale Wilson of Jackson, Bess Wilson LaPorte (Nick) of Elizabeth Town, Ky., Coleman Parker Wilson of Clinton, Christian Kelly Wilson of Clinton, Ryan Coleman Dale of Dallas, Haley Ann Dale of Dallas and Roland H. (Trey) Dale, III of Dallas. He also had two great grandchildren, Leah Nicole LaPorte and David Alexander LaPorte of Elizabethtown, Ky.

-- Ole Miss Media Relations contributed to this story --