SUNNYVALE  (AP) — John Ralston, who coached Stanford to two Rose Bowl victories and spent five seasons leading the Denver Broncos, has died. He was 92.
San Jose State, where Ralston finished his coaching career and later worked as special assistant to the athletic director, said Sunday that Ralston died Saturday in Sunnyvale.
Born in Oakland, Ralston spent much of a long coaching career in the Bay Area, but he first became a college head coach at Utah State in 1959.
The former Cal player was hired to coach rival Stanford in 1963. Ralston’s Stanford teams won consecutive Pac-8 championships and the Rose Bowl following the 1970 and 1971 regular seasons. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992, Ralston coached 1970 Heisman Trophy winner Jim Plunkett at Stanford and Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive lineman Merlin Olsen at Utah State.
Ralston left college for the NFL in 1972. With Denver, he had a 34-33-3. He later coached the Oakland Invaders of the United States Football League from 1983-84 and at San Jose State from 1993-96.