Former Oilers head coach Ed Biles has died at the age of 88.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle reports that Biles had been battling leukemia for some time before his death.
Biles was a head coach at the high school level and at Xavier University before moving into the NFL as an assistant with the Saints in 1969. He moved on to the Jets and then was hired by the Oilers as their defensive backs coach in 1974.
He became the defensive coordinator under Bum Phillips the next year and took over as the head coach when Phillips was fired after the 1980 season. Biles would go 7-9 in his first season, but slipped to 1-8 in the strike-shortened 1982 season and he was fired after an 0-6 season in 1983.
Biles did not coach in the NFL again, but worked as a broadcaster for USFL and college games.
Our condolences go out to Biles’ family and friends on their loss.