John Sauer

Who was John Sauer?

John Edward "Johnny" Sauer was an American football player, coach, and broadcaster.

A Dayton, Ohio native, Sauer was a multi-sport athlete in high school. From 1943-46 he attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he played and coached for Army in a number of sports. Leaving the service in 1950, Sauer went into football coaching, first as an assistant with the University of Florida and the Los Angeles Rams and then as head coach of The Citadel.

In 1957, Sauer quit full-time coaching to work in his father's real estate business, but he continued to work through the rest of the 1950s and into the 1960s as a scout for the Rams and Minnesota Vikings and an assistant offensive and defensive coordinator for the College All-Stars. In 1966-67 Sauer took over as head coach for the All-Stars, losing to Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers in both All-Star Games he coached.

In 1963, Sauer began working for CBS television as a color commentator on NFL and college football broadcasts. He continued with CBS until 1974, then worked several years as a commentator on University of Pittsburgh radio broadcasts.

He died at his home in Oakwood in 1996.