Steve Kragthorpe, a former LSU assistant coach who joined the Tigers as offensive coordinator in 2011, passed away on Sunday night at the age of 59 after a prolonged struggle with Parkinson’s disease.
Initially, Kragthorpe took on the offensive coordinator role but stepped down from those duties in August 2011, shortly after his diagnosis. Despite this, he continued to contribute to the team by coaching quarterbacks during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.
Originally from Missoula, Montana, Kragthorpe transitioned to an analyst role with LSU in 2013, remaining in that position until the end of the 2018 season.
Before his tenure at LSU, Kragthorpe served as head coach at Tulsa from 2003 to 2006 and at Louisville from 2007 to 2009, following his roles as an offensive coordinator at Northern Arizona, North Texas, and Texas A&M. At Tulsa, he led the program to three bowl games in four years, achieving a 44-43 record across both Tulsa and Louisville.
Kragthorpe’s coaching career began after he played quarterback at Eastern New Mexico and West Texas. He was also noted for his time with the Buffalo Bills, where he coached quarterbacks in 2001-2002. During that period, he helped Drew Bledsoe achieve a standout season in 2002, earning a Pro Bowl selection with impressive stats including 4,359 passing yards and 24 touchdowns.
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