Chester McGlockton, a defensive assistant for the Stanford football team, died last night in his sleep due to an apparent heart attack. He was 42 years old.
McGlockton, a four-time NFL pro bowler, was in just his second season coaching for the Cardinal, seven years after retiring from the New York Jets.
“Everyone in the Stanford Football family is deeply saddened by the passing of Chester McGlockton,” head coach David Shaw said in a statement on Wednesday. “For the past two seasons, Chester has been a valuable member of our football staff and a wonderful friend to us all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Chester’s wife Zina and their two children.”
McGlockton was a former all-ACC defensive tackle at Clemson and was a first round pick of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1992. He played in the NFL for 12 seasons with the Raiders, Chiefs, Broncos and Jets.
San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, who brought McGlockton on to his coaching staff last season, weighed in on his former assistant’s passing.
“Chester has been a very close and dear friend over the past four years,” Harbaugh told the San Jose Mercury. “He was part of our team here and at Stanford. It’s a shock and just sad, sad with his passing.”
“I want people to know Chester was a good guy doing the right thing and helping a lot of people. To say he was coming into his own as a coach would be understating it,” Harbaugh continued. “He’d already blossomed. He was so positive with other coaches and players.”
The untimely passing of McGlockton brought an outpouring of support from current Cardinal players as well, who took to Twitter to remember the assistant coach.
“Prayers go out to the family of Coach Chester. He taught me so much,” wrote freshman linebacker James Vaughters.
“Speechless . . . lost much more than a coach today. Please pray for Chester and the McGlockton family,” tweeted redshirt freshman linebacker AJ Tarpley.
“We lost a brother today who made us all better. He challenged me personally to be a better man,” wrote offensive assistant coach Mike Sanford, who joined McGlockton as a member of the Cardinal coaching staff two seasons ago.
McGlockton is survived by his wife, Zina, and his two daughters. Funeral arrangements have not yet been made.