Former Nebraska football assistant John Melton, known for his upbeat attitude and sense of humor, died early Saturday afternoon at his home in Eagle. He was 86.
His wife, Margie Melton, said he had been working in their yard.
"He went with no pain," she said. "His heart just stopped."
A nurse who lives nearby and paramedics tried to revive him, she said.
When Melton retired as a Nebraska coach in 1989, he was the last active Husker assistant who came to NU from Wyoming with Bob Devaney in 1962. Melton spent 16 of his seasons at NU as linebackers coach. He also coached tight ends and wingbacks during his tenure.
He led the Nebraska freshman team from 1962-66, posting a record of 12-2.
"I always liked John's sense of humor," said Tom Osborne, who took over for Devaney in 1973. "He was a good recruiter in his own way. He related well with kids. I always just appreciated the fact he could laugh at himself and was really fun to be around."
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Melton could be pretty intense as a coach, said Osborne, who helped Melton coach the Husker freshmen.
"I think I spent a year with him as an assistant with that team," Osborne said. "He'd always get fired up at halftime. It didn't make any difference what the score was. We might be 30-40 points ahead, and he'd still get fired up like we were behind. He was very consistent that way."
Melton used to say he got along well with linebackers because he was "half nuts" himself.
Jerry Murtaugh, an All-America linebacker at Nebraska in 1970, fought back tears Saturday as he discussed his close friendship with Melton.
"He always stuck by me when I got in trouble," Murtaugh said. "He wasn't just my coach. He was my friend for 45 freakin' years."
Melton played a lead role in the recruitment of a long list of Husker greats, including Dave Humm, Roger Craig, Curtis Craig and Jamie Williams. Williams, a Husker tight end from 1979-82, is now an associate athletic director at NU and recently enjoyed lunch with Melton.
"He recruited me but didn't coach me," said Williams, who grew up in Davenport, Iowa. "Yet if I had a bad day in practice, he'd always come over and say something, give me some quick perspective, with a smile on his face.
"If I ever got the best of one of his linebackers, he'd come over and say, 'You know what, I should've let you go to Penn State.'"
It was that type of humor that made Melton a hit on Nebraska Educational Television's football replay shows.
"He was always the life of the party," said former Husker assistant Milt Tenopir. "Just a great guy."
A funeral service for Melton will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D St.
"He lived a stellar life," Margie Melton said.