Former UCLA Football Coach Terry Donahue to be Honored with Rose Bowl Stadium Statue and Dedication

In recognition of his legacy as “the winningest coach” in UCLA football and Pac-12 Conference history, Coach Terry Donahue will be honored on Friday, Oct. 27, with the unveiling of a commemorative statue at the Rose Bowl Stadium. 

The statue of Coach Donahue will be encircled by 151 bronze roses of various shapes and sizes, according to a UCLA Bruins statement. The bronze roses have been gifted by over 100 donors to the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the future of the Rose Bowl. Each rose pays tribute to one of Coach Donahue’s extraordinary 151 wins during his career as UCLA’s head coach, the statement said. 

Donahue’s statue becomes the fourth on the Rose Bowl property, representing pivotal moments and individuals in the venue’s rich history. Statues have previously been dedicated in honor of Jackie Robinson, the 1999 Team USA FIFA Women’s World Cup Champions, and broadcaster Keith Jackson. 

The statue will be the first located inside the stadium’s gates, with the others positioned outside the venue’s fence line near the main entrance to the stadium. Positioned adjacent to the Charles E. Young Locker Room, the statue will be a poignant reminder for UCLA players and coaches as they pass by it before each home game.

“On behalf of the Terry Donahue family, we are humbled by this outpouring of support for the Terry Donahue Statue and 151 Roses Dedication,” Andrea Donahue, Terry’s wife, said. “The Rose Bowl has always played a meaningful part in our lives and provided us many opportunities and great joy. We can’t begin to express our gratitude for this iconic stadium and all the people that make it so special. It is a great honor to continue Coach Terry Donahue’s legacy so that he may continue to impact the lives of others.”

Over the span of two decades, Coach Donahue achieved more victories than any other football coach in UCLA’s history, including an impressive seven consecutive bowl championships. He left a mark on UCLA both as a player and coach, and guided the school to seven consecutive bowl-winning seasons in the 1980s.

Coach Donahue’s spirit and what he meant to his players, colleagues, the UCLA community and to the history and preservation of the Rose Bowl Stadium was larger than life,” Dedan Brozino, President of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, said. “He represented the integrity, sportsmanship and care for teaching that is emblematic of only the special coaches in the game – and Terry was beyond legendary.”  

Coach Donahue concluded his tenure with a winning record against every team in the conference, including the Bruins’ crosstown rival, the USC Trojans. The 151 victories he secured were out of the 233 games he coached; 98 of those wins occurred in the Pac-10 era.

Donahue also holds the distinction of being the first person to participate in the Rose Bowl Game as a player, an assistant coach, and a head coach.

As a player, Donahue contributed to UCLA’s historic 1966 Rose Bowl Game victory over Michigan State, marking the Bruins’ first Rose Bowl Game win. The team, famously nicknamed the “Gutty Little Bruins,” featured defensive linemen with none weighing more than 225 pounds. Donahue, a walk-on, weighed just 195 pounds.

Troy Aikman, a former UCLA quarterback, reflected on how Donahue’s influence impacted thousands of young men from all over the United States. 

“As good as he was at coaching the game, his greatest gift was being an example of how to be better men,” Aikman said. “We all carry a part of him deep within us. I’m so proud to support this project at the Rose Bowl to honor Coach and his lasting impact on so many.”

The Rose Bowl Stadium has hosted two Olympic Games, two FIFA World Cup Finals, five Super Bowls, and countless first-class entertainment moments. It continues to pay homage to key moments in its history, with statues, historical markers, historical photos, paintings, timelines, and the 1922 Locker Room transforming the venue into a walk-in museum of sports and entertainment excellence.