TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Cleveland “Chick” Harris 1945-2025 Longtime NFL and College Running Backs Coach
Professionally, Michael Harris had extensive experience in a wide range of leadership, management and financial advisory positions at various Fortune 500 companies including Cigna, Advo Inc., and The Hartford. He was a loyal fan of the NFL’s New England Patriots, an advocate for social justice, and an avid follower of politics. A Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Harris was affili- ated with both the Hartford (CT) Alumni and New York (NY) Alumni Chap- ters. He led the Hartford (CT) Alumni as its 21st polemarch. The North- eastern Province bestowed its “Guide Right Director of the Year Award,” for his work in leading youth community service in the Greater Hartford Area. Brother Harris was predeceased by his father, James Harris; paternal grandparents Willie Harris and Lula Fudge; maternal grandparents, Jim and Elnora Banks; and aunt Tracy Banks. He is survived by his mother, Louise Harris; daughter Vanessa (Sharen) Cobb; son Luke Harris; sister Lisa Harris; brother Mark Harris; granddaughter Valencia Cobb of Middletown. ♦
C leveland “Chick” Chapter Invisible on Janu- ary 6, 2025. As one of the National Football League’s top running-backs coaches, he had a reputation for getting the best out of his players, who revered him. The Harris family state- ment, “a pioneer of modern coaching, he was among a Harris (Gamma Iota 1969) entered the handful of Black coaches who integrated pro and college coaching ranks.” Harris was born on September 21, 1945, in Durham, NC, to Shirley Sims and Cleauthor Harris. He excelled in athletics at a young age, primarily in track and field and football. Harris played defensive back and receiver at Long Beach City College and Northern Arizona University. He graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in education. Harris began his coaching career in 1970 at Colorado State University, followed by Long Beach State
“IN 1980, HARRIS ENTERED THE NFL, JOINING THE BUFFALO BILLS COACHING STAFF.”
University. He joined the University of Washington coaching staff, where the Huskies played in two Rose Bowls. Harris was instru- mental in recruiting future pro and college hall of famer Warren Moon to the Wash- ington Huskie program. In 1980, Harris entered the NFL, joining the Buffalo Bills coaching staff. He remained in the NFL for 33 seasons with the Buffalo Bills (1980-1981), Seattle Seahawks (1982-1991), Los Angeles Rams (1992-1994), Carolina Panthers (1995- 2001), and Houston Texans (2002-2013). He spent his entire NFL coaching career, except for one season as an offensive coordinator, as a running backs coach. Harris coached Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis of
the St. Louis Rams, All-Pro running backs Curt Warner of the Seattle Seahawks and Arian Foster of the Houston Texans. Despite his long career as an NFL assistant coach, he never had the opportunity to interview for a head coach for an NFL team. Harris, in the April 1988 issue of Kappa Alpha Psi Journal on head coaching opportunities, “... But the bottom line is if you look out there in the NFL coach- ing ranks, we have more and more people with the type of experience needed to be head coaches.” In 1997, Harris, along with nine Black assistant coaches, met with then- NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to discuss the lack of head coach interview
82 THE JOURNAL ♦ SPRING 2025
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