Joseph Dennis Fitzgerald (March 13, 1936 – January 14, 2001) was an American freestyle wrestler and football player and coach.

His final coaching position was as the defensive coordinator for the Albany Firebirds of the Arena Football League.

[5] Fitzgerald was among the last American football players to play the game wearing a leather helmet with no face guard.

[2] He also ran five miles a day to warm up and developed a reputation as "Michigan's hardest working football player.

Coxon, told head coach Bump Elliott, "Denny is just plain tired, and that may have made him more susceptible to the virus.'"

In January 1975, Fitzgerald replaced Don James as Kent State's head football coach.

In March 1978, Fitzgerald resigned his position at Kent State to become an assistant coach at Syracuse University.

In July 1982, Fitzgerald was hired by the Pittsburgh Steelers following an interview with head coach Chuck Noll.

He's to coach the linebackers, one of whom, All-Pro Jack Lambert when Fitzgerald was an assistant at Kent State.

Lambert said, "I chose coach Fitzgerald because I felt he, more than anyone else, taught me the techniques and the fundamentals that I used throughout college and professional football.

[3] In between stints with the Firebirds, Fitzgerald spent the 1997 season as defensive coordinator for the James Madison Dukes.

[18] Shortly after he was hired at James Madison, the Richmond Times-Dispatch wrote, "So last winter, when James Madison coach Alex Wood sought a zero-tolerance coordinator who could firm up a defense that turned flaccid over the past two seasons, he called Fitzgerald, who's 61 going on 35.

[19] He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, five daughters (Maureen, Molly, Margaret, Katharine and Eileen), and a son, Timothy .