Former Northern Illlinois University assistant football coach and University of California head coach Roger Theder died Saturday because of complications from Parkinson’s disease at age 77, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

Renown for his expertise on offense, Theder served three seasons (1965-67) on Hall of Fame head coach Howard Fletcher’s Huskies football staff when NIU went a combined 22-5, plus captured the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship and earned a Mineral Water Bowl bid, both in 1965.

Theder also was instrumental in recruiting NIU Hall of Fame receiver John Spilis, the program’s highest NFL draft choice for almost four decades (third-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1969).

A former resident of Orinda, California, Theder spent a decade at Cal-Berkely as an assistant to Mike White and then head coach (1978-81). His best season at Cal came in 1979 with a 7-5 record and the Pac-10 Conference school’s first bowl appearance in 21 years – a 28-17 loss to Temple in the Garden State Bowl. During his time with the Bears, he developed star quarterbacks such as Steve Bartkowski, Joe Roth and Rich Campbell.

Theder also coached under John Ralston at Stanford (1968-71), where he tutored Heisman Trophy recipient Jim Plunkett. He finished his career as offensive coordinator at San Jose State (1993-96). In between, Theder was an aide with the Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers.

His most notable player during his Cal head coaching tenure was All-America linebacker Ron Rivera, a former Chicago Bear and current head coach of the Carolina Panthers.

A quarterback and baseball catcher at Western Michigan in the early 1960s, Theder, in the late stages of his life, would independently mentor numerous high school QB prospects –including Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers.

Theder is survived by his wife, Marie, three children and six grandchildren.