Osur, Alan Michael, 1941-2021

Alan Osur obituary by Alex Goff, 03.10.2021; Highly respected national collegiate champion coach Alan Osur has died.

Osur died on March 7, and his death was announced by his family this week, he was 80 years old. Alan Osur was a learned man and a very cerebral coach. He held degrees from Rutgers, University of Connecticut, Denver University, and Regis University. H served in the United States Air Force, serving in Vietnam and also in Germany. He became an expert on race relations in the military, was an accomplished mountaineer, a history professor, and a software engineer ...

Alan Osur, Ph. D (history), BS (computer science), Maj (ret), Tenured Associate Professor and Deputy Department Head, USAF Academy Department of History


Alan was the force behind getting rugby as a club at the Air Force Academy and served as their first coach. He was also the force behind getting women's rugby started at the Academy and became their first coach. He is the most successful women’s coach since the beginning of the Air Force Academy intercollegiate rugby programs.

Alan began his rugby journey while stationed in England in the mid 60s, playing his first game for Shelford. He returned to the Academy as Director of US History and Associate Professor of History, but quickly began his quest for rugby. Teaming up with a few cadets, in 1968 he started the Academy’s intercollegiate rugby program. Years later, during his second Academy tour in 1977, he started the women’s intercollegiate rugby program. Under his leadership, these programs flourished and he has coached them to earn 17 Western championships, 8 final four appearances, and competed in 4 National Collegiate Championship games coming away as National Collegiate Champion in two.

Alan also served as the Western Collegiate women’s competition committee chairman, and at the national level, was active as the chairman of the USA Rugby Collegiate Committee, which began the Women’s All American Program. As chair, he ran the All American selection process for 12 years during which time he was elected as the Collegiate Director to the USA Rugby national board for a 2 year term. Here he originated and implemented the National Women’s College Development Camp in 1996.

As a player, Alan was always ready to put on the cleats. His play was intelligent and crafty, and he took every opportunity to take advantage of his skills and athleticism. To quote a former player: “When he ran with the ball, I swear his feet never touched the ground; he'd kick or pass it, always damn near perfect.” He played well into his 60s.