Former NC State football coach Don Horton dies

Former N.C. State assistant football coach Don Horton died Saturday after battling Parkinson’s disease for 10 years. He was 58.

Horton was offensive line coach for former Wolfpack coach Tom O’Brien after serving on O’Brien’s staff at Boston College for 10 years.

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2006, Horton coached until May 2012, when he became the Pack’s director of football operations.

“As a member of our staff for the past 15 years, he has been more than an excellent football coach,” O’Brien said in 2012. “He has also done a tremendous job developing young men and setting high standards when it comes to hard work and how to do things the right way.”

Horton coached for 30 years, beginning his career at Ohio State in 1982 as a graduate assistant coach. He coached at nine other schools before coming to N.C. State with O’Brien in 2007.

Horton coached in 12 college bowl games and had 15 players reach the NFL.

Horton is survived by wife, Maura, and two daughters, Libby and Hadley.

After the Parkinson’s diagnosis, Maura Horton founded a company to manufacture shirts with hidden magnetic buttons for those with disabilities.

Funeral services for Horton will be held June 4 in Cincinnati, his hometown.

This story was originally published May 28, 2016 at 6:08 PM with the headline "Former NC State football coach Don Horton dies."