Former San Diego football coach contests university's claim he retired after 10 years: 'I was shown the door'

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The University of San Diego announced earlier this week that football head coach Dale Lindsey, the winningest coach in program history, would be retiring after 10 seasons with the Toreros. 

But the 80-year-old coach refuted that claim on Wednesday, telling the San Diego Union-Tribune that he was "shown the door." 

Dale Lindsey poses for his 2006 NFL headshot. (Getty Images)

Associate Vice President and Executive Director of Athletics Bill McGillis made the announcement Tuesday, calling Lindsey "one of the greatest head coaches" in San Diego history and "one of the elite head coaches in college football."

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"Coach Lindsey is leaving an incredible legacy at the University of San Diego. Beyond the extraordinary level of championship success our program has achieved under his leadership, Coach Lindsey established a standard of excellence for the young men in our program, and the lessons they've learned from him will last a lifetime. The numbers speak for themselves, but they don't even begin to tell the story of the impact he's made at USD," McGillis said. 

"His emphasis on — and commitment to — the value of a college education has been the true hallmark of his leadership from day one. He will retire from USD as one of the greatest head coaches in our university's history and one of the elite head coaches in college football. Tremendous man. Tremendous coach. Tremendous leader. Coach Lindsey led our program with great integrity, and he has built a model program in every sense of the word. His presence and leadership have been a gift to our scholar-athletes,