COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland Athletics mourns the passing of former quarterback and loyal Terrapin supporter Rich Novak (Class of '62). 

"Rich epitomized what it meant to be a Terrapin," said Athletic Director Damon Evans. "We are saddened to hear of his passing. From his time as a Maryland football player to his business career and his passionate dedication to his alma mater, Rich always displayed Maryland pride. He made a positive impact on countless student-athletes through his generosity and he will be dearly missed."

Novak was a tremendous supporter of Maryland Athletics, loyal Terrapin Club member and a lifetime member of the M Club. The football locker room at the Gossett Football Team House is named for him and the new locker room in Cole Field House will also be named in his honor. In 2019, Rich and his wife Laura were honored with the Heise Spirit Award which recognizes Terrapin Club members who best exemplify the Terrapin Spirit.

Novak, who earned honorable mention All-ACC honors by United Press International in 1960, led the Terps to an 18-12 record in his three-year career. In 1961, his final season, the Terps went 7-3 with two wins over top 10 teams - Penn State and Syracuse.

Novak led the Terps in total offense in 1959 and three times in his career led Maryland to wins over West Virginia. Under head coach Tom Nugent, Novak threw for 1,262 yards and 10 TDs while also rushing for 550 yards in his career.

A Uniontown, Pa., native, Novak was a high school standout in several sports and was inducted into the Fayette County Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. In addition to football, Novak excelled in baseball, basketball and track and field in his prep career.

In 2011, he was honored as Maryland Football's ACC Legend at the conference's championship game.

After earning his degree from Maryland in 1962, Novak began a very successful business career as COO at LabCorp, a Bio-Medical firm in North Carolina. He later joined Linden Capital Partners, where he served as chairman of Hycor Bio-Medical and Strata Pathology. He also served on the board of Sera Prognostics.

Novak is survived by his wife Laura, their daughters Emily Novak (Lara) and Ashley Stanford (Nigel), and their grandsons Richie and Nick Stanford.