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Johnny Majors
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johnny Majors (born May 21, 1935 in Lynchburg, Tennessee), was a longtime College Football Head Coach and alumnus of the University of Tennessee. Majors was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (as a player) in 1987.
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He played high school ball for the Huntland Hornets of Franklin County, Tennessee. They won the state championship in 1951. His dad, Shirley was the head coach at Huntland from 1949-1957 and he also played alongside his brother Bill.
A triple-threat tailback at the University of Tennessee, one of the last schools to use the single wing rather than some version of the T formation, Majors was an All-American in 1956. He played for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League in 1957 and then became an assistant coach at several schools.
As a running back, he was the runnerup for the 1956 Heisman Trophy.
He started as a head coach at the Iowa State University in 1968 before moving on to his greatest success as coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers in 1973. In Pittsburgh he recruited such greats as Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett and Matt Cavanaugh among others. The Panthers won the national title in 1976, after which Majors went back to his alma mater. Majors also received National Coach of the Year honors for that season.
At Tennessee, Majors achieved success in the 1980s and early 1990s winning three SEC Championships (in 1985, 1989 and 1990), but falling short of a National Championship. In 1989, the Majors-led Vols followed a 5-6 season with a 11-1 season, the largest turnaround of the year.
In 1992, Majors suffered a heart attack and was replaced by Coach Phillip Fulmer; he then returned to his second home of Pittsburgh to once again coach the Panthers. Throughout the mid-1990s Majors tried to recreate the magic of 1976 at Pitt but achieved no success. He retired shortly before the 1997 NCAA season and continues to reside in his adopted home of Pittsburgh.[1].
- Majors lost the Heisman Trophy to Paul Hornung, who starred for Notre Dame. That year Notre Dame had a losing record. To date, this is the only time the Heisman Trophy has been awarded to a player on a losing team.
- The City of Knoxville named a street after Majors. The street is on the campus of The University of Tennessee and is the location of the school's practice facility.
- Actor Lee Majors is a cousin of Johnny Majors. He borrowed Majors' last name to form his stage name.
| Year(s) | Record | School |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 3-7-0 | Iowa State University |
| 1969 | 3-7-0 | Iowa State University |
| 1970 | 5-6-0 | Iowa State University |
| 1971 | 8-4-0 | Iowa State University (Sun Bowl) |
| 1972 | 5-6-1 | Iowa State University (Liberty Bowl) |
| 1973 | 6-5-1 | University of Pittsburgh(Fiesta Bowl) |
| 1974 | 7-4-0 | University of Pittsburgh |
| 1975 | 8-4-0 | University of Pittsburgh (Sun Bowl) |
| 1976 | 12-0-0 | University of Pittsburgh (Sugar Bowl) (NATIONAL CHAMPIONS) |
| 1977 | 4-7-0 | University of Tennessee |
| 1978 | 5-5-1 | University of Tennessee |
| 1979 | 7-5-0 | University of Tennessee (Bluebonnet Bowl) |
| 1980 | 5-6-0 | University of Tennessee |
| 1981 | 8-4-0 | University of Tennessee (Garden State Bowl) |
| 1982 | 6-5-1 | University of Tennessee (Peach Bowl) |
| 1983 | 9-3-0 | University of Tennessee (Tangerine Bowl) |
| 1984 | 7-4-1 | University of Tennessee (Sun Bowl) |
| 1985 | 9-1-2 | University of Tennessee (Sugar Bowl) (SEC Champions) |
| 1986 | 7-5-0 | University of Tennessee (Liberty Bowl) |
| 1987 | 10-2-1 | University of Tennessee (Peach Bowl) |
| 1988 | 5-6-0 | University of Tennessee |
| 1989 | 11-1-0 | University of Tennessee (Cotton Bowl) (SEC Champions) |
| 1990 | 9-2-2 | University of Tennessee (Sugar Bowl) (SEC Champions) |
| 1991 | 9-3-0 | University of Tennessee (Fiesta Bowl) |
| 1992 | 5-3-0* | University of Tennessee |
| 1993 | 3-8-0 | University of Pittsburgh |
| 1994 | 3-8-0 | University of Pittsburgh |
| 1995 | 2-9-0 | University of Pittsburgh |
| 1996 | 4-7-0 | University of Pittsburgh |
| Total | 185-137-10 |
Note:
- * replaced by Phillip Fulmer after heart attack
| Preceded by Clay Stapleton |
Iowa State Football Coaches 1968–1972 |
Succeeded by Earle Bruce |
| Preceded by Carl DePasqua |
University of Pittsburgh Football Coaches 1973–1976 |
Succeeded by Jackie Sherrill |
| Preceded by John McKay Woody Hayes |
Paul "Bear" Bryant Award 1973 1976 |
Succeeded by Grant Teaff Lou Holtz |
| Preceded by Joe Paterno |
Walter Camp Coach of the Year 1973 |
Succeeded by Barry Switzer |
| Preceded by Bill Battle |
University of Tennessee Football Coaches 1977–1992 |
Succeeded by Phillip Fulmer |
| Preceded by Sal Sunseri |
University of Pittsburgh Football Coaches 1993–1996 |
Succeeded by Walt Harris |
Harrold • Linn • Hoskins • Trenchard • Robinson • Jackson • Hockensmith • Crolius • Mosse • Wingard • Moorhead • Thompson • Duff • Warner • Sutherland • Bowser • Shaughnessy • Fesler • Milligan • Casanova • Hamilton • Dawson • Michelosen • Hart • DePasqua • Majors • Sherrill • Fazio • Gottfried • Hackett • Sunseri • Harris • Wannstedt