< Johnny Majors passes away at the age of 85. He was the football coach at Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee in his 29-season career. C3
Led Pittsburgh to the national title in 1976
Knoxville, Tenn. — College Football Hall of Famer Johnny Majors, the coach of Pittsburgh's 1976 national championship team and a former coach and star player at Tennessee, died Wednesday. He was 85.
Majors died at his home in Knoxville, according to his wife, Mary Lynn Majors. “He spent his last hours doing something he dearly loved: looking out over his cherished Tennessee River,” she said in a statement first given to Sports Radio WNML.
Heisman runnerup
Majors compiled a 185-137-10 record in 29 seasons as a head coach at Iowa State (1968-72), Pitt (1973-76, 1993-96) and Tennessee (1977-92). That followed a standout playing career at Tennessee during which he finished second to Notre Dame's Paul Hornung in the 1956 Heisman Trophy balloting.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Tennessee retired Majors' No. 45 jersey in 2012.
Majors starred for the Volunteers from 1954-56 as a single-wing tailback and punter and twice was named the Southeastern Conference player of the year. He went on to a successful coaching career and had his greatest year in 1976, when he led Pittsburgh to a national championship with a team featuring Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett.
“He was more than just an integral part of my college football career; he was a dear friend who continued his relationship with me far beyond my playing days,” Dorsett said in a statement. "He took a young high school kid and showed him how to be a leader and a man. My prayers are with his family, the Pitt community and all the players and coaches who have been a part of his life. Rest in heaven, Coach.”
During the 1956 season, Majors rushed for seven touchdowns, threw five TD passes and punted and returned kicks while leading Tennessee to a 10-1 record and Sugar Bowl appearance. He finished his Vols playing career with 1,622 yards rushing and 1,135 yards passing.
He proved even more successful in the coaching ranks, where his coaching tree included Jimmy Johnson and Jackie Sherrill on his first staff at Iowa State. Majors gave Jon Gruden, currently coach of the NFL's Raiders, his first job as a graduate assistant at Tennessee.
Majors began his head coaching career in 1968 at Iowa State. Three years later, he led the Cyclones to their first bowl bid in school history. He posted a 24-30-1 record at Iowa State from 1968-72 before Pitt hired him away.
The Panthers were coming off a 1-10 season when he took over and had won a total of 23 games in the nine years preceding his arrival. Majors went 33-13-1 in four years there and led Pitt to a 12-0 record in 1976.