Wednesday, 04 December 2024

Barry Switzer

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Coaches 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Football
Statistics: 1 Super Bowl (XXX)
3 NCAA National Championships (1974, 1975 & 1985)
12 Big Eight Championships (1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986 & 1987)
1 Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award
157-29-4 NCAA Record
8-5 Bowl Record
40-24 NFL Record
5-2 NFL Playoff Record
Member of the College Football Hall of Fame
Only three coaches have won a Super Bowl and a National Championship; Jimmy Johnson, Pete Carroll, and Barry Switzer.

Switzer was the second of the above three to accomplish this feat, but his combined titles of four are the most of the group. A center at Arkansas, Switzer became their running backs coach when his playing career ended in 1960. Moving to Oklahoma as their offensive coordinator in 1966, he advanced to their head coach in 1973, and the Sooners would ascend to the upper-echelon of college football.

The Sooners won the Big Eight 12 times under Switzer, with three National Championships (1974, 1975 & 1985) coming to Stillwater under his watch. Switzer's recruiting expertise showed with Switzer never having a losing record with ten seasons of double-digit wins. Oklahoma went to the Orange Bowl ten times, winning six. In addition to his titles, Switzer also guided the Sooners to six other campaigns where he finished in the top three.

In 1989, Oklahoma was placed on probation, and Switzer chose to resign. It looked like he was content to stay out of coaching, but five years later, Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, hired him to replace Jimmy Johnson as their head coach.

Switzer was with Dallas for four years, which were tempestuous but still productive. Dallas, who won two earlier Super Bowls, won Super Bowl XXX and won the NFC East in his first three years. Dallas faltered in 1997 with a losing 6-10 record, which followed with Switzer's resignation. It was the only time that Switzer ever had a losing record as a head coach.

We are proud to nominate Barry Switzer for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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