Legendary Miami football coaches hindered on ESPN 150 list by other jobs

A list of “The 150 greatest coaches in college football’s 150-year history” by ESPN on Tuesday morning included three national championships Miami football coaches. The former Miami coaches were hindered on the list by stints with other programs.

Howard Schnellenberger, Jimmy Johnson and Dennis Erickson built the Miami football program from average to elite power and national brand. Schnellenberger led Miami to an improbable national championship in his fifth season in 1983. Johnson took over and went 44-4 from 1985-88 after going 8-5 in 1984.

Erickson came to Miami after going 12-10-1 in two years at Washington State including a 9-3-1 record in 1988. The impact on college football by all three head coaches was far greater than where ESPN ranked them on their list of “The 150 greatest coaches in college football’s 150-year history.” 

All three coaches were hindered on the list by stints at other schools and each had a great impact on the Miami football program and college football in general during their time in Coral Gables. The Miami football program on the national stage still exists to this day because of Schnellenberger.

Johnson took over when Schnellenberger left for a job in the defunct United States Football League that never materialized. After struggling to an 8-5 record in his first season Johnson created the brand of swag football that is the Miami Hurricanes to this day. The brashness Miami plays with is due to Johnson.

Ideas like holding up four fingers to signify “the fourth quarter is ours” and utilizing speed as an asset for a team can both be credited to Johnson. Schnellenberger coined the phrase “The State of Miami.” The Miami football program would focus their recruiting efforts on Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

Schellenberger was the first coach to realize the vast level and amount of football talent that exists in South Florida. Erickson was one of the first proponents of the one-back, spread offense. Miami utilized one running back and three wide receivers during Erickson’s six-year stint in South Florida.,

Johnson is the highest-ranked Miami coach on the list. If he did not leave for the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys he would likely have set the bar that Nick Saban has eventually reached that many consider him to be the greatest coach in college football history.

"“49. Jimmy Johnson, 81-34-3Oklahoma State (1979-83; 29-25-3) and Miami (1984-88; 52-9)When Miami hired Johnson to replace Howard Schnellenberger in 1984, many Hurricanes fans asked, “Jimmy who?” In his first season, Miami blew a 31-0 halftime lead in a loss to Maryland, the biggest in NCAA history at the time, and fell to Boston College on Doug Flutie’s memorable Hail Mary pass.The Hurricanes went 8-5 in Johnson’s first season, but they rarely lost after that. Miami went 44-4 over the next four seasons and won the 1987 national title. Along the way, Johnson embraced Miami’s reputation as the bad boys of college football.”"

Johnson became the first coach to win a college national championship and the Super Bowl. He accomplished the feat with Miami in 1987 and the Dallas Cowboys with wins in Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII following the 1992 and ’93 football seasons. Erickson was next on the list, significantly further down ranked 83rd.

"“83. Dennis Erickson, 179-96-1Idaho (1982-85 and 2006; 36-23), Wyoming (1986; 6-6), Washington State (1987-88; 12-10-1), Miami (1989-94; 63-9), Oregon State (1999-2002; 31-17) and Arizona State (2007-11; 31-31)Erickson is best known for his six seasons at Miami, where his ‘Canes won two national titles (1989 and 1991) and played for a third (1992). His best accomplishment may have been at Oregon State, where Erickson led the Beavers from mediocrity to an 11-1 record and a No. 4 ranking in 2000.”"

Schnellenberger is the godfather of the Miami football program. If it was not for his ingenuity the Hurricanes likely would have never become a national power. Schnellenberger learned as an assistant coach under Hall of Famers Bear Bryant, George Allen and Dolphins legend Don Shula.

"93. Howard Schnellenberger, 158-151-3Miami (1979-83; 41-16), Louisville (1985-94; 54-56-2) Oklahoma (1995; 5-5-1) and FAU (2001-11; 58-74)No one in the history of the game proved to be as consistent a turnaround artist as Schnellenberger. He took Miami from mediocrity to a national championship in 1983 with a thrilling win over No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.He took Louisville from doormat to a major bowl; and he built the FAU program from scratch, taking the Owls to the Division I-AA semifinals."

Schnellenberger, Johnson and Erickson shaped the Miami football program into the National Power it became. Every coach since Erickson left for the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks following the 1994 season has been chasing their legend. Only Butch Davis and Larry Coker were able to get there with a 2001 National Championship.