Johnny Majors
Johnny Majors went 185–137–10 as a head coach, 1968–1996, at Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee. Share
- Record
- 185–137–10 career
- Seasons
- 29
- Schools
- 3
- AP national titles
- 1
- Best season
- 1976 12–0, No. 1
Season by season
3
3
5
178
5
6
7
158
112
4
5
7
5
8
6
9
7
49
7
1410
5
511
89
149
5
3
3
2
4
| Season | School | Record | Conference finish | Bowl | AP final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Iowa State | 3–7 | 7th | |||
| 1969 | Iowa State | 3–7 | 7th | |||
| 1970 | Iowa State | 5–6 | T–6th | |||
| 1971 | Iowa State | 8–4 | 4th | Sun Bowl L | 17 | |
| 1972 | Iowa State | 5–6–1 | 5th | Liberty Bowl L | ||
| 1973 | Pittsburgh | 6–5–1 | Fiesta Bowl L | |||
| 1974 | Pittsburgh | 7–4 | ||||
| 1975 | Pittsburgh | 8–4 | Sun Bowl W | 15 | ||
| 1976 | Pittsburgh | 12–0 | Sugar Bowl W | 1 | ||
| 1977 | Tennessee | 4–7 | 8th | |||
| 1978 | Tennessee | 5–5–1 | T–4th | |||
| 1979 | Tennessee | 7–5 | T–5th | Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl L | ||
| 1980 | Tennessee | 5–6 | 6th | |||
| 1981 | Tennessee | 8–4 | T–4th | Garden State Bowl W | ||
| 1982 | Tennessee | 6–5–1 | 5th | Peach Bowl L | ||
| 1983 | Tennessee | 9–3 | T–3rd | Citrus Bowl W | ||
| 1984 | Tennessee | 7–4–1 | T–5th | Sun Bowl L | ||
| 1985 | Tennessee | 9–1–2 | 1st | Sugar Bowl W | 4 | |
| 1986 | Tennessee | 7–5 | 6th | Liberty Bowl W | ||
| 1987 | Tennessee | 10–2–1 | 3rd | Peach Bowl W | 14 | |
| 1988 | Tennessee | 5–6 | T–6th | |||
| 1989 | Tennessee | 11–1 | T–1st | Cotton Bowl W | 5 | |
| 1990 | Tennessee | 9–2–2 | 1st | Sugar Bowl W | 8 | |
| 1991 | Tennessee | 9–3 | 3rd | Fiesta Bowl L | 14 | |
| 1992 | Tennessee coached games 4–11 (8 of 12) | 5–3 | 3rd (Eastern) | |||
| 1993 | Pittsburgh | 3–8 | 6th | |||
| 1994 | Pittsburgh | 3–8 | 7th | |||
| 1995 | Pittsburgh | 2–9 | 8th | |||
| 1996 | Pittsburgh | 4–7 | 5th |
Each season links to the team’s season page; bowls and playoff games link to the game. Conference finishes from the Wikipedia article’s record table.
Players he coached
Antone DavisConsensus All‑American, 1990- Tim McGeeConsensus All‑American, 1985
- Dale CarterConsensus All‑American, 1991
- Eric StillConsensus All‑American, 1989
Al RomanoConsensus All‑American, 1976- Bill MayoConsensus All‑American, 1984
- Charles McRaeNo. 7 pick, 1991
- Terry McDanielNo. 9 pick, 1988
- Ruben BrownNo. 14 pick, 1995
- Robert ShawNo. 27 pick, 1979
- Clyde DuncanNo. 17 pick, 1984
- Chris MimsNo. 23 pick, 1992
5 more
Keith DeLong (No. 28 pick, 1989); Alvin Harper (No. 12 pick, 1991); Todd Kelly (No. 27 pick, 1993); Alvin Toles (No. 24 pick, 1985); Anthony Miller (No. 15 pick, 1988).
18 of the 23 players from his seasons with a Heisman top-five finish, a national award, consensus All-America honors or a first-round pick, the best of each school he coached among them. Photos: Wikimedia Commons, free licenses; credits on each player’s page.
How his teams did
| Kind of game | Games | Record | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Against ranked teams | 98 | 23–70–5 | 26% |
| Against top-10 teams | 54 | 10–40–4 | 22% |
| Against rivals | 123 | 61–58–4 | 51% |
| Conference games | 163 | 73–86–4 | 46% |
| Bowls and playoffs | 16 | 9–7 | 56% |
| Decided by 8 points or fewer | 106 | 54–42–10 | 56% |
| At home | 174 | 106–62–6 | 63% |
| On the road | 134 | 67–64–3 | 51% |
| At neutral sites | 24 | 12–11–1 | 52% |
| As our Elo’s favorite | 179 | 141–33–5 | 80% |
| As our Elo’s underdog | 153 | 44–104–5 | 30% |
His own 332 games on file, 1968–1996, as played (vacated wins counted, ties as half a win). Ranks are the AP poll going into the game; rivals are the ones either program’s Wikipedia article names; favorite and underdog by our own Elo rating, which reads only scores.
Against other head coaches
| Coach | Record | Their schools | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Curry 1980–1992 | 7–5–1 | Georgia Tech, Alabama, Kentucky | 13 | |
| Pat Dye 1981–1991 | 4–5–2 | Auburn | 11 | |
| Billy Brewer 1983–1991 | 8–1 | Ole Miss | 9 | |
| Jerry Claiborne 1982–1989 | 7–1 | Kentucky | 8 | |
| George MacIntyre 1979–1985 | 6–1 | Vanderbilt | 7 | |
| Dan Devine 1968–1979 | 4–3 | Missouri, Notre Dame | 7 | |
| Pepper Rodgers 1968–1979 | 4–3 | Kansas, Georgia Tech | 7 | |
| Vince Gibson 1968–1976 | 4–2 | Kansas State, Louisville | 6 | |
| Vince Dooley 1973–1988 | 2–3–1 | Georgia | 6 | |
| Bear Bryant 1977–1982 | 1–5 | Alabama | 6 |
Johnny Majors’s record against the head coaches he met three or more times, from the games on file, as played.
Most-faced opponents
| Opponent | Games | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Vanderbiltseries | 16 | 15–1 |
| Kentuckyseries | 16 | 13–3 |
| Alabamaseries | 16 | 4–12 |
| Ole Missseries | 15 | 11–4 |
| Auburnseries | 15 | 6–7–2 |
| Georgia Techseries | 13 | 8–4–1 |
| Boston Collegeseries | 10 | 6–4 |
| Notre Dameseries | 10 | 4–6 |
National coaching awards
The awards- 1976 Pittsburgh: Eddie Robinson
- 1973 Pittsburgh: Eddie Robinson and Walter Camp Coach
Also a player: Johnny Majors’s playing career.
Career
| Years | Team | Job | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Tennessee | Graduate assistant | |
| 1958–59 | Tennessee | Backfield coach | |
| 1960–63 | Mississippi State | Defensive backs coach | |
| 1964–67 | Arkansas | Assistant coach | |
| 1968–72 | Iowa State | Head coach | |
| 1973–76 | Pittsburgh | Head coach | |
| 1977–92 | Tennessee | Head coach | |
| 1993–96 | Pittsburgh | Head coach |
Every job as the infobox of his Wikipedia article lists it (CC BY-SA), assistant jobs included.
Coaching tree
Worked under
- Bowden WyattTennessee
- Wade WalkerMississippi State
- Paul DavisMississippi State
- Frank BroylesArkansas
Johnny Majors
Assistants who became head coaches
- Jackie SherrillWashington State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Mississippi State
- Jimmy JohnsonOklahoma State, Miami, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins
- King BlockArkansas State
- Larry LacewellArkansas State
- Joe AvezzanoOregon State, Dallas Desperados
- Dennis CreehanEdinboro, San Francisco State, South Dakota, West Virginia Wesleyan, Alderson-Broaddus
- Dave CampoDallas Cowboys
- Dave WannstedtPittsburgh, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins
- Lynn AmedeeUT Martin
- Bill PaceVanderbilt
- Kevin SteeleBaylor, Auburn
- Phillip FulmerTennessee
- and 16 more
Worked under (4)
| Head coach | Team | Years | His job | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowden Wyatt | Tennessee | 1957–59 | 1957: graduate assistant; 1958–59: backfield coach | |
| Wade Walker | Mississippi State | 1960–61 | Defensive backs coach | |
| Paul Davis | Mississippi State | 1962–63 | Defensive backs coach | |
| Frank Broyles | Arkansas | 1964–67 | Assistant coach |
Coached under him, later head coaches (28)
| Coach | With him | Head coach at | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackie Sherrill | Iowa State, 1968–69: defensive backs coach; 1970–72: assistant head coach and defensive coordinator; Pittsburgh, 1973–75: assistant head coach and defensive coordinator | Washington State, Pittsburgh, Texas A&M, Mississippi State | |
| Jimmy Johnson | Iowa State, 1968–69: assistant coach | Oklahoma State, Miami, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins | |
| King Block | Iowa State, 1968–72: assistant coach | Arkansas State | |
| Larry Lacewell | Iowa State, 1968: defensive coordinator and ends and linebackers coach; Tennessee, 1990–91: defensive coordinator | Arkansas State | |
| Joe Avezzano | Iowa State, 1969–72: assistant coach; Pittsburgh, 1973–76: offensive line coach; Tennessee, 1977–79: offensive coordinator | Oregon State, Dallas Desperados | |
| Dennis Creehan | Pittsburgh, 1974: graduate assistant | Edinboro, San Francisco State, South Dakota, West Virginia Wesleyan, Alderson-Broaddus | |
| Dave Campo | Pittsburgh, 1975: graduate assistant | Dallas Cowboys | |
| Dave Wannstedt | Pittsburgh, 1975–76: graduate assistant | Pittsburgh, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins | |
| Lynn Amedee | Tennessee, 1979: quarterbacks coach | UT Martin | |
| Bill Pace | Tennessee, 1980–81: assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach | Vanderbilt | |
| Kevin Steele | Tennessee, 1980: student assistant; 1980–81: graduate assistant; 1982: outside linebackers coach; 1987–88: defensive backs coach | Baylor, Auburn | |
| Phillip Fulmer | Tennessee, 1980–88: offensive line coach; 1989–92: offensive coordinator and offensive line coach | Tennessee | |
| David Cutcliffe | Tennessee, 1982: assistant coach; 1983–88: tight ends coach; 1989: running backs coach; 1990–91: quarterbacks coach; 1992: passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach | Ole Miss, Duke | |
| Dennis Therrell | Tennessee, 1983–84: graduate assistant | Lock Haven, Auburn | |
| Larry Marmie | Tennessee, 1983–84: defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach; 1992: defensive coordinator | Arizona State | |
| Todd Berry | Tennessee, 1983: tight ends coach | Army, UL Monroe, Illinois State | |
| Walt Harris | Tennessee, 1983–88: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | Pacific, Pittsburgh, Stanford | |
| Ron Zook | Tennessee, 1984–86: defensive backs coach | Florida, Illinois | |
| Daryl Dickey | Tennessee, 1987: graduate assistant; 1988: assistant quarterbacks | Presbyterian, West Georgia | |
| Jim Bates | Tennessee, 1989: linebackers coach | San Antonio Gunslingers | |
| Jim Hofher | Tennessee, 1989: quarterbacks coach | Buffalo, Cornell | |
| Randy Sanders | Tennessee, 1989–90: quarterbacks coach; 1991–92: wide receivers coach | East Tennessee State | |
| Tommy West | Tennessee, 1990: running backs coach | Clemson, Memphis, Chattanooga | |
| Curt Cignetti | Pittsburgh, 1993–96: quarterbacks and tight ends coach | James Madison, Indiana, IU Pennsylvania, Elon | |
| Ken Karcher | Pittsburgh, 1993–96: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | Liberty, East Central (MS) | |
| Tim Lewis | Pittsburgh, 1993–94: defensive backs coach | Birmingham Iron | |
| Andy Rondeau | Pittsburgh, 1994–96: graduate assistant | Pace | |
| Gary Nord | Pittsburgh, 1996: wide receivers coach | UTEP |
Other assistants under him (16)
| Coach | With him | |
|---|---|---|
| Gordon Smith | Iowa State, 1968–70: assistant coach | |
| George Haffner | Iowa State, 1969–70: quarterbacks coach; 1971–72: offensive coordinator; Pittsburgh, 1973–75: offensive coordinator | |
| Bob Leahy | Pittsburgh, 1973–74: junior varsity coach; 1975: wide receivers coach | |
| Bobby Roper | Pittsburgh, 1976: defensive coordinator; Tennessee, 1977–78: defensive coordinator | |
| Bobby Jackson | Tennessee, 1977–79: running backs coach; 1980–82: defensive coordinator | |
| Frank Emanuel | Tennessee, 1979: defensive coordinator | |
| John Chavis | Tennessee, 1979: graduate assistant; 1989–92: defensive line and linebackers coach | |
| Al Saunders | Tennessee, 1982: offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach | |
| Dick Bumpas | Tennessee, 1985–88: linebackers and special teams coach | |
| Ken Donahue | Tennessee, 1985–88: defensive coordinator | |
| Dale Jones | Tennessee, 1989: graduate assistant | |
| Doug Mathews | Tennessee, 1989: defensive coordinator | |
| Rex Norris | Tennessee, 1990–91: defensive line coach | |
| Chuck Driesbach | Pittsburgh, 1993–96: defensive coordinator | |
| Matt Cavanaugh | Pittsburgh, 1993: tight ends coach | |
| Joe D’Alessandris | Pittsburgh, 1996: offensive line coach |
From coaches’ Wikipedia infoboxes (CC BY-SA) and each season’s article for its coordinators: an assistant’s seasons at a school count under its head coach in our records; jobs in the NFL and elsewhere, under the head coach whose own article lists the job that year. Names without a page here link to their Wikipedia articles.