Longtime Head Coach & 1990 AFCA President Johnny Majors Passes Away
June 3, 2020
The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is saddened to hear about the passing of 1990 AFCA President and former head coach at Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee, Johnny Majors.
Majors was a dedicated AFCA member, serving on the AFCA Board of Trustees from 1980-90 and serving as president during his final year while the head coach at Tennessee. Majors earned AFCA National and Regional Coach of the Year honors in 1976 after leading Pittsburgh to a 12-0 record and the national championship that season.
After a legendary playing career at Tennessee, which landed him induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987, Majors began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1957. He was named backfield coach in 1958 and held that position for one more season before moving on to Mississippi State in 1960 as a defensive backs coach. Majors joined Arkansas as an assistant coach in 1964 during the Hogs heyday. Arkansas won the national title in his first season and went 33-8-1 in his four seasons in Fayetteville.
Majors earned his first head coaching job at Iowa State in 1968 and would spend five seasons with the Cyclones, leading the program to their first-ever bowl games in 1971 and 1972. He moved on to Pittsburgh as head coach in 1973, guiding the Panthers to three bowl games and a 33-13-1 overall record in his four seasons.
In 1977, Majors returned to his alma mater and built Tennessee in a national powerhouse. He led the Vols to three Southeastern Conference titles, 11 bowl games and 116 victories during his 16 seasons as head coach. Majors ended his coaching career with a second stint at Pittsburgh from 1993-96. Overall, he had 185 victories and 16 bowl game appearances, winning nine of those bowl games.
Majors was born on May 21, 1935 in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and passed away at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 3, 2020.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
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The American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) is saddened to hear about the passing of 1990 AFCA President and former head coach at Iowa State, Pittsburgh and Tennessee, Johnny Majors.
Majors was a dedicated AFCA member, serving on the AFCA Board of Trustees from 1980-90 and serving as president during his final year while the head coach at Tennessee. Majors earned AFCA National and Regional Coach of the Year honors in 1976 after leading Pittsburgh to a 12-0 record and the national championship that season.
After a legendary playing career at Tennessee, which landed him induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1987, Majors began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1957. He was named backfield coach in 1958 and held that position for one more season before moving on to Mississippi State in 1960 as a defensive backs coach. Majors joined Arkansas as an assistant coach in 1964 during the Hogs heyday. Arkansas won the national title in his first season and went 33-8-1 in his four seasons in Fayetteville.
Majors earned his first head coaching job at Iowa State in 1968 and would spend five seasons with the Cyclones, leading the program to their first-ever bowl games in 1971 and 1972. He moved on to Pittsburgh as head coach in 1973, guiding the Panthers to three bowl games and a 33-13-1 overall record in his four seasons.
In 1977, Majors returned to his alma mater and built Tennessee in a national powerhouse. He led the Vols to three Southeastern Conference titles, 11 bowl games and 116 victories during his 16 seasons as head coach. Majors ended his coaching career with a second stint at Pittsburgh from 1993-96. Overall, he had 185 victories and 16 bowl game appearances, winning nine of those bowl games.
Majors was born on May 21, 1935 in Lynchburg, Tennessee, and passed away at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 3, 2020.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
