Johnny Majors obit

Johnny Majors, UT Star And Coach, Dead At 85

 

He was not on the list.

A giant figure in Tennessee sports has died. 

Johnny Majors was a football star at the University of Tennessee who went on to become one of the winningest coaches in school history.

Majors passed away at his home in Knoxville. He was 85 years old. His death was confirmed by his family.

Majors grew up in Lynchburg and became a do-everything star at UT. He was runner up for the Heisman Trophy in 1956. But as he recalled during a speech at East Tennessee State in 2011, his on-field accomplishments came during a time of segregation.  

“In the Southeastern Conference I never played against a black player,” he said. “We never had a black player at Mississippi State, Tennessee, Arkansas — and that was wrong. Plain and simple. That was wrong for history. But that’s another story. But a very important story.”

 Majors first coached a black player at Iowa State in the late 1960s, when he led that school to its first-ever bowl appearance. He went on to coach at the Pitt, turning around a dismal program and winning a national championship in 1976 with future NFL Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett. 

 The following year he returned to his alma mater where he coached until an acrimonious split with the University of Tennessee in 1992. The relationship was repaired in later years and the school retired his jersey in 2012.

Majors’ survivors include his wife, Mary Lynn Majors, and two children.

He was born in Lynchburg, Tennessee.

He began as a halfback at the University of Tennessee. He was a two-time winner of the Southeastern Conference Most Valuable Player award, in 1955 and 1956.

After playing one season in the Canadian Football League (CFL), Majors became a college assistant coach. He was the head coach at Iowa State University (1968–1972), the University of Pittsburgh (1973–1976, 1993–1996), and Tennessee (1977–1992).

His 1976 Pittsburgh squad won a national championship. He was added into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987.

Majors died on June 3, 2020 at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee at the age of 85.

Majors played high school football for the Huntland Hornets of Franklin County, Tennessee. They won the state championship in 1951. Majors' father, Shirley Majors, was the head coach at Huntland from 1949 to 1957 and then head coach at The University of the South, Sewanee, from 1957 to 1977. Majors also played alongside his brother, Joe, at Huntland. Joe played for Florida State University and professionally for the AFL's Houston Oilers. Billy played at Tennessee as well and professionally for the Buffalo Bills. Larry played at The University of the South contributing to an undefeated season for Sewanee in 1963 and later coached alongside his father, Shirley. Another brother, Bobby, also played at Tennessee and professionally for the Cleveland Browns. In all, Majors had four brothers, all of whom played football. Johnny was the oldest.

He played for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL in 1957 and then became an assistant coach at several schools.

Majors was the 24th head football coach for the Iowa State University Cyclones located in Ames, Iowa and he held that position for five seasons, from 1968 until 1972. His career coaching record at Iowa State was 24–30–1.

After Iowa State, Majors found his greatest success as coach of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers in 1973. In Pittsburgh, he recruited such greats as Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett and Matt Cavanaugh, among others.

 

Playing career

1953–1956      Tennessee

1957    Montreal Alouettes

Position           Halfback

Coaching career (HC unless noted)

1957    Tennessee (GA)

1958–1959      Tennessee (backfield)

1960–1963      Mississippi State (DB)

1964–1967      Arkansas (assistant)

1968–1972      Iowa State

1973–1976      Pittsburgh

1977–1992      Tennessee

1993–1996      Pittsburgh

Head coaching record

Overall            185–137–10

Bowls  9–6

Accomplishments and honors

Championships

National (1976)

3 SEC (1985, 1989, 1990)

Awards

UPI Player of the Year (1956)

Unanimous All-American (1956)

2× SEC MVP (1955–1956)

2× First-team All-SEC (1955, 1956)

Tennessee Volunteers No. 45 retired

Walter Camp Coach of the Year (1973)

AFCA Coach of the Year (1976)

Sporting News College Football COY (1976)

SEC Coach of the Year (1985)

Big Eight Coach of the Year (1971)