Howard Schnellenberger Being Honored With Trophy For Miami vs Louisville Game
Howard Schnellenberger now has his own trophy. He should have already had one. How can one person impact a college football program more than he did during his time at the University of Miami?
Statistics can be manipulated if one really tries hard enough, but consider the win-loss record for the Miami Hurricanes prior to Schnellenberger taking over in Coral Gables (1979-1983). It’s obvious that the Canes needed a special coach to take over the program.
From 1960 through 1978, The Canes were an abysmal 93-106 for a 46.7% mark. Further, Miami won just one bowl game – the 1966 Liberty Bowl – against now fellow ACC member Virginia Tech, 14-7, from that same time span.
Of course Schnellenberger did change Miami’s football trajectory. From the 1983 season, he helped the Canes upset No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl and that allowed Miami to be a national champion for the first time.
He also helped do many other things that led up to that point, as Josh White, a member of the Hurricanes athletics staff, put it in a tweet a couple of years ago and still holds true:
All of those factors should make Miami fans stand up and clap about a new rivalry trophy that’s been introduced in honor of coach Schnellenberger.
Schnellenberger went to Louisville to help promote that program much the same way he did Miami. He was the leader of the Cardinals from 1985 through 1994, and was able to get Louisville to a 10-1-1 record from the 1990 season and throttling Alabama 34-7.
The Cardinals haven’t been the biggest rivals for the Hurricanes, but this trophy represents something quite different than many of the other college football trophies one will see and/or read about. Schnellenberger started winning at Miami and Louisville.
He’s one of the best college football coaches to not be in the Hall of Fame (and should be). It’s cool, and good for Canes and Cardinals fans alike, that he’s been remembered with this trophy.
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