Jackie Sherrill

Jackie Wayne Sherrill (born November 28, 1943) is an American former college football player and coach.

Sherrill played football at the University of Alabama under Bear Bryant from 1962 to 1965, helping the Crimson Tide win two national championships.

He was the head football coach at Washington State University (1976), the University of Pittsburgh (1977–1981), Texas A&M University (1982–1988), and Mississippi State University (1991–2003), compiling a career head coaching record of 180–120–4.

Sherrill is a studio analyst for Fox Sports Net's college football coverage.

Sherrill was the head coach at Washington State for one year, in 1976.

During his one season, the Cougars had a win–loss record of 3-8.

Sherrill was the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 1977 to 1981.

Before going to Washington State, Sherrill had served as an assistant at Pittsburgh under head coach Johnny Majors.

When Majors left Pittsburgh to return to his alma mater at the University of Tennessee, Sherrill returned to become the head coach of the Panthers.

He is credited with grooming quarterback Dan Marino, who went on to a prolific Hall of Fame career in the National Football League after being Sherrill's last quarterback at Pitt, from 1979 to 1982.

During his tenure, Sherrill's coaching staff included future NFL head coaches Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt.

In Sherrill's five seasons at Pittsburgh, the Panthers won 50 games, lost nine, and had one tie.

When asked about retirement, Joe Paterno once said that he would not, because it would leave college football in the hands of "the Jackie Sherrills and the Barry Switzers".

Paterno apologized to Switzer for the comment, but wrote in his book that he "didn't give a damn about what Sherrill felt."

Paterno later said that the comment was made off-the-record and in jest during a party at Paterno's house, but it was printed anyway.

Notably, Sherrill went 2–3 in five games leading Pitt against Penn State, including a 48–14 loss in 1981 that destroyed Pitt's chances at a second national championship in six years.

Mississippi State hadn't had a winning record in Southeastern Conference play since 1981.

Sherrill began his Mississippi State career with an upset victory over the defending Southwest Conference champion Texas Longhorns.

In thirteen seasons in Starkville, Sherrill coached the Bulldogs to a record of 75–75–2.

His 75 wins are the most in school history.

On January 19, 1982, Sherrill was hired by Texas A&M as a replacement for Tom Wilson, signing a record six year contract for over $1.7 million.

Sherrill was the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies from 1982 to 1988.

Texas A&M won three consecutive Southwest Conference championships under Sherrill, in 1985, 1986 and 1987.

As a result, the Aggies played in the Cotton Bowl Classic at the end of each season, defeating Auburn University 36–16 on January 1, 1986 and Notre Dame 35–10 on January 1, 1988, and losing to Ohio State University 28–12 on January 1, 1987.

He is also one of the few coaches to leave Texas A&M with a winning record against the Longhorns, winning his last five against Texas after losing his first two.

However, he only won three out of seven games versus Texas A&M's other conference rival, Arkansas, in that same time span.

He took over a program that hadn't had a winning season since 1986, winning only 14 games in that stretch.

In 1988, Sherrill's Aggies were put under probation by the NCAA for a period of two years.

Violations included improper employment, extra benefits, unethical conduct and lack of institutional control.

Sherrill was not personally found guilty of any infractions.

However, in December 1988, Sherrill resigned.

After two seasons away from the game (1989 and 1990), Sherrill was hired as head coach at Mississippi State University in 1991.

He led the team to a share of the SEC West title in 1998.

A 22-21 win over Arkansas garnered the Bulldogs an appearance in the SEC Championship Game, but they lost to eventual national champion Tennessee.

They finished the season with a loss to the Texas Longhorns and Heisman trophy winner Ricky Williams in the Cotton Bowl Classic.

A year later, he notched a 10–2 record, a final ranking of #12 in the AP Poll, and an appearance in the Peach Bowl.

That #12 ranking was the highest final ranking achieved by any NCAA Division I-A school in Mississippi in over 30 years.

Sherrill and Paterno later became friends – and Sherrill and his wife were guests of the Paternos in State College in 2004.

While head coach at A&M Sherrill started the tradition of the "12th Man Kickoff Team"; this tradition is still observed by A&M today, though in a significantly scaled back form, including a single walk-on rather than an entire kicking team unit.

In his seven seasons as the coach of the Aggies, Texas A&M won 52 games, lost 28, and had one tie.