I’m Howard Schnellenberger, Who the F are You?
By Cecilio's Scribe on Dec 22, 2007 with Comments 3
Gentle Grandpa? Don’t Let the Smiling ‘Stache Fool Ya
“See the sign on the door? It says Big Howie’s Place. I’m Big Howie. Who the f are you?”
For anyone who missed it, Florida Atlantic University defeated Memphis to win its first ever bowl game last night. Sure, it was one of those newbie bowls named after a city (the legendary R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl), but it was significant if for no other reason than providing one more reason for this sports fan to pay a little bit of respect to someone who doesn’t get enough.
Howard Schnellenberger will hit the 150 win mark as a collegiate head coach pretty soon. Over the course of a 22-year college coaching career, he’s now 5-0 in bowl games. He took the ‘Canes to the national championship and won in 1983. A national championship is a significant accomplishment, no matter the circumstances. Now, consider University of Miami football was in serious jeopardy of disappearing only a few years earlier when Howie arrived on campus (1979).
In 1985, the white-stached Schnellenberger took the helm at a severely limping University of Louisville program. His first three seasons the Cardinals finished 2-9, 3-8 and 3-7 respectively. After winning campaigns the following two years, Howie’s high point came with a 10-1 1990 season and a New Year’s Day thumping of Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl (yea, it was weird…they used to have all these big bowl games on one day, so you had one tremendous day of football with tradition, meaningful games…i know, so crazy, right?). Papa John’s stadium sits on campus today because of Schnel, who rescued a dying program. Don’t blame him for the stadium name, he didn’t sell the sponsorship rights.
However, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if sponsorship rights, and a whole slew of other marketing responsibilities, fell under Big Howie’s domain when he arrived at Florida Atlantic. His story at FAU is well-documented. While Louisville was considering a drop down to 1-AA when Howie came along, FAU didn’t have a team when Schnellenberger showed up. As in, zero, none, nada. Howie’s task? Simple. Start a D-1 college football program from scratch. Fundraise. Recruit. Put together a staff. Get some uniforms. Figure out where to play. You know, the basic stuff. Ready, go.
Seven years later Big Howie’s Owls just finished 8-5 in the most competitive division of college football. The list of players who’ve gone on from Schellenberger’s various programs is lengthy. Jim Kelly was his quarterback at Miami steering the ship to that 1983 National Championship. he helped recruit longtime NFL stalwarts like Ted Washington and hall of famer Michael Irvin. During his years on the sidelines, Howie was a member of two Super Bowl winning NFL staffs including Don Shula’s 17-0 1972 Dolphins. He’s been a coordinator under Bear Bryant and stood on the sidelines as a member of George Allen’s staff.
Suffice to say, Howie is a pretty good “football guy.” So, why doesn’t he get more pub? How come you never hear this guy’s name come up with relation to any high-profile universities anymore? He’s rebuilt programs, played, coached, recruited and developed winners at every level. Whereas he’s not in the hallowed air of Bowden on Paterno in number of wins (acknowledging those guys do have another decade of college coaching on him), he deserves some more respect. Hopefully, he and his Owls will get some following last night’s win. And maybe someday soon they’ll be playing in a bowl game we’ve heard of before. The fact that they’d be playing football at Florida Atlantic at all would have been unthinkable a decade ago, so anything is possible. We’re pulling for ya, Howie.
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Won on every level….except in the NFL and at Oklahoma, where he basically got himself blackballed from the coaching profession.
Other than that, what a guy, right?
Actually, Pete, he won A LOT in the NFL, just not as head coach. He was the OC for the Dolphins for their perfect season.
I just wrote a post of love for Schnelley too. As a current UM student, I like Coach Shannon, but long for the days of the old coach.