John Majors at Iowa State

[knox73]

This is a terrific old film of Majors at his first coaching stop. One of the tragedies of UT football was AD Bob Woodruff passing over Majors who had been a head coach already for 2 years at Iowa State to make a huge "reach hire" and promote the Vol tight ends coach - Bill Battle to head coach at age 28. Battle ran Doug Dickey's powerhouse program completely into the ground in 6 years. Majors had to rebuild Iowa State then go to Pitt and rebuild that down and out team and win a national championship to get the UT job. Woodruff made a brilliant hire with Dickey then a terrible hire with Battle. The squad Majors inherited at Tennessee was the worst in the SEC. Anyway Johnny rebuilt the Vols to win the SEC but it was a whale of a challenge.

It is interesting to see him in this Iowa State film - smoking a cigarette during his halftime speech and working hard to rebuild one of the worst teams in the nation - the Iowa State Cyclones which he proceeded to do.

Iowa State Coaching Legend Johnny Majors Passes Away - Iowa State University Athletics

AMES, Iowa – Former Iowa State head football coach Johnny Majors, the man responsible for turning around ISU football and leading it to its first-ever bowl game,

cyclones.com

Nice old UT promotional film from 1983 featuring Bill Bates, Reggie White, Willie Gault and others...

 

[DarkVolder]

Johnny took Iowa St to two bowl games and went 8-4 in 1971 that’s a most impressive accomplishment at Iowa St. especially at the time not easy to win there.

 

[VolTull]

LOL Majors smoking in the locker room

 

[Volfan1000]

Johnny took Iowa St to two bowl games and went 8-4 in 1971 that’s a most impressive accomplishment at Iowa St. especially at the time not easy to win there.

Iowa State has historically been the worst place to coach at in college football.

Majors produced a major miracle by taking them to two bowl games in his tenure there.

 

[ENGRVOL]

Majors had a pretty good eye for talented coaches and hired Jackie Sherrill and Jimmy Johnson during that time

 

[Woodlawn VOL]

Majors was a hard nosed coach, but he turned Tennessee around and positioned them for greatness. GBO

 

[Volosaurus rex]

Iowa State has historically been the worst place to coach at in college football.

Majors produced a major miracle by taking them to two bowl games in his tenure there.

Iowa State certainly is a bottom tier program historically, but Kansas State was every bit as bad, particularly in the era prior to Bill Snyder's reign, when they were dead last in winning percentage. See I-A Winning Percentage 1869-1988.

 

[MurphyVol]

Battle was a bit before my time, on paper it looked like maybe he could coach but not recruit. He won 31 games his first three seasons, of course things then went into the ditch.

 

[ZZ13]

I got a kick out of him saying “I’ve kicked less on 3rd down than I ever thought I would”.

 

[UT Hill Man]

To me, Johnny epitimized the toughness inherent in the Tennessee men of old.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Majors had a pretty good eye for talented coaches and hired Jackie Sherrill and Jimmy Johnson during that time

Among others in a rather impressive coaching tree

 

[wmcovol]

Battle was a bit before my time, on paper it looked like maybe he could coach but not recruit. He won 31 games his first three seasons, of course things then went into the ditch.

Battle made one of the worst sideline decisions in CFB history in 1973 going for a fake punt late in the game deep in his territory up 31-28 on Ga. It basically ruined his coaching career. He lost the team & his program that day. Fine man but wasn’t a good coach.

Dickey left him a loaded roster. It took a few yrs to work thru all the great players Dickey left him

 

[give_him 6]

Iowa State certainly is a bottom tier program historically, but Kansas State was every bit as bad, particularly in the era prior to Bill Snyder's reign, when they were dead last in winning percentage. See I-A Winning Percentage 1869-1988.

Nailed it. Snyder was a great coach and his shadow over Manhattan, KS still looms large today. Although Chris Klieman is doing a really good job. That is another school that couldn’t get rid of John Currie fast enough.

 

[NighthawkVol]

This is a terrific old film of Majors at his first coaching stop. One of the tragedies of UT football was AD Bob Woodruff passing over Majors who had been a head coach already for 2 years at Iowa State to make a huge "reach hire" and promote the Vol tight ends coach - Bill Battle to head coach at age 28. Battle ran Doug Dickey's powerhouse program completely into the ground in 6 years. Majors had to rebuild Iowa State then go to Pitt and rebuild that down and out team and win a national championship to get the UT job. Woodruff made a brilliant hire with Dickey then a terrible hire with Battle. The squad Majors inherited at Tennessee was the worst in the SEC. Anyway Johnny rebuilt the Vols to win the SEC but it was a whale of a challenge.

It is interesting to see him in this Iowa State film - smoking a cigarette during his halftime speech and working hard to rebuild one of the worst teams in the nation - the Iowa State Cyclones which he proceeded to do.

Iowa State Coaching Legend Johnny Majors Passes Away - Iowa State University Athletics

AMES, Iowa – Former Iowa State head football coach Johnny Majors, the man responsible for turning around ISU football and leading it to its first-ever bowl game,

cyclones.com

Nice old UT promotional film from 1983 featuring Bill Bates, Reggie White, Willie Gault and others...

If Johnny had been hired to replace Dickey, Tennessee has more trophies in the case and Alabama has fewer.

 

[wmcovol]

If Johnny had been hired to replace Dickey, Tennessee has more trophies in the case and Alabama has fewer.

It seemed everyone in Big Orange Country wanted Majors in ‘69 except Bob Woodruff. Col Tom Elam said he wanted Majors but he also wanted Woodruff as AD & had to let him make the decision. Somehow I think if JM had been named coach then, his personality may have been alittle different. He’d definitely won big early.

 

[DiderotsGhost]

One of the tragedies of UT football was AD Bob Woodruff passing over Majors who had been a head coach already for 2 years at Iowa State to make a huge "reach hire" and promote the Vol tight ends coach - Bill Battle to head coach at age 28. Battle ran Doug Dickey's powerhouse program completely into the ground in 6 years.

Obviously, Tennessee should've hired Johnny Majors when Dickey left, but I wouldn't slight Battle. Battle was a brilliant offensive coach and he sustained Dickey's success for 3 more seasons. Ultimately, the problem was he was too young for HC, struggled with recruiting, and needed more experience. But he's been immensely successful in life and he could've succeeded as HC. In many ways, I think Battle would've been better off being an OC / assistant for another decade before becoming an HC --- would've given him a better opportunity for success.

Honestly, if they had hired Johnny as HC and we had been able to keep Battle on staff, that would've been the biggest win.

Of course, we made the same mistake in 2008 when we hired Kiffin. A great, smart young coach, who just wasn't ready to be HC. The lesson IMO: there's a reason most successful college HCs are over 40.

 

[wmcovol]

Obviously, Tennessee should've hired Johnny Majors when Dickey left, but I wouldn't slight Battle. Battle was a brilliant offensive coach and he sustained Dickey's success for 3 more seasons. Ultimately, the problem was he was too young for HC, struggled with recruiting, and needed more experience. But he's been immensely successful in life and he could've succeeded as HC. In many ways, I think Battle would've been better off being an OC / assistant for another decade before becoming an HC --- would've given him a better opportunity for success.

Honestly, if they had hired Johnny as HC and we had been able to keep Battle on staff, that would've been the biggest win.

Of course, we made the same mistake in 2008 when we hired Kiffin. A great, smart young coach, who just wasn't ready to be HC. The lesson IMO: there's a reason most successful college HCs are over 40.

Battle was WR coach I believe and he was 28. Imagine hiring Kelsey Pope today as head coach. That is the comparison.

Battle wasn’t ready for being a HC but Woodruff wanted to keep much of Dickey’s staff despite both coordinators going with him to Florida.

My father always thought Bill Majors would have been the better coach had he lived. He was on Dickey’s staff when he was killed in the car-train wreck in 1965.

 

[sonofUT62]

Among others in a rather impressive coaching tree

Thought he had the greatest eye for coaching talent of anyone until Saban came along.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Battle was WR coach I believe and he was 28. Imagine hiring Kelsey Pope today as head coach. That is the comparison.

Battle wasn’t ready for being a HC but Woodruff wanted to keep much of Dickey’s staff despite both coordinators going with him to Florida.

My father always thought Bill Majors would have been the better coach had he lived. He was on Dickey’s staff when he was killed in the car-train wreck in 1965.

My father said the same about Bill. And he was friends with the Majors’.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Thought he had the greatest eye for coaching talent of anyone until Saban came along.

Both Johnny and Nick were sons of coaches. Might’ve had something to do with it.

 

[WillisWG]

21-23-1 after 4 seasons. By today's standards Johnny would have been fired after the 80 season. Different times.

 

[WillisWG]

Battle was WR coach I believe and he was 28. Imagine hiring Kelsey Pope today as head coach. That is the comparison.

Battle wasn’t ready for being a HC but Woodruff wanted to keep much of Dickey’s staff despite both coordinators going with him to Florida.

My father always thought Bill Majors would have been the better coach had he lived. He was on Dickey’s staff when he was killed in the car-train wreck in 1965.

Agree with your Dad on Bill Majors

 

[snappervol]

Battle was a bit before my time, on paper it looked like maybe he could coach but not recruit. He won 31 games his first three seasons, of course things then went into the ditch.

He was pitiful. Bye the way, his early success was due to Doug Dickies players being available. Once Battle had to coach with us own recruits, things went down rapidly.
I will always recall a banner flying in Aloha Stadium, “The Battle is Over, We need a Majors Change !”
Edit: we played the Rainbow Warriors at the end of the ‘75 season - it was already over at that point for Battle.

 

[LSG410EC83]

This is a terrific old film of Majors at his first coaching stop. One of the tragedies of UT football was AD Bob Woodruff passing over Majors who had been a head coach already for 2 years at Iowa State to make a huge "reach hire" and promote the Vol tight ends coach - Bill Battle to head coach at age 28. Battle ran Doug Dickey's powerhouse program completely into the ground in 6 years. Majors had to rebuild Iowa State then go to Pitt and rebuild that down and out team and win a national championship to get the UT job. Woodruff made a brilliant hire with Dickey then a terrible hire with Battle. The squad Majors inherited at Tennessee was the worst in the SEC. Anyway Johnny rebuilt the Vols to win the SEC but it was a whale of a challenge.

It is interesting to see him in this Iowa State film - smoking a cigarette during his halftime speech and working hard to rebuild one of the worst teams in the nation - the Iowa State Cyclones which he proceeded to do.

Iowa State Coaching Legend Johnny Majors Passes Away - Iowa State University Athletics

AMES, Iowa – Former Iowa State head football coach Johnny Majors, the man responsible for turning around ISU football and leading it to its first-ever bowl game,

cyclones.com

Nice old UT promotional film from 1983 featuring Bill Bates, Reggie White, Willie Gault and others...

Man, this video brings back some great memories. Was there from 79 to graduating Dec. 9, 1983, Had classes with some of the players and actually sub-leased my apartment to Willie Gault one summer. He was a class act. I am feeling old for some reason hahaha.

 

[peaygolf]

Battle was WR coach I believe and he was 28. Imagine hiring Kelsey Pope today as head coach. That is the comparison.

Battle wasn’t ready for being a HC but Woodruff wanted to keep much of Dickey’s staff despite both coordinators going with him to Florida.

My father always thought Bill Majors would have been the better coach had he lived. He was on Dickey’s staff when he was killed in the car-train wreck in 1965.