University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Majors Moments
The Legacy of Coach Johnny Majors
Johnny Majors, who coached the Panthers from 1973-76 and again from 1993-96, will forever be remembered as the architect of Pitt's ninth football national title.
In four years, Majors transformed Pitt from a 1-10 outfit in 1972 to an undefeated national champion in 1976. Majors' first recruiting class–which included tailback Tony Dorsett–would be the foundation for the Panthers' resurrection. His first season on the Pitt sideline witnessed a 6-5-1 mark and Fiesta Bowl berth, the Panthers' first postseason invite in 17 years. In 1975, Pitt went 8-4, climaxing the campaign with a 33-19 victory over Kansas in the Sun Bowl.
The rebuilding job was now complete, setting the stage for the triumphant 1976 season. Pitt steamrolled through all 12 of its opponents, including a 31-10 thumping of Notre Dame in the opener, a 24-7 rout of Penn State in the regular-season finale, and a 27-3 demolition of Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Majors finished his 29-year coaching career (which included tenures at Tennessee and Iowa State) with 185 victories and 16 bowl invitations.
After retiring from coaching, Majors served at Pitt in the position of Special Assistant to the Athletic Director and Chancellor until the summer of 2007. A room on the second floor of the Pittsburgh Athletic Association adjacent to Pitt's campus is dedicated to him and displays memorabilia from his career. A street on Tennessee's campus in Knoxville is named Johnny Majors Drive in his honor.
Majors passed away June 3, 2020, at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was 85 years old.