Information AboutBob Devaney |
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Robert S. "Bob" Devaney ( 13 April , 1915 – 9 May , 1997 ) was an American Football coach, most notably for the University Of Nebraska-Lincoln Cornhuskers . He graduated from Alma College , where he played end on the football team, in 1939. Devaney coached high school football at Big Beaver, Keego Harbor, Saginaw, and Alpena, Michigan before joining Michigan State University as an assistant coach under Biggie Munn , then Duffy Daugherty . Devaney first college head coaching job was at the University Of Wyoming , from 1957 to 1961, where he went 35-10-5. He joined Nebraska in 1962 and established the Cornhuskers as a force in Big Eight Conference football. Prior to Devaney's arrival, Nebraska had been on figuratively hard times in football. After a stellar winning pct up to the early 1940s, Nebraska had just had only two winning records in the past 20 seasons going into Devaney's first season. He engineered an immediate turnaround, with a 9-2 record in 1962 that included a Gotham Bowl victory. He followed this up with an even better 10-1 season the next year, that included wins over rivals Missouri and Oklahoma, and an Orange Bowl victory over Auburn. His seemingly magic touch continued through 1966, with further records of 9-2, 10-1, and 9-2. At this point his Nebraska won-lost record was a combined 47-8. This had so revived Nebraska football fortunes that Memorial Stadium was enlarged significantly, by enclosing both ends. For the first time, Nebraska was on television once or twice a year, and fans all over the state sat down to watch the Bob Devaney television show each week, in which he used his folksy manner review the tape of the game for all of the fans who hadn't seen it in person. However, two back-to-back 6-4 seasons followed, in 1967-68. Known as a drinker, Devaney became subject to a whispering campaign about whether he had peaked. However, he had brought in an innovative offensive thinker as an assistant coach, Tom Osborne . He and Osborne revamped the offensive scheme, and upgraded the recruiting effort. The effects of this change weren't apparent when Nebraska began the 1969 season with just a 2-2 start, then, in its fifth game, needed a last-minute comeback at home to beat a Kansas team that finished the season 1-9. But the Huskers kept winning and concluded the season with a 9-2 record, including a 45-6 massacre of Georgia in the Sun Bowl . This set the stage for the highlight of Devaney's coaching career. Going into the 1970 season Nebraska returned most of the key offensive starters from the previous year, and added an explosive punt returner and wide receiver named Johnny Rodgers , who later would win the 1972 Heisman Trophy. Nebraska finished the season at 11-0-1, and won a share national championship after the other two unbeaten teams, Texas and Ohio State, lost their bowl games, and Nebraska defeated LSU in the Orange Bowl. (The AP, selecting after the bowls, picked Nebraska, while the UPI, picking before the bowls, picked Texas.) With most of its key players back and its defense vastly improved, Nebraska rolled through its first 10 games of the 1971 season. Then the Huskers defeated unbeaten Oklahoma on Thanksgiving Day 35-31 in the Game Of The Century , one of the most celebrated games in college football history. When Nebraska crushed unbeaten Alabama in the Orange Bowl to finish 13-0, the Cornhuskers were said by many to be the greatest team in college football history. In fact, the Huskers beat teams ranked second, third and fourth in the final poll: Oklahoma, Colorado and Alabama. Devaney coached one more year, capping a 9-2-1 season with a satisfying 40-6 victory over Notre Dame in the 1973 Orange Bowl before retiring from coaching. Devaney's record at Nebraska was 101-20-2, with 9 bowl appearances in 11 years, and two national championships. His teams won or shared eight Big 8 titles. His overall college head coaching record was 136-30-7, for an outstanding .806 win-loss percentage. Devaney was followed as head coach by assistant Tom Osborne, who continued his legacy of winning through the 1990s, winning 3 national championships between 1994-1997. Devaney served as Athletic Director at Nebraska from 1967 to 1993 and as athletic director emeritus until 1996. The Bob Devaney Sports Center at the University of Nebraska is named for him. EXTERNAL LINKS
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