John T. Majors: A Tennessee
Football Legend As Player
and Coach

Exhibit of Tennessee State Library and Arcives and The Johnny Majors Museum

Tennessee has had its share of athletes who have gone on to have successful careers in college
and professional sports, but without a doubt one of the most successful is John Majors. As a
high school player at Huntland High School, Majors was an outstanding all-around athlete who
held the record as State Overall Scoring Leader in football for three consecutive years in 1950,
1951, and 1952.

As a player at the University of Tennessee , Majors led the Volunteers to an undefeated, untied
regular season record of 10-0 and an appearance in the Sugar Bowl. While at Tennessee ,
Majors was All-Southeastern Conference twice and was voted player of the year in the
Southeastern Conference twice by the Nashville Banner in 1955 and 1956. Majors was also
NCAA All-American; United Press International National Back of the Year, 1956; Atlanta
Touchdown Club's SEC back of the year, 1956; and Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1956.

Majors began his coaching career with the University of Tennessee as a student-assistant in
1957, becoming an assistant coach in 1958 and 1959. He was assistant coach at Mississippi
State from 1960-1963 and was assistant coach at the University of Arkansas from 1964
through 1967, when Arkansas won the National Championship in 1964.

As head coach at the Iowa State University, Majors rebuilt the struggling Cyclone football
program, taking the team to their first-ever bowl games in 1971 and 1972 and winning Big 8
Coach of the Year in 1971. Majors would once again rebuild a failing football program as head
coach at the University of Pittsburgh, where he took the Pitt Panthers to the Fiesta Bowl in
1973 and ultimately led them to a National Championship 1976, winning National Coach of the
Year in both 1973 and 1976. Majors returned to the University of Tennessee in 1977 as head
coach of the Volunteer football team. His career with Tennessee would span fifteen years and
include ten bowl appearances, seven of which resulted in Tennessee victories; three SEC
Championships in 1985, 1989, and 1990; and an overall win/loss record of 116 and 62.
Majors was voted Coach of the Year in 1985/86.

Majors returned to the University of Pittsburgh as head coach in 1993, and in 1997 he became
Director of Athletics and Special Assistant to the Chancellor at the University of Pittsburgh.
Majors continues to stay active in college football as speaker, team evaluator, and recruiter.

Captured Forever was recently selected by Coach Johnny Majors to
produce a video along with digital scans from the personal collection of
Johnny Majors for display at the Tennessee State Library and Archives
and Johnny's Museum in Pittsburg. Working with Coach Majors was an
honor and we would like to share a bit of his history with you. You
may also visit the State Library in Nashville to view the exhibit.

Click Here to see the video

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