Bob Devaney

Devaney graduated from Alma College in 1939, where he played end on the football team. Devaney coached high school football in Michigan at Big Beaver, Keego Harbor, Saginaw, and Alpena, before joining the Michigan State Spartans staff as an assistant coach under Biggie Munn and continuing under Duffy Daugherty.

Devaney's first college head coaching job was at the University of Wyoming, where he went {{winning percentage|35|10|5|record=y}} in five seasons (1957–1961). The Cowboys won the Sun Bowl in his second season and won or shared the Skyline Conference title in his final four seasons in Laramie. Devaney was released from his contract by the university's board of trustees in {{nowrap|February 1962,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2TJYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2012%2C803642 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=Associated Press|title=Grid coach is released |date=February 3, 1962|page=7}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=j24rAAAAIBAJ&sjid=VpwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3362%2C1002941|work=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=Associated Press |title=Wyoming selects Eaton as new head football coach |date=February 4, 1962 |page=28}}}} and was hired at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln at an annual salary of $17,000.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Z6AyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=R-oFAAAAIBAJ&pg=950,1782687&dq=bob+devaney&hl=en|newspaper=The Miami News|title=Devaney salary|date=January 6, 1963|page=2}}

Devaney was the fourth choice of Nebraska's athletic director, Tippy Dye. Utah's Ray Nagel and Utah State's John Ralston had turned down the job. Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty also turned down Dye, but recommended Devaney, his former assistant, for the Cornhuskers. When Devaney balked at leaving Wyoming for Nebraska, it was Daugherty who convinced him to accept the position because he could potentially win a national title at Nebraska, a goal that Wyoming was unlikely to attain. Devaney joined Nebraska in 1962 and immediately reestablished the program as a force in the Big Eight Conference. Prior to Devaney's arrival, Nebraska football had fallen on hard times with seven consecutive losing seasons. The 1961 team under Bill Jennings went 3–6–1 overall and 2–5 in conference. After a winning tradition up until the early 1940s, Nebraska had only three winning seasons in the two decades preceding Devaney's arrival.[http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/nebraska/yearly_totals.php Nebraska Yearly Totals] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216043607/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/nebraska/yearly_totals.php |date=February 16, 2010 }}, cfbdatawarehouse.com; accessed June 28, 2015.

Devaney engineered an immediate turnaround with a {{nowrap|9–2}} record in 1962 that included a victory in the Gotham Bowl at Yankee Stadium over the Miami Hurricanes. It was the first of forty consecutive winning seasons for Nebraska. Devaney followed this up with an even better {{nowrap|10–1}} season the next year, including a perfect 7–0 record in the Big Eight to claim the conference title and an Orange Bowl victory over Auburn. His success continued through 1966, with records of 9–2, 10–1, and 9–2, bringing his record at Nebraska to {{Winning percentage|47|8|record=y}} in his first five seasons. This had so revived Nebraska football 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 TV show each week, in which he used his folksy manner to review the tape of the game for all of the fans who hadn't seen it in person.{{Cite web|url=https://hailvarsity.com/s/8130/two-platoon-football-one-way-or-another-ushered-in-the-blackshirts|title = Two-Platoon Football, One Way or Another, Ushered in the Blackshirts|date = 25 October 2019}}

Consecutive 6–4 seasons followed in 1967 and 1968; allegedly known as a drinker,{{Citation needed|date=December 2007}} 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. Devaney and Osborne revamped the offensive scheme, an I formation with an unbalanced line, and upgraded the recruiting effort. Nebraska began the 1969 season at 2–2 start and in its fifth game needed a last-minute comeback at home to beat a Kansas team that finished the season with only one win. But the Huskers kept winning and concluded the regular season {{nowrap|at 8–2,}} then routed Georgia {{nowrap|45–6}} in the Sun Bowl. This set the stage for the highlight of Devaney's coaching career.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

The 1970 Nebraska team returned most of the key offensive starters from the previous year, and added sophomore Johnny Rodgers, an explosive punt returner and wide receiver, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1972 as a senior. Nebraska tied USC in Los Angeles early in the season and was ranked #3 going into the Orange Bowl against LSU.

A late touchdown by quarterback Jerry Tagge gave the Huskers a 17–12 victory to finish the season {{nowrap|at 11–0–1.}} This secured a share of the national championship, after the other two undefeated teams in the nation, Texas and Ohio State, lost their bowl games earlier in the day.{{cite journal|url=https://www.si.com/vault/1971/01/11/554230/the-oneday-season|journal=Sports Illustrated|last=Jenkins|first=Dan|title=The one-day season|date=January 11, 1971|page=10}} The final AP Poll, conducted after the bowl games were played, picked Nebraska {{nowrap|as champion,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=aeVVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5-ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6696%2C868378 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard|location=Oregon|title=Nebraska wins the vote as nation's best college club|last=Thomas|first=Ben|agency=Associated Press|date=January 5, 1971|page=3B}}}} while the final UPI Poll, released in early December before the bowl games, had Texas first with {{nowrap|Nebraska third.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=S40jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2ZkFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3439%2C5630420 |newspaper=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania|agency=UPI |title=Texas first in final UPI poll |date=December 8, 1970 |page=30}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QgFYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JfcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1501%2C1231585 |newspaper=Bend Bulletin |location=Oregon|agency=UPI |title=Texas wins UPI grid crown |date=December 8, 1970 |page=8}}[http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/upi_poll.php?year=1970 1970 UPI college poll] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111211124213/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/upi_poll.php?year=1970 |date=2011-12-11 }}, cfbdatawarehouse.com; accessed June 28, 2015.}}

With most of its key players back and its defense vastly improved in 1971, Nebraska rolled through the first ten games. The top-ranked Huskers met unbeaten #2 Oklahoma in Norman on Thanksgiving Day in the Game of the Century, one of the most celebrated games in college football history. A late touchdown by tailback Jeff Kinney gave the Huskers a hard-fought {{nowrap|35–31}} victory. When Nebraska crushed unbeaten Alabama {{nowrap|38–6}} in the Orange Bowl to finish {{nowrap|13–0,}} the Cornhuskers were said by many to be the greatest team in college football {{nowrap|history.{{cite journal|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1085677/index.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119120454/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1085677/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 19, 2013|journal=Sports Illustrated|last=Jenkins|first=Dan|title=All yours, Nebraska|date=January 10, 1972|page=8}}}} In fact, the Huskers defeated the teams ranked second, third, and fourth in the final AP Poll: Oklahoma, Colorado, and Alabama.[http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/ap_poll.php?year=1970 1970 College AP Poll] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114044859/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/ap_poll.php?year=1970 |date=2012-11-14 }} cfbdatawarehouse.com

Devaney coached one more year in 1972 and expectations were high for a third straight national title.{{cite journal|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/8297/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821071047/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/8297/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 21, 2009|journal=Sports Illustrated|title=Nebraska goes for three straight: Coach Bob Devaney|date=September 11, 1972}} Although a disappointing loss to UCLA at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum opened the season, the Huskers finished with a 9–2–1 record. The loss to UCLA ended Nebraska's 32-game unbeaten streak, which dated back nearly three years to October 11, 1969, when they lost at Missouri. Although the Cornhuskers tied Iowa State and lost by three points to Oklahoma in Lincoln in November, the season ended with a 40–6 victory over Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, the Huskers' third consecutive victory in that bowl game. Nebraska finished the 1972 season ranked #4 in the AP Poll. In addition, Johnny Rodgers was selected as the winner of the Heisman Trophy. The UPI Coaches' Poll, released before the bowls, had Nebraska at #9.

Following the 1972 season, Devaney stepped down as head coach at age 57 and hired his protégé to succeed him, offensive coordinator Tom Osborne. Devaney's overall record at Nebraska was 101–20–2 ({{Winning percentage|101|20|2}}) in 11 seasons, with nine bowl appearances and two national championships. His teams won or shared eight Big Eight Conference titles. His record in his final three seasons was 32–2–2 ({{Winning percentage|33|2|2}}), and his career college head coaching record at Wyoming and Nebraska was 136–30–7 ({{Winning percentage|136|30|7}}) in 16 seasons.

Devaney served as athletic director at Nebraska from 1967 to 1992 and as athletic director emeritus until 1996. The university's volleyball/wrestling/gymnastics arena, the Bob Devaney Sports Center, is named for him.

File:Grave of Robert Simon Devaney (1915–1997) at Lincoln Memorial Park, Lincoln, NE.jpg

Devaney died of a heart attack at age 82 {{nowrap|in 1997,{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=hG1XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WvEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6714%2C8971665 |work=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Cornhusker legend Devaney dies |date=May 10, 1997 |page=C2}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lW8lAAAAIBAJ&sjid=caYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5434%2C6640660 |newspaper=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=news services |title=Nebraska's Bob Devaney dead at 82 |date=May 10, 1997 |page=D4}}}} and is buried at Lincoln Memorial Park in Lincoln.

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = both }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Wyoming Cowboys

| conf = Skyline Conference

| startyear = 1957

| endyear = 1961

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1957

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 4–3–3

| conference = 3–2–2

| confstanding = 4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1958

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 8–3

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Sun

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1959

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 9–1

| conference = 7–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 = 16

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1960

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 8–2

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname =

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| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1961

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 6–1–2

| conference = 5–0–1

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 17

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Wyoming

| overall = 35–10–5

| confrecord = 27–4–3

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Nebraska Cornhuskers

| conf = Big Eight Conference

| startyear = 1962

| endyear = 1972

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1962

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 9–2

| conference = 5–2

| confstanding = 3rd

| bowlname = Gotham

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1963

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 10–1

| conference = 7–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Orange

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 5

| ranking2 = 6

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1964

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 9–2

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Cotton

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 6

| ranking2 = 6

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1965

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 10–1

| conference = 7–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Orange

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 3

| ranking2 = 5

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1966

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 9–2

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Sugar

| bowloutcome = L

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 7

| ranking2 = 6

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1967

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 6–4

| conference = 3–4

| confstanding = 5th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1968

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 6–4

| conference = 3–4

| confstanding = T–4th

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking =

| ranking2 =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1969

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 9–2

| conference = 6–1

| confstanding = T–1st

| bowlname = Sun

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 12

| ranking2 = 11

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = national

| year = 1970

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 11–0–1

| conference = 7–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Orange

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 3

| ranking2 = 1

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = national

| year = 1971

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 13–0

| conference = 7–0

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Orange

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 1

| ranking2 = 1

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship = conference

| year = 1972

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 9–2–1

| conference = 5–1–1

| confstanding = 1st

| bowlname = Orange

| bowloutcome = W

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = 9

| ranking2 = 4

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Nebraska

| overall = 101–20–2

| confrecord = 62–14–1

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 136–30–7

| bowls = no

| poll = two

| polltype =

}}

Assistant coaches under Devaney who have become college or professional head coaches:

• Lloyd Eaton: Wyoming (1962–1970)
• Tom Osborne: Nebraska (1973–1997)
• Carl Selmer: Miami (FL) (1975–1976)
• Warren Powers: Washington State (1977), Missouri (1978–1984)
• Jim Walden: Washington State (1978–1986), Iowa State (1987–1994)
• Monte Kiffin: NC State (1980–1982)

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{College Football HoF|1961}}

{{Navboxes

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{{1970 Nebraska Cornhuskers football navbox}}

{{1971 Nebraska Cornhuskers football navbox}}

{{Amos Alonzo Stagg Award}}

{{Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year}}

{{Walter Camp Coach of the Year}}

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Category:1915 births

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Category:American football ends

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Category:Coaches of American football from Michigan