Barry Switzer

College and NFL champion coach

Barry Layne Switzer (born October 5, 1937) is an American former college and professional football coach. He served for 16 years as head football coach at the University of Oklahoma and four years as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He won three national championships at Oklahoma, and led the Cowboys to win Super Bowl XXX. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any college football coach in history, and is the second of only three head coaches to win both a college football national championship and a Super Bowl: the others are his Cowboys predecessor Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carroll with the Seattle Seahawks.

Quick Facts

Born: 5 October 1937
Birthplace: Crossett, Arkansas, U.S.
High school: Crossett (AR)
College: Arkansas (1956–1960)
Career position: Center, linebacker

Lore & Background

Switzer was born on October 5, 1937, in Crossett, Arkansas. His father Frank Mays Switzer was convicted of bootlegging and served five months in prison. His mother took her own life on August 26, 1959. His father was murdered on November 16, 1972. Switzer played football at the University of Arkansas, where he was a tri-captain in 1959. He later became an assistant coach at Oklahoma and perfected the wishbone offense. He became head coach at Oklahoma in 1973, winning national championships in 1974, 1975, and 1985. He resigned in 1989 amid NCAA scandals. He was hired by the Dallas Cowboys on March 30, 1994, the day after Jimmy Johnson left.

Reader's Guide

Switzer's first season with the Cowboys was successful; they went 12–4 and advanced to the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers for the third straight year. In that game, the Cowboys were down 21–0 after two turnovers in the first five minutes. They narrowed the score to 24–14 with a minute to play before halftime, and Switzer elected to try and reach for more points with passes on the suggestion of offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese rather than run the ball.