Jimmy Johnson (American football coach) Early coaching jobs What was his first coaching job? Johnson became assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh under Jackie Sherrill in 1977 and 1978. Was he successful at this position? There, he coached Randy Holloway, David Logan, Al Chesley, J. C. Wilson, and Hugh Green, Did he set any records with the team? I don't know. Did he coach anywhere other than Miami and Pittsburgh ? In 1979, Johnson became head coach at Oklahoma State.
What was his final coaching job in the early years?
What was Jimmy Johnson's final coaching job in the early years?
Johnson began as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech University in 1965. During this time, Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame was the starting quarterback, and Jimmy helped recruit high school quarterback Terry Bradshaw from nearby Shreveport, Louisiana. He then became an assistant coach at Picayune Memorial High School in Picayune, Mississippi, in 1966. In 1967, he was an assistant at Wichita State University, then in 1968 and 1969, he served under Johnny Majors at Iowa State University in Ames. In 1970, he moved on to another Big Eight Conference school to become a defensive line coach at the University of Oklahoma, working under head coach Chuck Fairbanks and alongside future rivals Barry Switzer and Jim Dickey. In 1973, he returned to Arkansas, where he served as defensive coordinator through the 1976 season. There, he coached such players as Brison Manor and Dirt Winston. Johnson had hopes of being named head coach when Broyles retired, but was passed over for Lou Holtz. Holtz offered to retain Johnson on his staff, but he decided to move on and amicably parted company with his alma mater. Johnson became assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh under Jackie Sherrill in 1977 and 1978. There, he coached Randy Holloway, David Logan, Al Chesley, J. C. Wilson, and Hugh Green, and was introduced to a Pitt alumnus and assistant coach Dave Wannstedt, who later teamed up with Johnson again at the University of Miami, the Cowboys, and the Dolphins. In 1979, Johnson became head coach at Oklahoma State. Johnson coached for five seasons at Oklahoma State, from 1979 to 1983, before taking the head coaching job at the University of Miami. Johnson interviewed for the head coaching job at Arkansas when Lou Holtz left following the 1983 season, then later found out Ken Hatfield had already been hired. Upset that Frank Broyles (who was still the Arkansas athletic director) made no mention of this during the interview, Jimmy distanced himself from his alma mater. As payback for the snub, a home-and-home series was scheduled with Arkansas. In 1987, Miami gave Arkansas its worst home loss ever at the time, 51-7. CANNOTANSWER
Johnson began as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech University in 1965.
James William Johnson (born July 16, 1943) is a former American football coach and sports analyst. Johnson served as a head football coach on the collegiate level from 1979 to 1988 and in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He is the first head football coach to win both a college football national championship and a Super Bowl, achieving the former with Miami and the latter with the Dallas Cowboys. 

Johnson held his first head football coaching position at Oklahoma State before becoming Miami's head football coach in 1984 and guided the team to victory in the 1988 Orange Bowl. His collegiate success resulted in Johnson succeeding original Cowboys head coach Tom Landry in 1989, a position that saw him help rebuild the team back to winning form. Johnson's tenure from 1989 to 1993 culminated with the Cowboys winning consecutive Super Bowl titles in Super Bowl XXVII and Super Bowl XXVIII, but conflict with owner Jerry Jones led to Johnson leaving after the second championship.

Following two years away from football, Johnson returned in 1996 to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, where he served until retiring after the 1999 season. Since his coaching retirement, Johnson has appeared as an analyst for Fox Sports and is one of the featured commentators of Fox NFL Sunday. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Early life
Johnson attended high school at Thomas Jefferson High School (now known as Memorial High School) in Port Arthur, Texas. In high school he was a classmate of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Janis Joplin.

Johnson played college football as a defensive lineman at the University of Arkansas between 1962 and 1964. He helped lead the Razorbacks to the national championship in 1964 when he was named to the All Southwest Conference team. Additionally, he was named to the Razorbacks’ All-Decade team of the 1960s, and was later inducted into Arkansas’ state athletic hall of fame in 1988, followed by the university’s hall of fame in 1999.

During his time in Arkansas, he played with future Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Coaching career

Early coaching jobs
Johnson began as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech University in 1965. During this time, Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame was the starting quarterback, and Jimmy helped recruit high school quarterback Terry Bradshaw from nearby Shreveport, Louisiana. He then became an assistant coach at Picayune Memorial High School in Picayune, Mississippi, in 1966. In 1967, he was an assistant at Wichita State University, then in 1968 and 1969, he served under Johnny Majors at Iowa State University in Ames. In 1970, he moved on to another Big Eight Conference school to become a defensive line coach at the University of Oklahoma, working under head coach Chuck Fairbanks and alongside future rivals Barry Switzer and Jim Dickey.

In 1973, he returned to Arkansas, where he served as defensive coordinator through the 1976 season. There, he coached such players as Brison Manor and Dirt Winston. Johnson had hopes of being named head coach when Broyles retired, but was passed over for Lou Holtz. Holtz wanted to retain Johnson on his staff and offered him a position, but Jimmy decided to move on and amicably parted company with his alma mater.

Johnson became assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh under Jackie Sherrill in 1977 and 1978. There, he coached Randy Holloway, David Logan, Al Chesley, J. C. Wilson, and Hugh Green, and was introduced to a Pitt alumnus and assistant coach Dave Wannstedt, who later teamed up with Johnson again at the University of Miami, the Cowboys, and the Dolphins.

Oklahoma State
In 1979, Jimmy Johnson got his first head coaching job, at Oklahoma State University. Johnson coached for five seasons at Oklahoma State, from 1979 to 1983. His tenure there is noteworthy for his successful rebuilding of an inconsistent program. In his final season, he led the Cowboys to an 8–4 record and a 24–14 victory over 20th-ranked Baylor in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl.

In 1984, when he was offered the head coaching job at the University of Miami, Johnson was unsure if he wanted to leave Stillwater. His good friend Larry Lacewell told Johnson that if he wanted to win a national championship and eventually coach in the NFL, he had to take the Miami job. Johnson soon after accepted the head coaching job at Miami.

Before taking the Miami job, Johnson interviewed for the head coaching job at Arkansas when Lou Holtz left following the 1983 season, then later found out that Ken Hatfield had already been hired. Upset that Frank Broyles (who by this time was the Arkansas athletic director) made no mention of this during the interview, Jimmy distanced himself from his alma mater. As payback for the snub, a home-and-home series was scheduled between Miami and Arkansas. In 1987, Miami gave Arkansas its worst home loss ever at the time, 51–7.

University of Miami

In 1984, Johnson was hired by the University of Miami to replace former coach Howard Schnellenberger, who had won Miami's first national championship in 1983 and departed for the recently formed United States Football League. Johnson's hiring was met with an initial response of "Jimmy who?" by the fans and media. Johnson started with a shaky 8–5 record his first season, which included a game in which Johnson's Hurricanes blew a 31–0 halftime lead in a loss to Maryland with Frank Reich as its QB, and also included a 47–45 loss to Boston College immortalized by Doug Flutie's "Hail Mary" touchdown pass on the game's final play. But Johnson developed the Hurricanes into a football program that came to be known as "the Decade of Dominance". In his five years at Miami, Johnson compiled a 52–9 record, appeared in five New Year's Day bowl games, winning one national championship (1987) and losing one to the Penn State Nittany Lions (1986).

Johnson created a free-wheeling atmosphere where he allowed, and at times encouraged, his players to showboat, trash-talk, and run up the score. He also brought the modern 4–3 defense predicated on athletic upfield linemen to the forefront. The criticism they received from other teams caused the media to deem them the "Bad Boys of College Football", a moniker Johnson openly accepted.

Johnson's Hurricanes posted the school's first undefeated regular season in 1986, only to lose the Fiesta Bowl and the national championship to #2-ranked Penn State. The loss, along with losses in Miami's prior two bowl games, began to raise questions about whether Johnson was capable of winning major games. In the ensuing 1987 season, however, the Hurricanes went undefeated in the regular season yet again, and won the school's second national title by defeating Barry Switzer's Oklahoma Sooners for the third season in a row.

Johnson also created controversy by allowing the University of Miami to retire Vinny Testaverde's football jersey number #14, but refusing to retire Bernie Kosar's number #20, though Kosar played one season for Johnson and led the Hurricanes to the national title (the season before Johnson became head coach). Johnson's reason for not retiring Kosar's number was, "Bernie didn't finish the program here (at Miami)." Kosar graduated with honors a year ahead of his freshman class in 1985 with a dual major in finance and economics and subsequently entered the NFL's supplemental draft. Testaverde won the school's first Heisman Trophy award in December 1986 and was the first player selected in the 1987 NFL Draft. However, as Cowboys' head coach, Johnson later reached out and signed Kosar as a backup QB after Kosar was released by the Cleveland Browns during the 1993 NFL season. Kosar played during the Cowboys' Super Bowl run that season while starter Troy Aikman was injured, clinching the NFC Championship game and earning a Super Bowl ring.

Johnson was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. In May 2012, Johnson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Dallas Cowboys
In 1989, Jerry Jones, the new owner of the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, a long-time friend and former University of Arkansas teammate of Johnson's, asked him to become the 2nd head coach in franchise history, replacing Tom Landry, who had coached the team since its beginning in 1960. Johnson was reunited with former Miami standout Michael Irvin, and in Johnson's first season as coach, the 1989 Cowboys went 1–15. Johnson, however, did not take long to develop the Cowboys into a championship-quality team. Johnson had an ability to find talent in the draft, make savvy trades (namely, the trade of Herschel Walker, which yielded six high draft picks and a number of players from the Minnesota Vikings), and by signing quality players such as Jay Novacek as free agents in the age before the NFL had imposed a salary cap.

Johnson served as head coach of the Cowboys from 1989 through 1993. He is one of only six men in NFL history (including Vince Lombardi, Don Shula, Chuck Noll, Mike Shanahan, and Bill Belichick) to coach consecutive Super Bowl winners, winning Super Bowl XXVII in 1992 and Super Bowl XXVIII in 1993 (his team beat the Buffalo Bills in both Super Bowls). Johnson led the Cowboys to a record of 10–1 in the regular season during the month of December from 1991 to 1993, also leading to a playoff record of 7–1 in those years. Johnson also had a record of 24–1 when running back Emmitt Smith ran for 100 yards or more in a regular-season game, and 5–0 in the postseason, winning two Super Bowls.

Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones mutually agreed to split due largely to their growing inability to work together. Johnson's relationship with Jones began to fall apart in 1993. It started with Jones wanting more say in player personnel decisions. Although Jones had the title of general manager, Johnson had the final say in football matters and was unwilling to give it up. An incident happened in December 1993, when the Cowboys were getting ready to play the Giants for the NFC East title, where Johnson had said he was interested in becoming head coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars. This led to Jones telling the media that he alone would decide Johnson's coaching future. In March 1994, after the Cowboys had won their second Super Bowl under Johnson, Jones angered Johnson when he told reporters that any coach could have led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl. They agreed to part ways on March 28, 1994, with Johnson getting a $2 million bonus.

Jones then hired another former Arkansas player, former University of Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer, and the Cowboys won Super Bowl XXX two seasons after Johnson's departure. Notable members on the winning team included Johnson holdovers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, and Super Bowl XXX MVP Larry Brown. However, the Cowboys went into decline after Super Bowl XXX and have not reached the NFC Championship Game since then.

Johnson was not included on the Dallas Cowboys "Ring of Honor" for many years. Johnson and Jones had appeared to patch up their relationship, such as appearing together on the 25th anniversary of the Cowboys's Super Bowl XXVII win, and Johnson congratulating Jones on his Hall of Fame induction in 2017. When asked in the summer of 2014 why Johnson was not in the ring of honor despite his two Super Bowl victories as coach of the Cowboys, Jones stated: "Disloyalty ... I couldn't handle the disloyalty." The Cowboys Ring of Honor has been viewed as the "gatekeeper to the Pro Football Hall of Fame" for Dallas players, coaches, and executives; despite this snub, it was announced in 2020 that Johnson would be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

On August 5, 2021, during the 2021 Hall of Fame Game broadcast on Fox, Jerry Jones announced that Johnson would finally be inducted in the Dallas Cowboys Ring of Honor.

Miami Dolphins
After working as a television analyst with Fox Sports for two years and briefly flirting with an offer for the head-coaching job of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1994, Johnson joined the Miami Dolphins in 1996, replacing head coach Don Shula, who retired at the end of the 1995 season. After a below-expectations year for the Dolphins in 1995, capped off by a blowout loss in the playoffs versus the Buffalo Bills, there was a groundswell among Dolphins fans who wanted Shula to step aside in favor of Johnson.

Johnson's tenure in Miami did not live up to expectations. Johnson won fewer games in his first season than Shula had in his final season (8–8 vs. 9–7). Johnson's overall winning percentage at Miami was 55.3% vs. 65.8% for Shula.

Johnson inherited one of the NFL's best offenses, led by Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino; the defense was considered mediocre, though it was ranked 10th in fewest points allowed in 1995. As a defensive specialist, Johnson expected to put together a championship defense. With complete control over personnel decisions, Johnson and his staff signed several excellent defensive players, drafting future Hall of Famer Jason Taylor and pro bowlers Zach Thomas, Sam Madison, and Patrick Surtain. But Johnson's brilliant draft record was blemished by several disappointments, including fifth-round pick running back Cecil Collins, and two first-round picks, running back John Avery and wide receiver Yatil Green. The Dolphins finished 8–8 in 1996 and then 9–7 in 1997, losing to the New England Patriots in the wildcard playoff round. In 1998, the Dolphins finished 10–6 with the league's best defense, defeated the Buffalo Bills in the wildcard playoffs, then were crushed 38–3 by the Denver Broncos in the divisional round.

In a 1996 interview, Johnson said he did not feel he could ever reach the stature of Shula or Landry, simply because he did not feel able to stay with the job as long as they had: "26 years or so as a head coach. I don't think I'll make it that long. This is my sixth year as a head coach, and whenever this contract's done, I think I'll probably be done coaching."

In January 1999, Johnson resigned as Dolphins head coach, citing burnout. He reversed his decision in one day, after Marino—with whom Johnson had a strained relationship—pleaded with Johnson to come back. Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga also hired the recently fired Chicago Bears head coach Dave Wannstedt, a former assistant under Johnson both at the University of Miami and at Dallas, as defensive coordinator/assistant head coach.

In the face of Super Bowl expectations, Miami faded from a 7–1 start down the stretch, and Johnson's relationship with Marino, which had briefly blown up following a Monday Night Football loss to the Bills in Week 4, dissolved completely. The Dolphins still finished the season 9–7 and defeated the Seahawks in the wildcard round of the playoffs, but in the divisional round they were crushed in an embarrassing 62–7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Johnson resigned the day after the game and Marino soon thereafter announced his retirement. Johnson was succeeded by Wannstedt.

In a 2021 interview, Johnson revealed that the Dolphins could have traded for Peyton Manning in the 1998 NFL draft, theoretically offering the Colts their entire draft board in exchange for the first overall pick. Johnson declined to give more details to this trade, with him stating, "I probably gave you too much already."

Television career

After leaving the Dolphins, Johnson became a TV studio analyst again for Fox Sports and is currently an on-air staff member on Fox NFL Sunday. He has been assigned as a studio analyst for Fox's coverage of the Bowl Championship Series in January with Chris Rose as the host, and also pens a column on Foxsports.com.  In addition he has made several guest or cameo appearances in film and television: as a bearded prisoner in lockup on the television series The Shield, as a guest star in the episode, "Johnsonwreckers" on Coach in 1994, and a cameo in the movie The Waterboy, next to Bill Cowher.

Commercials
Johnson endorsements include Procter & Gamble, and a series of commercials for the male enhancement pill ExtenZe in 2010.  He was also involved in a South Florida-based scam called The Leading Edge that purported to feature businesses on an "educational" "interstitial" program by that name that would air on public television. Johnson filmed the TV spots, in the style of an infomercial, and businesses were pitched on the program using these clips, which appeared on the website. They were charged an "underwriting fee" of over $20,000 to appear on the show, however, the show never actually would then air. They were not affiliated with PBS and there is no record of any air dates.

Survivor
Johnson was one of 20 castaways competing in Survivor: Nicaragua, the 21st edition of Survivor, in late 2010. He is a long-time fan of the show, and had been cast for Survivor: Gabon, which was the 17th edition of the show, but had to withdraw after failing a physical. Johnson, the oldest contestant of the season, was part of the Espada tribe, made up entirely of people aged 40 and older. He was voted out 8–1 on Day Eight of the competition, becoming the third person voted out of the game and finishing 18th overall. As he left the game, he said to his tribe, "One of you, win your million bucks, okay?" He also said, "I had fun, but I was miserable the whole time. I still love the game, it's been a great adventure, but this is the most stressful time I've ever gone through in my life. And that includes Super Bowls and collegiate national championships. I initially said, 'Keep your strongest members.' I obviously wasn't one of them."

National Football League Hall of Fame Induction
Johnson was surprised during a telecast of Fox NFL Sunday by Pro Football Hall of Fame President David Baker on January 12, 2020, announcing that he would be the 328th member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He personally thanked his coworkers on Fox NFL Sunday, and thanked his players and assistant coaches for their contributions. Following numerous delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson was formally inducted on August 7, 2021.

Personal life
Johnson married Linda Kay Cooper on July 12, 1963, with whom he had two sons. They divorced in January 1990. On July 18, 1999, Johnson married Rhonda Rookmaaker. As of 2010, he lives in Islamorada in the Florida Keys.

Johnson owns Three Rings restaurant in Miami and JJ's Big Chill, a bar and grill located in Key Largo, Florida at mile marker 104. Three Rings was named after the three championships Johnson won on collegiate and professional levels. He previously owned a second restaurant under the same name in Oklahoma City, but it has closed. Johnson's fishing boat, docked behind his oceanfront home in Islamorada, Florida, is also called "Three Rings".

Head coaching record

College

NFL

Coaching tree
Assistant coaches under Jimmy Johnson who became NCAA or NFL head coaches:
 Houston Nutt: Murray State University (1993–1996), Boise State University (1997), University of Arkansas (1998–2007), University of Mississippi (2008–2011)
 Larry Coker: Miami (FL) (2001–2006), UTSA (2009–2015)
 Butch Davis: Miami (FL) (1995–2000), Cleveland Browns (2001–2004), North Carolina (2007–2010), FIU (2017–present)
 Tommy Tuberville: Ole Miss (1995–1998), Auburn (1999–2008), Texas Tech (2010–2012), Cincinnati (2013–2016)
 Dave Wannstedt: Chicago Bears (1993–1998), Miami Dolphins (2000–2004), Pitt (2005–2010)
 Ed Orgeron: Ole Miss (2005–2007), LSU (2015–2021)
 Norv Turner: Washington Redskins (1994–2000), Oakland Raiders (2004–2005), San Diego Chargers (2007–2012)
 Pat Jones: Oklahoma State (1984–1994)
 Dave Campo: Dallas Cowboys (2000–2002)
 John Blake: Oklahoma (1996–1998)

References

External links
 
 
 Jimmy Johnson biography for Survivor: Nicaragua at CBS.com

1943 births
Living people
American football defensive linemen
Arkansas Razorbacks football players
Arkansas Razorbacks football coaches
College football announcers
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Dallas Cowboys head coaches
High school football coaches in Mississippi
Iowa State Cyclones football coaches
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football coaches
Miami Dolphins executives
Miami Dolphins head coaches
Miami Hurricanes football coaches
National Football League announcers
National Football League general managers
Oklahoma Sooners football coaches
Oklahoma State Cowboys football coaches
People from Monroe County, Florida
Pittsburgh Panthers football coaches
Players of American football from Texas
Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees
Sportspeople from Port Arthur, Texas
Super Bowl-winning head coaches
Survivor (American TV series) contestants
Wichita State Shockers football coaches
Bob Commings (December 24, 1932 – February 20, 1992) was a college football player and coach at the University of Iowa.  He was also a high school football coach for 24 years in the state of Ohio.

Early life and playing career
Commings was born on Christmas Eve at the height of the Great Depression.  He grew up in Ohio and played high school football at Youngstown's East High School.  After graduating from high school in 1952, he enrolled at the University of Iowa.  Commings spent his first two years at Iowa, lettering as a sophomore in 1953.  That season, Coach Forest Evashevski's Hawkeyes finished the year ranked ninth in the nation in the final AP Poll.

With the Korean War raging abroad, Commings signed up with the Marine Corps, serving for two years before returning to Iowa.  He played his junior season in 1956 on the offensive and defensive lines.  That Iowa team won the Big Ten Conference title, and Commings started in the 1957 Rose Bowl for the Hawkeyes, helping Iowa to a 35–19 victory.

As a senior in 1957, Commings helped Iowa to a 7–1–1 record and a number six ranking in the final AP Poll.  He was good friends with fellow lineman Alex Karras, who later had success as a professional athlete and actor.  Though Karras won the 1957 Outland Trophy, it was Bob Commings at the end of the year that was voted as Iowa's 1957 MVP.  In his three years at Iowa, Commings helped the Hawkeyes to a 21–5–1 record, and Iowa finished the year ranked in the top ten of the AP poll in each of his three years as a Hawkeye player.

Early coaching career
Commings was an assistant coach at Iowa for two seasons in 1958 and 1959 before leaving to become a high school coach in Ohio.  He coached Struthers High School in Struthers, Ohio, for seven seasons from 1962–1968, compiling a 50–16–4 record.  Commings then took over at Massillon Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio.

In five seasons from 1969–1973, Commings' teams had a combined 43–6–2 record.  His 1970 Massillon team had an undefeated 10–0 record, outscoring their opponents 412–29 and winning a state poll championship.  His 1971 team lost two games by one point each but outscored their other eight opponents 287–18.  His 1972 team took a 10–0 record to the first Ohio state playoffs before losing.  His 1973 team was unbeaten before dropping its season finale to archrival Canton McKinley.  The 21–0 loss to the Bulldogs was his worst loss in five years at Massillon.

Iowa coaching career
In 1974, Iowa football was in the midst of an extended slump, having not had a winning season since 1961. The school had just fired their previous coach, Frank Lauterbur, for having a 4–28–1 record over three years, and Iowa was gaining a reputation as a coaching graveyard, and many wondered if any coach could win at Iowa.

Commings let it be known that he wanted the job badly, and he even came to Iowa to campaign for it.  At one of these rallies, Commings told reporters, "I feel I can win at Iowa.  Obviously, it's going to take football players, but I don't feel anybody has a better rapport with the high school players than me.  We have always had a very sophisticated football program at Massillon.  My coaching staff (nine men) is larger than at most colleges."

Commings appealed to Iowa fans, because he had a Hawkeye background as a player and assistant coach during the Rose Bowl years.  Though he had never coached at the college level, he had had tremendous success coaching high school football in Ohio, a state known as a hotbed for football talent.  Finally, his enthusiasm for the job was evident.  Commings stated that the Iowa job was the only college job he would ever want, and he offered to work with a one-year contract if necessary.  If he did not deliver on his promise to win at Iowa, he could be let go after just one year.  Commings said, "All I want is the job.  If they had told me I had to pick corn in the off-season to get the job, I'd have done it."  Iowa athletic director Bump Elliott took Bob Commings up on his challenge, making him the 23rd head coach in the history of Iowa football by signing him to a one-year contract for the 1974 season.  He was the third Iowa graduate to take the reins as Iowa's head football coach, joining John G. Griffith in 1909 and Leonard Raffensperger in 1950–1951.

Unfortunately, Iowa was riding a school-record 11 game losing streak, and Iowa's first four games in 1974 were against teams ranked in the top 20 of the AP Poll.  After a road loss at Michigan, Commings coached his first home game in Iowa City against #12 UCLA.  He told his team, a two touchdown underdog, before the game, "You are unique.  In addition to being ridiculed for last season, you have the nation's toughest schedule.  Now you have a chance to show people all over America what desire and determination can prove.  It may be that you are the chosen children." The Hawkeyes shocked the country, and most of its fans, by pulling a 21–10 upset.  Iowa fans sported "Chosen Children" badges, and Commings' contract was extended to three years.  The Hawks also defeated Northwestern to snap a nine game conference losing streak in 1974 and ended the year with a 3–8 record.

Iowa had another 3–8 record in 1975, but three of the losses were by four points or less.  The Hawkeyes were competitive again, and Commings' contract was extended through 1979.  In 1976, the Hawkeyes, nicknamed the "Wild Bunch", stunned Penn State, the number 11 ranked team in the nation, in Happy Valley for Iowa's first non-conference road win in 11 years.  Iowa finished the 1976 season with a 5–6 record, agonizingly close to a winning record.

The 1977 season was highlighted by Iowa's first game with Iowa State in 34 years.  The first meeting between the two schools after such a long suspension in the series was met with great anticipation across the state.  Seemingly, the only person unexcited about the game was Coach Commings, who said, "I'd rather be playing Utah."  Before the game, Iowa State coach Earle Bruce had Iowa State change into special jerseys emblazoned with the phrase "Beat Iowa" across the chest above the numbers.  Iowa defeated the Cyclones, 12–10, in a defensive struggle.  Although Commings was not a big fan of the rivalry, that win probably earned him another year after a disappointing season in 1977.  Iowa had a record of 4–7, although some sources note that UCLA was forced to forfeit their win against Iowa due to an ineligible player and list Iowa's record that season as 5–6.

Whether it was 4–7 or 5–6, the fact remained that Iowa had posted its 16th consecutive non-winning season, which was now the longest streak in the nation.  The feeling among fans seemed to be that Commings, in his fifth year, needed to deliver a winning season in 1978.  Iowa's starting quarterback in 1978 was Bob Commings, Jr.  He performed well, but the team did not.  After winning the opening game, the 1978 Hawkeyes lost their next eight games and ended the year with a 2–9 record.  Commings, who had one year left on his contract, said that he thought the school had a "moral and legal" obligation to allow him to coach in 1979.  Bump Elliott disagreed, and Bob Commings was relieved of his duties after the 1978 season.

Bob Commings had accepted the Iowa football head coaching job with glee.  Later, he admitted, "It's a tougher job than I figured.  No one outside of coaching has a concept of what it takes.  I guess the answer still is that it takes time.  There are so many things involved." His Iowa ties and the fact that he considered the Hawkeye coaching position as his dream job made his firing especially painful.  But while he delivered several shocking wins, the overall record was poor.  Commings was the tenth man to coach Iowa for at least five years, and his record of 17–38 was the poorest among the ten.  Commings was replaced by Hayden Fry, who would coach the Hawkeyes for 20 years and have the most wins of any coach in Iowa football history.

Return to high school ranks
Commings turned down an offer from the university to take another job within the athletic department.  He remained in Iowa City for several months as a representative of an insurance agency.  During the 1979 season, he was a color commentator for Iowa football games.

But coaching was always in his blood.  In 1980, Commings took a job at GlenOak High School in Canton, Ohio.  He coached there for 12 seasons, compiling a 76–44–1 record.  Bob Commings was diagnosed with cancer in 1991 and turned his football team over to his son, Bob Commings, Jr.  He died within six months, survived by his wife, Sharon, and another son, Don.

In 24 seasons as a high school coach in Ohio, Commings had a 169–66–7 record.

Head coaching record

College

References

1932 births
1992 deaths
Iowa Hawkeyes football coaches
Iowa Hawkeyes football players
High school football coaches in Ohio
Players of American football from Youngstown, Ohio
Educators from Ohio Michael Bruce Price (born April 6, 1946) is a former American football coach. He was the head coach at Weber State College from 1981 to 1988, Washington State University from 1989 to 2002, and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2004 to 2012.  Price returned to UTEP as interim head coach for the final seven games of the 2017 season. He was hired at the University of Alabama in December 2002, but was fired before coaching a game in 2003.

Early years
Born in Colorado, Price grew up in Everett, Washington,  north of Seattle. He was the son of Walt Price, the longtime head football coach at Everett Junior College. At Everett High School, Price was a teammate of  the son of Pinky Erickson, the head coach at cross-town rival Cascade High. Everett High was coached by Bill Dunn, a next-door neighbor of the Ericksons. Dennis Erickson was a year behind Price, but took his job as starting quarterback midway through Price's senior year, and Price was moved to defense as a safety. The team finished 9–1. Price went on to play at Everett Junior College, Washington State, and finally at Puget Sound, where he co-captained the football team and was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Price met his wife, the former Joyce Taylor, in kindergarten in the early 1950s. They were married at age 19 and they had three children: two sons (who were his assistant coaches) and a daughter. Eric Price was their first child then Aaron Price, followed by their last kid Angela Fry

Assistant coaching career
Price started his coaching career in 1969 as a graduate assistant for two seasons at Washington State, then was the offensive coordinator at his alma mater, UPS, for three. He returned to WSU for four seasons in 1974 as the running backs coach, where he unsuccessfully recruited future baseball hall-of-famer Ryne Sandberg to play quarterback. His final job as an assistant was at Missouri under head coach Warren Powers, where he coached the quarterbacks and wide receivers for three years, from 1978 to 1980.

Head coaching career

Weber State
Following the 1980 season, Price landed his first head coaching position at Weber State of the  Big Sky Conference, a job for which friend Dennis Erickson was also a finalist. Erickson would get the Idaho job the next year, and returned the favor (following the 1986 season) by beating out Price for the Washington State job. Upon leaving just two years later for Miami, Erickson recommended Price, who got the WSU job and then rented Erickson's Pullman home. Price was at Weber State through 1988, compiling a  record in eight seasons.  His best year was 1987, when the Wildcats went 9–2 (6–1 in conference), and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Division I-AA playoffs to finish at 10–3.

Washington State
On the field, Price was noted for his successful head coaching work at Washington State, where he served for fourteen seasons (1989–2002) and compiled a  record, with three ten-win seasons and five bowl appearances. His last two seasons at "Wazzu" combined for a 20–5 record (13–3 in the Pac-10).  Price's 2002 team compiled a 7–1 mark in the conference and advanced to the Rose Bowl, where they were defeated by the Oklahoma Sooners 34–14. Five years earlier in 1997, Price was named National Coach of the Year, as the Cougars returned to the Rose Bowl after more than sixty years. During his tenure at Washington State, he mentored some of the greatest players in the school's history, including quarterbacks Drew Bledsoe, Ryan Leaf, and Jason Gesser.

Prior to his departure, Price had recently signed a five-year contract at a base salary of $600,000 per year.  With incentives, his compensation exceeded $900,000 in his final season at WSU. His original contract in 1989 was a four-year deal at $75,000 per year with unspecified television and radio revenues.

Alabama
Price may be best known nationally for an off-the-field incident during his brief stint at Alabama. In December 2002, he was hired in principle to replace Dennis Franchione as the head coach of the Crimson Tide. Price was at Alabama during the 2003 spring practice, but in May his contract was rescinded shortly after news reports surfaced of Price being seen at a strip club during a trip to Pensacola, Florida, where Price was playing in a golf tournament, and he also had about $1,000 charged to his hotel room by an unknown woman staying in the room.  This development came on the heels of an earlier reprimand for visiting campus-area bars and drinking into the early hours in Tuscaloosa.

UTEP
On December 21, 2003, Texas-El Paso announced the hiring of Price as its new head coach.

In his first season in 2004, he led the Miners to an 8–4 record and a berth in the Houston Bowl, where they lost to Colorado. It was a significant turnaround for the Miners, who had won only two games in each of their previous three seasons. UTEP earned its first-ever ranking in the AP Poll in 2004, rising as high as 23rd in early November. Price was a finalist for Eddie Robinson Award and the Paul "Bear" Bryant Award for coach of the year. His starting salary at UTEP in 2004 was $225,000 plus incentives.

In 2010, Price became the second coach to take UTEP to three bowl games, after Mike Brumbelow, who led the Miners to the hometown Sun Bowl after the 1953, 1954, and 1956 seasons.

Days before the final game of the 2012 season, Price announced his retirement. He returned as interim coach midway through the 2017 season following the departure of Sean Kugler, who had resigned after the fifth game; UTEP went winless for the season.

Head coaching record

References

Additional sources
 "Out of Everett,"  'The Seattle Times' Pacific Magazine, Sunday, August 13, 1995, p. 12–17.

1946 births
Living people
American football defensive backs
American football quarterbacks
Alabama Crimson Tide football coaches
Missouri Tigers football coaches
Puget Sound Loggers football coaches
Puget Sound Loggers football players
UTEP Miners football coaches
Washington State Cougars football coaches
Washington State Cougars football players
Weber State Wildcats football coaches
Sportspeople from Denver
Sportspeople from Everett, Washington
Players of American football from Denver