In the thread marked Boca News I said I would copy a story I found in a SI special commemorative issue Titled 'The Perfect Storm' issued in 2002. Could history repeat itself?


The Year was 1980. Second year Miami Coach Howard Schnellenberger had just watched his team slip past woeful Vanderbilt 24-17; it was only a week after a sparse homecoming crowd of 11,048 in the cavernous Orange Bowl had come out to see the Canes beat East Carolina 23-10. Miami was 6-3, a record that impressed exactly zero bowl scouts. So when Schnellenberger heard that North Carolina backed out of a bid to the Peach Bowl, he picked up the phone and called the selection committee himself. The officials agreed to add Miami to their list, though admitting to the media that it was only ?as an afterthought?.

It was no surprise that the college football world was underwelmed by Miami?s achievements. The hurricanes hadn?t been to a bowl game since 1967. From ?68 through ?79 the program had churned winning more than six games. But that didn?t deter Schnellenberger, who decided to leverage one of the great strengths of the city of Miami-entertaining visitors.

When the Peach Bowl selection committee chairman Art Greorgory, en route to Miami to watch the Canes host North Texas State, reached the Atlanta airport, he found that he had been upgraded to first class. As he was driven from Miami International Airport, he was greeted by a huge electric sign on which the usual WELCOME TO MIAMI greeting had been replaced by WELCOME PEACH BOWL COMMITTEE. WE WANT IT! Gregory stayed in the Marriott?s VIP suite, dined on lobster at an exclusive restaurant and received a Hurricane jersey wuth his name on the back. Miami got the bid.

Yes, long before the five national titles, before the sideline swagger, before the end zone dances, the mighty Miami Hurricanes had been forced to beg their way into the Peach Bowl. They wouldn?t remain humble for long. After the Canes beat Virginia Tech 20-10 in that game to cap a 9-3 season, an ever-optomistic Schnellenberger took the Peach Bowl trophy and grandly intoned, ?This is good a place as any to stop and rest on our journey to the national championship?<br>
The crazy thing is he was right

Great article, Talon. Thanks for posting it. I think Schnellenberger is the best college football coach in America. He deserves respect for what he did at both Miami and Louisville, and for what he is doing at FAU. He plays by the rules, and develops the very best team. In addition, he makes time for the fans. FAU will rise to the top of I-A college football, and to quote the Coach, "the only variable is time".

Seriously gofaufootball! I can guarantee that no where else in the country will you find such a high profile college football coach driving around the parking lot stopping at the tailgate parties to get the fans fired up! Even though none of us can understand a damn thing he says into that megaphone it still gets us going!!!

Here is another article that I posted a while back that some of you may not have had a chance to see.


Give it time to load - it is an image and the print is very small an may be had to read. Its interesting how the vision was and how things played out.

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Interesting article Bytor. I have the utmost respect for Coach Schnellenberger and what he has done in his tenure in college football. You guys are very lucky.

We are very fortunate and if you ever have a chance to talk to him is a great chance to feel his passion for the game and the program, very deticated and hard worker.

Having Doherty for basketball will be just as rewarding, this is a very exciting time for us.