Barry Switzer

Born October 5, 1937, in Crossett, Arkansas, Barry Layne Switzer grew up under difficult circumstances, losing his mother to suicide in 1959 and his father to murder in 1972. He accepted an athletic scholarship to the University of Arkansas, where he played center and linebacker, joined Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, and served as a "Tri-Captain" during his senior season in 1959. He led the Razorbacks to a 9-2 record, a share of the Southwest Conference championship, and a victory over Georgia Tech in the 1960 Gator Bowl, finishing ranked ninth nationally in head coach Frank Broyles' second season. After graduation and a brief stint in the U.S. Army, Switzer returned to Arkansas as an assistant coach under Broyles. In 1966, Switzer moved to the University of Oklahoma as an assistant under head coach Jim Mackenzie. Following Mackenzie's fatal heart attack in 1967, Switzer continued as offensive coordinator under Chuck Fairbanks. Coaching strengths included exceptional recruiting ability, particularly in Texas, innovative offensive schemes, and the capacity to build deep personal relationships with players. As offensive coordinator, Switzer perfected the wishbone offense, developing it into the most prolific rushing attack in college football history. Under his coordination, Oklahoma set an NCAA rushing record of 472 yards per game in 1971 and scored over 500 points in both 1971 and 1986.