Back in the Day: Petrino Boasts Background Enabling Him to Also Coach Hoops

Bobby Petrino, returning to Louisville as the Cardinals' football coach and overseeing the program's entrance into the ACC, is accustomed to controversy and accepting soap-opera challenges (remember departures from the Atlanta Falcons and Arkansas Razorbacks). If U of L basketball coach Rick Pitino needs to take a sabbatical for some reason, Petrino boasts a background making him capable of filling in for Pitino reminiscent of two-sport college coaches in the middle of the 20th Century. Petrino, who scored 1,145 points in four years of basketball for Carroll (Mont.) in the early 1980s, was an All-Frontier Conference first-team hoop selection as a senior.

Petrino isn't the first Louisville football coach with a link to college hoops. Frank Camp Jr., the school's all-time winningest coach (118-95-2), was captain of the Transylvania (Ky.) basketball squad before coaching such standouts as Johnny Unitas, Lenny Lyles and Doug Buffone. Petrino is far from being the first marquee college football coach with a college hoops connection. It might not be delivered to you on a "Hog" motorcycle with a statuesque blond, but he joins the following alphabetical list of versatile ex-college hoopsters who guided major universities to multiple major bowl games:

EARL "RED" BLAIK, Miami (Ohio)/Army
College Football Hall of Fame coach, boasting six undefeated teams, compiled a 121-33-10 record at Dartmouth (1934 through 1940) and Army (1941 through 1958). . . . After graduating from Miami, he enrolled at Army and became the first Cadet to compete against Navy in three sports in one season (football, basketball and baseball).

FRANK BROYLES, Georgia Tech
Retired Arkansas athletic director compiled a 149-62-6 record in 20 seasons as head football coach at Missouri (1957) and Arkansas (1958 through 1976). Guided 10 teams to bowl games, winning the AP and UPI national title in 1964. Quarterback was SEC Player of the Year in 1944. Third-round selection by the Chicago Bears in 1946 NFL draft (19th pick overall). He threw for a career-high 304 yards against Tulsa in the 1945 Orange Bowl. . . . Four-year starting guard in basketball for Tech. Named to the second five on SEC All-Tournament team in 1944, 1945 and 1947. Second-leading scorer for Tech with a 10.4-point average as a senior in 1946-47.

HERBERT "FRITZ" CRISLER, University of Chicago
Member of College Football Hall of Fame compiled a 116-32-9 record in 18 seasons as football coach at Minnesota (1930 and 1931), Princeton (1932 through 1937) and Michigan (1938 through 1947). The only team he coached with a losing record was in his first year. His last seven Michigan teams finished in the top 10 in the final Associated Press Poll. The 1947 Wolverines had a 10-0 record, defeated Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl (49-0) and finished second in the final AP poll behind Notre Dame. . . . Named to third five on All-Big Ten Conference basketball team in 1919-20 when the University of Chicago was a member of the league.

DAN DEVINE, Minnesota-Duluth
College Football Hall of Famer coached Notre Dame to a national champinship in 1977 after directing the Green Bay Packers to the NFC Central Division title five years earlier. Guided the Fighting Irish to a 53-16-1 mark in six seasons from 1975 through 1980. Also coached Missouri to six bowl games in the 1960s (92-38-7 record in 13 years from 1958 through 1970). . . . Played guard for Duluth's basketball squad in 1942-43 and 1945-46. Captained the Bulldogs as a senior and paced the club in scoring that season. He was a quarterback for the school's football team.

BOBBY DODD, Tennessee
Compiled a 165-64-8 coaching record with Georgia Tech in 22 years from 1945 through 1966. Won his first eight of 13 bowl games with the Yellow Jackets. . . . All-SEC second-team selection in basketball as a junior in 1929-30. He was captain of the team as a senior.

VINCE DOOLEY, Auburn
Auburn MVP in 1954 Gator Bowl. Coached Georgia to the 1980 national championship and six SEC titles. Compiled a 201-66-10 record as 20 teams played in bowl games in his 25 seasons from 1964 through 1988. . . . Averaged 6.3 points per game as a starting guard in 1951-52 in his only season of varsity basketball with Auburn before concentrating on football.

PETE "BUMP" ELLIOTT, Michigan
Executive director of the Pro Football Hall of Fame earned All-American honors as a quarterback for the Wolverines' 1948 national champion. Big Ten Conference MVP led Michigan to a 49-0 victory over USC in the 1948 Rose Bowl. Former head coach at Nebraska (4-6 record in 1956), California (10-21 from 1957 through 1959) and Illinois (1960 through 1966) led Cal and the Illini to Rose Bowl berths. . . . A four-year starter as a 6-0, 190-pound guard on Michigan teams from 1945-46 through 1948-49. Captain of squad as a sophomore and member of Big Ten championship team in 1947-48. First-team all-conference choice as a junior and second-team selection as a senior. Second-team pick on Helms All-American team in 1947-48 when he scored a team-high 15 points in Michigan's first NCAA Tournament victory, a 66-49 decision over Columbia in the Eastern Regional third-place game. Excerpt from school guide: "At times his defensive work was almost uncanny as he held high-scoring opposition practically scoreless in several games. Outstanding at recovering rebounds."

DON FAUROT, Missouri
Hall of Famer spent 19 years as head football coach (100-80-10 record from 1935 through 1956) and 30 years as athletic director for Mizzou. Alma mater's all-time winningest coach guided the Tigers to four bowl games in the 1940s. Faurot is best known as the inventor of the Split T formation. In 1972, the Tigers' football stadium was named in his honor (Faurot Field). . . . Captained the Tigers' basketball team as an undergraduate.

WAYNE HARDIN, Pacific
Head football coach at U.S. Naval Academy (38-22-2 record from 1959 through 1964) and Temple (80-50-3 from 1970 through 1982) directed both schools to bowl games. Coached Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach in 1963 when Navy finished second in the nation in the final AP poll with a 9-2 record. . . . Letterman on four Pacific basketball teams scored a total of 78 points in his last two seasons in 1947-48 and 1948-49.

RALPH "SHUG" JORDAN, Auburn
Compiled a 176-83-6 record as head football coach for his alma mater from 1951-75. Led Auburn to berths in 12 bowl games and an AP national title in 1957 with a 10-0 record. . . . Three-year basketball letterman was captain of the team his junior season (1930-31). Coached Auburn basketball squad to a 95-75 record (.559) in 10 years from 1933-34 through 1941-42 and 1945-46 before assuming the same post at Georgia and compiling a 41-28 mark (.594) in four campaigns from 1946-47 to 1949-50.

ELMER LAYDEN, Notre Dame
Member of College Football Hall of Fame was a fullback in the famed Four Horseman backfield of the 1920s. The 5-11, 180-pounder was a consensus All-American selection in 1924. Head football coach of the Irish from 1934 through 1940, compiling a 47-12-2 record. His 1938 Notre Dame team was named national champion by the Dickinson System. NFL commissioner from 1941 to 1946. . . . Scored seven points in 10 games for the 1922-23 Notre Dame basketball squad.

HOMER HILL NORTON, Birmingham-Southern
Compiled a 143-75-18 coaching record in 25 seasons from 1919 through 1947 with Centenary (11) and Texas A&M (14). Won the Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl with the Aggies in back-to-back years (1939 and 1940). . . . Played four sports in college, including basketball. Also coached basketball for Centenary in the early 1920s.

HOUSTON NUTT, Arkansas/Oklahoma State
Arkansas football coach for 10 years from 1998 through 2007 (75-48 record) after serving in a similar capacity at Murray State (31-16 from 1993 through 1996) and Boise State (5-6 in 1997). Aligned with Ole Miss in 2008, taking the Rebels to a bowl game in his first year with them (only team to defeat national champ Florida). Quarterback at Arkansas under Frank Broyles and Lou Holtz before transferring to Oklahoma State under Jimmy Johnson. . . . Collected six points and three rebounds in 1976-77 as a freshman under coach Eddie Sutton on Arkansas' team that included Sidney Moncrief and Ron Brewer before playing a couple of years with OSU under Paul Hansen.

BENNIE OOSTERBAAN, Michigan
Member of College Football Hall of Fame coached Michigan's football team to a 63-33-4 record in 11 seasons (1948 through 1958). His first team finished with a 9-0 record and was voted national champion in the AP poll. He won Big Ten Conference titles in 1948, 1949 and 1950. . . . In 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation named him to its 10-man All-American basketball teams it selected for the 1926-27 and 1927-28 seasons. Finished third in Western Conference (forerunner of Big Ten) scoring in 1926-27 (9.3 points per game) and led the league as a senior the next year (10.8 ppg).

ARA PARSEGHIAN, Miami (Ohio)
Member of College Football Hall of Fame compiled a 170-58-6 record as coach at Miami of Ohio (1951 through 1955), Northwestern (1956 through 1963) and Notre Dame (1964 through 1974). Guided Notre Dame to three national football titles (1964, 1966 and 1973). Directed the Fighting Irish to five bowl games during the first half of the 1970s. Rookie halfback on Cleveland Browns team that won All-America Football Conference title in 1948. Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 13th round of 1947 NFL draft. . . . Played for Miami basketball squads in 1946-47 and 1947-48 (34 points, 31.3 FG%, 44.4 FT%). Teammate of future Tennessee coach Ray Mears.

JOE PATERNO, Brown
Penn State's head coach from 1966 to 2011 guided the Nittany Lions to national championships in 1982 and 1986, five undefeated/untied seasons (1968-69-73-86-94) and 29 finishes in Top 10 national rankings. Only major-college coach ever to reach the 400-win plateau (409-136-3 record) was 24-12-1 in bowl games. Paterno was fired by school trustees in mid-season 2011 after the arrest of his long-time assistant, Jerry Sandusky, on child sexual abuse charges. . . . He earned varsity basketball letters at Brown in 1947-48 and 1948-49. His 7.3-points-per-game scoring average in 1947-48 was second highest on the team.

BOB ZUPPKE, Wisconsin
Member of College Football Hall of Fame compiled a 131-81-13 record as head football coach at Illinois from 1913 through 1941. Directed the Illini to four national titles (1914, 1919, 1923 and 1927) and seven Big Ten championships. . . . Two-year letterman on Wisconsin's basketball team. The seven-man 1904-05 squad was called the "Western intercollegiate champions" by Spalding's Official Basketball Guide.