Hall of Fame
Barry Switzer was born October 5, 1937 in Crossett,
Arkansas. He started football at Crossett High
School, then played at the University of Arkansas.
He was center, linebacker, and captain of the 1959
team which won the Southwest conference and the Gator
Bowl. At Arkansas he played under two famous coaches,
Jack Mitchell and Frank Broyles. Switzer spent one
year in the U.S. Army, then worked as an assistant
coach at Arkansas 1961-65 and Oklahoma 1966-72.
He became Oklahoma head coach in 1973. For the period
1972-75 the Sooners had a 37 game unbeaten streak.
Seven of those games were in 1972, the rest were in
Switzer's time. Switzer's team won three national
championships-in 1974, 1975, and 1985. In his 16 years
Oklahoma won the Big Eight Conference 12 times.
The Sooners were in 13 bowls with an 8-5 record.
They scored 6093 points to opponents 2429. This was an
average score of 32.1-12.8 per game. Switzer's 16 year
record was 157-29-4. When he retired after the 1988
season, his winning percentage, .837, was the fourth
highest in history among 1-A coaches. He coached the
wishbone T formation and his teams were annually among
the national leaders in scoring, rushing offense,
and total offense.
Switzer returned to coaching with the Dallas Cowboys.
In four years 1994-97 his record was 45-26. His 1995
team won the Super Bowl. Switzer retired again and set
up home in Norman, Oklahoma. He volunteered for Special
Olympics, Society to Prevent Blindness, scholarship
help for minority students, and various local charities.
In 1999 the University of Oklahoma dedicated a new
athletic facility and named it the Switzer Center.