The National Football Foundation on Wednesday revealed a list of 75 players and six coaches among the FBS ranks and 87 players and 25 coaches from the divisional ranks on the ballot for the 2015 class of the College Football Hall of Fame.
The ballot will be set to vote before the NFF's 17-member Honors Court and its 12,000 members. The 2015 class will be announced Jan. 9 in Dallas in conjunction with the College Football Playoff Championship festivities.
“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the ballot when you think that more than 5.06 million people have played college football,” said Hatchell. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of only 1,500 individuals who are even eligible to be on the ballot, so being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to ever have played the game, and we are proud to announce their names. We look forward to announcing the 2015 Hall of Fame Class on the Friday before the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship.”
Bill Snyder, a first-time ballot member, headlines the list of FBS coaches, joined by West Virginia, Texas Tech and South Carolina coach Jim Carlen, Austin College (Texas) and Texas Tech coach Pete Cawthorn, Sr., Clemson and Arkansas coach Danny Ford, Memphis coach Billy Jack Murphy, and Cal State Hayward, Fresno State, San Jose State, Michigan State and Arizona State coach Darryl Rogers. To be eligible for consideration, a coach must have at least 10 years and 100 games to his credit, a winning percentage of .600 or greater, and be retired for at least five years. Active coaches are eligible for consideration at age 75. (Snyder turned 75 on Oct. 7.)
The Hall recently completed a move from South Bend, Ind., to Atlanta, with doors opening in August.
Bios for each Hall of Fame candidate are below, courtesy of the National Football Foundation.
2015 FOOTBALL BOWL SUBDIVISION COACH CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS
Jim Carlen-West Virginia (1966-69), Texas Tech (1970-74), South Carolina (1975-1981)-Led teams to eight bowl games and 13 winning seasons in 16 years as head coach…1973 National Coach of the Year…Three-time Southwest Conference Coach of the Year… Coached Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers at South Carolina.
Pete Cawthon Sr.-Austin College (Texas) (1923-27), Texas Tech (1930-40)-Led Tech to four Border Conference titles in 11 seasons at the helm…Led 1938 team to 10-0 regular season and the school’s first-ever Cotton Bowl appearance…Boasts highest win percentage (69.3) among Tech coaches with terms of three years or more.
Danny Ford-Clemson (1978-1989), Arkansas (1993-97)-Led Tigers to perfect 12-0 season and national title in 1981…Won five ACC championships and twice named conference coach of the year…Boasts four of the top five winningest seasons in school history and set Clemson record with 41 consecutive weeks in AP Top 20…Led Arkansas to first SEC West title in 1995.
Billy Jack Murphy-Memphis (1958-71)-All-time winningest coach in Memphis history…Had 11 winning seasons and retired as the 15th winningest coach in the nation…Member of the Memphis Hall of Fame and Mississippi State Hall of Fame.
Darryl Rogers-Cal State-Hayward (1965), Fresno State (1966-72), San Jose State (1973-75), Michigan State (1976-79), Arizona State (1980-84)-Took Fresno State to two bowl games...Achieved an unprecedented national ranking at San Jose State…Was Big Ten Coach of the Year in 1977 and National Coach of the Year by Sporting News in 1978…Won the Big Ten title in 1978.
Bill Snyder-Kansas State (1985-05, 2009-present)-Winningest coach in K-State history, leading program to 15 of its 17 bowl appearances all-time…14th-fastest coach in college football history to win 100 games and ranks third nationally in wins among active FBS coaches…Led Wildcats to two Big 12 Championships, four Big 12 North Division titles, 12 top 20 finishes, and two No.1 BCS rankings in regular season.
2015 DIVISIONAL COACHES CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS
Bill Bowes-New Hampshire (1972-98)-Won more games than any coach in Yankee Conference history…Claimed 11 conference titles and was a multiple winner of the District I Coach of the Year award…He was the recipient of the Distinguished Contribution to Football Award by the New Hampshire Chapter of the NFF.
Paul Durham-Linfield (Ore.) (1948-67)-His team won seven conference championships…Named 1962 NAIA Coach of the Year…Was the athletics director at Linfield while coaching…Member of the Oregon Sports, Helms Athletic and NAIA Football Coaches Halls of Fame.
Jim Feix-Western Kentucky (1968-83)-Named Kodak College Coach of the Year for Division IV in 1973 and 1975…Won or shared six conference titles…Three-time conference Coach of the Year (1973, 1978, 1980)…The winningest coach in school history…Charter member of the school Athletic Hall of Fame.
Howard Fletcher-Northern Illinois (1956-68)-Coached unbeaten NCAA College Division and NAIA National Championship team in 1963…Led NIU to three conference titles (1963-65)…Inducted into the NIU Athletic Hall of Fame…Was the runner-up as Kodak College Division Coach of the Year in 1963…Made three appearances in the Mineral Water Bowl.
Ross Fortier-Minnesota Moorhead (formerly Moorhead State) (1970-92)-School's all-time winningest coach…Led his team to seven postseason playoffs and nine conference championships…Led 1981 team to unbeaten regular season and number one ranking in the final regular season poll…Member of the NAIA Hall of Fame.
Morley Fraser-Albion (Mich.) (1954-68)-Led Albion to five conference championship and was named the Small College Coach of the Year in 1964…Coached one All-America, five conference Players of the Year and 65 first team All-Conference selections…Was a Commander in the U.S. Navy during WWII…Received the Distinguished American Award from the Michigan Chapter of the NFF.
Frank Girardi-Lycoming (Pa.) (1972-2007)-Led Lyco to two national championship appearances and led team to 13 Middle Atlantic Conference championships…Boasts 11 Division III playoff appearances and is one of only 15 coaches to ever win 250 games at one institution…12-time MAC Coach of the Year who coached 10 First Team All-Americans and 217 First Team All-Conference players.
Rudy Hubbard-Florida A&M (1974-85)-Captured back-to-back national championships, 1977 and 1978, including the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA National Title in 1978… Led A&M to back-to-back SIAC championships.
Art Keller-Carthage (Wis.) (1952-82)-Named FWAA College Division Distinguished Coach in 1982 and four-time NAIA District Coach of the Year…Member of the NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame…Won eight conference titles and compiled three 14-game winning streaks…Member of the Carthage Hall of Fame and received the President's Medal of Honor.
Glenn Killinger-Dickinson (Pa.) (1922), Rensselaer (N.Y.) (1927-32), Moravian (Pa.) (1933), West Chester (Pa.) (1934-41, 45-59)-Winningest coach in West Chester history…Member of the College Football Hall of Fame as a player and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame…Had only one losing season in 37 years as a head coach.
Larry Korver-Northwestern College (Iowa) (1967-94)-Led Northwestern to two National Championships, 14 playoff appearances and 212 victories in 28 seasons on the sidelines…Twice named NAIA National Coach of the Year, he has coached 32 players to All-America status.
Dick Lowry-Wayne State (Mich.) (1974-79), Hillsdale (Mich.) (1980-96)-Won seven conference championships at both schools and earned five births in the NAIA national playoffs winning the National Championship in 1985…He was voted NAIA Coach of the Year in 1982 and was conference Coach of the Year six times.
James Malosky-Minnesota Duluth (1958-97)-Winningest coach in Division II history at time of retirement…Led teams to nine conference championships…Named NSIC, MIAC and/or NAIA Coach of the Year 13 times…Produced 33 winning seasons in 40 years at UMD.
Don Miller-Trinity (Conn.) (1967-98)-Recorded 28 winning seasons out of 32…Retired as the all-time winningest Division III football coach in New England history (now second)…Four-time NESCAC Coach of the Year and 1993 New England Division II/III Coach of the Year…Team recorded best record in NESCAC seven times.
Charles Murphy-Middle Tennessee State (1947-68)-Captured seven Volunteer State Athletic Conference Championships…Won seven Ohio Valley Conference Championships…Named Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year in 1965.
Jim Ostendarp-Amherst (Mass.) (1959-91)-Named UPI Small College Coach of the Year in 1964…Selected as the New York Football Writers Division II/III Coach of the Year in 1984…Captured 13 Little Three titles…Named AFCA/Kodak New England Coach of the Year in 1961 and 1964.
Forrest Perkins-Wisconsin-Whitewater (1956-84)-At the time of his retirement, he ranked second on the active wins list on the Division III level…Named NAIA Coach of the Year in 1966…The all-time winningest coach in conference and school history…captured 11 conference titles.
Bill Ramseyer-Wilmington (Ohio) (1972-90), Virginia’s College at Wise (1991-2001)-Three-time District Coach of the Year…Seven Hall of Fame inductions, including NAIA Hall of Fame (1997)…Coached his teams to a winning season in 24-of-30 seasons…Coached Wilmington to an NAIA National Runner-Up in 1980…Coached 70 All-Americans.
Dwight Reed-Lincoln (Mo.) (1949-71)-Teams won three conference titles…Coached 93 All-Americans in four sports…The football stadium at Lincoln University was named for him.
Pete Schmidt-Albion (Mich.) (1983-96)-Teams won nine MIAA championships (seven outright), five NCAA Division III playoff appearances and the 1994 NCAA Division III National Championship… 1994 AFCA National Coach of the Year.
Clyde “Buck” Starbeck-Northern Iowa (1936-42, 1945-57)-Captured seven conference championships in 10 years…Went 31 consecutive conference games without a defeat…Member of the University of Northern Iowa Hall of Fame.
Jim Tressel-Youngstown State (1986-2000), Ohio State (2001-2010)-Led teams to nine national title game appearances, winning four FCS championships with Youngstown State and one BCS championship with Ohio State…Led Buckeyes to six Big Ten titles and coached 73 First Team All-Americans during career…Two-time Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year, winning one at the FBS and one at FCS level.
John Whitehead-Lehigh (1976-86)-Named Division II Coach of the Year in 1977 and Division I-AA Coach of the Year in 1979…Captured the 1977 Division II National Championship…Runner-up in the 1979 Division I-AA National Championship.
Alex Yunevich-Alfred (N.Y.) (1937-41, 1946-76)-Had six undefeated teams…His team was 1971 Lambert Bowl Division III champions of the East…Named Small College Coach of the Year in 1956 by the Washington Touchdown Club and same in 1971 by the NY Football Writers.
Allen Zikmund-Nebraska-Kearney (formerly Kearney State) (1955-71)-His teams won 11 conference titles…Nine of his players were named NAIA All-Americas and 67 made All-Conference…Member of the NAIA Hall of Fame.