Remembering Coach Howard Schnellenberger

This weekend, we learned the sad news that the founding father of FAU’s football program and the team’s first head coach, Howard Schnellenberger, passed away at the age of 87. I’d like to extend my most sincere condolences to Howard’s wife of more than 61 years, Beverlee; their sons Stuart and Tim; and the rest of the Schnellenberger family. I know the University community joins them in mourning this terrible loss.

In 1999, Howard was tasked with a building a football program from scratch at FAU. A year later, he was named head coach. Howard was already well known for his success as head coach for the University of Miami and the University of Louisville, and as assistant coach on the Miami Dolphins' 1972 undefeated Super Bowl championship team, which immediately created excitement for FAU’s fledgling program. Students from those days remember Howard standing on a large cypress tree stump in the Breezeway, and with his booming voice, rallied everyone around to create excitement for the new program he called “Football in Paradise.”

The Division I-AA Owls played their first game in 2001. Just two years later, the Owls ended the regular season ranked No. 4 nationally and played in the Division I-AA semi-finals. In 2004, the team moved to the Division I-A Sun Belt Conference. By 2007, the team had become Sun Belt co-champions, and Howard was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year. The team also played in its first-ever bowl game in 2007, ultimately defeating Memphis in the New Orleans Bowl. The team won its second bowl game in 2008, defeating Central Michigan in the Motor City Bowl. In 2011, Howard’s vision to build an on-campus stadium came to fruition when the Owls played their first game at FAU Stadium.

After he retired from coaching at the end of the 2011 season, Howard continued to work for the betterment of the university, serving as Ambassador-at-Large for the FAU Foundation for several years. In 2014, Howard Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium was named in his honor and a statue of him was erected near the southwest corner of the stadium.

If you ever had the opportunity to meet Howard in person, chances are, it was a memorable experience. He was kind and generous with his time, always happy to regale fans with stories of his time playing for Paul “Bear” Bryant; his days coaching at the University of Miami; his time spent with famous friends, like Burt Reynolds; or how he met the love of his life, Beverlee. We will certainly miss his tremendous presence at our games and other university events.

Howard was a true visionary who always will be synonymous with FAU football. The University, the community, and fans everywhere looked to him as the consummate leader, and we are thankful for all he has done for college football. I know FAU fans will remember his amazing legacy as we cheer our team on the field that will forever bear his name. We are fortunate, indeed, that he and Beverlee always will be members of the FAU family.

A celebration of life ceremony at FAU will take place on a date to be announced. In the meantime, in lieu of flowers, contributions are asked to be made to the Schnellenberger Family Foundation located in Delray Beach, or the Howard Schnellenberger Endowed Scholarship Fund at FAU. For more information, click here.