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Tennessee football’s top 10 seasons with Johnny Majors

By Caleb Calhoun

Johnny Majors, Head Coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers stands with his team during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on 10 November 1990 at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Notre Dame won the game 34 - 29. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images)
Johnny Majors, Head Coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers stands with his team during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish on 10 November 1990 at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States. Notre Dame won the game 34 - 29. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Allsport/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images /

7. 1957 (Johnny Majors’ role: Graduate assistant)

8-3 (4-3); W Gator Bowl; No. 13 AP; No. 16 Coaches

We go back to Johnny Majors’ says as an assistant coach. This time, he was a graduate assistant. After his final playing season in 1956, Majors spent one year in the Canadian Football League, playing for the Montreal Alouettes. However, he then decided to begin a coaching career, and he got things started off with Tennessee football under Bowden Wyatt.

In 1957, the Vols were looking to build off an elite 1956 season. Wyatt was entering his third year and wanted to maintain the momentum with lots of guys back. Things started off rough, as UT lost its opener to the Auburn Tigers, who would go on to win the national title under Ralph “Shug” Jordan. They would then get red-hot.

Rocky Top beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Chattanooga Mocs, Alabama Crimson Tide, Maryland Terrapins, North Carolina Tar Heels and No. 18 ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. At No. 7, though, they then lost to the No. 8 ranked Ole Miss Rebels and were upset by the Kentucky Wildcats. After beating the Vanderbilt Commodores, they were 7-3.

That was still a solid enough season for the No. 13 ranked Vols, so they accepted a bid to face the No. 9 ranked Texas A&M Aggies in the Gator Bowl. In what would be Bear Bryant’s last game at A&M, the Vols won a defensive struggle 3-0.

Rocky Top owned Bryant during that time dating back to his days at Kentucky. However, by the time Majors became a head coach, the roles were reversed. He would join Wyatt’s staff full-time after this year and begin his coaching rise.

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