Al Onofrio
Encyclopedia
Albert Joseph "Al" Onofrio (March 15, 1921 – November 5, 2004) was the head
football
coach
at the University of Missouri
from 1971 to 1977. During his tenure he compiled a 38-41 record. He spent 12 years on the Missouri staff, as an assistant as well. He is notable for having pulled upsets, mainly on the road. His Mizzou football
teams upset the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
on October 21, 1972 (30-26) at South Bend, Indiana
, the Alabama Crimson Tide
on September 8, 1975 at Birmingham
, the USC Trojans
at Los Angeles
on September 11, 1976, the Ohio State Buckeyes at Columbus
two weeks later, and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Tempe
on October 1, 1977, during his final season at Missouri. In his seven years at Mizzou, Onofrio compiled a 1-6 record against arch-rival Kansas
, which contributed to his dismissal.
He coached four All-Americans, and 30 National Football League
players. He led Missouri to two bowl game
s, in the 1972 Fiesta Bowl
, a loss to Arizona State in Tempe, and the 1973 Sun Bowl
, a win over Auburn
in El Paso, Texas
. He was a 1993 inductee to the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame.
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
from 1971 to 1977. During his tenure he compiled a 38-41 record. He spent 12 years on the Missouri staff, as an assistant as well. He is notable for having pulled upsets, mainly on the road. His Mizzou football
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
teams upset the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
on October 21, 1972 (30-26) at South Bend, Indiana
South Bend, Indiana
The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...
, the Alabama Crimson Tide
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
on September 8, 1975 at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, the USC Trojans
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
at Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
on September 11, 1976, the Ohio State Buckeyes at Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
two weeks later, and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Tempe
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
on October 1, 1977, during his final season at Missouri. In his seven years at Mizzou, Onofrio compiled a 1-6 record against arch-rival Kansas
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
, which contributed to his dismissal.
He coached four All-Americans, and 30 National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
players. He led Missouri to two bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
s, in the 1972 Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
, a loss to Arizona State in Tempe, and the 1973 Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl
The Sun Bowl is an annual U.S. college football bowl game that is usually played at the end of December in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Bowl, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl are the second-oldest bowl games in the country, behind the Rose Bowl...
, a win over Auburn
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. He was a 1993 inductee to the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame.