Copied from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Sherrill still has chapters to write
By Ron Cook
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
The best thing about Jackie Sherrill's retirement at the end of the Mississippi State football season is that he'll have time to finish the book he has started with Pittsburgh writer Sam Sciullo Jr. If you know anything about the man and his highly successful and equally controversial coaching career, you know it will be must reading.
And not just the chapter about the castrated bull.
"A lot of people aren't going to like it," Sherrill said yesterday. "But if you're going to do a book, you have to be truthful."
There figures to be at least one chapter about the NCAA, which has been chasing Sherrill for years. He was forced out at Texas A&M in 1988 after a seven-year run, not long before the Aggies were hit with NCAA sanctions. His Mississippi State program, which was put on NCAA probation in '95 for improper activities by boosters, is again the target of an NCAA investigation.
"I'm fine knowing what I've done. The critics can say what they want. All I care about is what my former players say."
Sherrill then laughed.
"I was just telling my team last week that I've always treated my players like family. All it cost me along the way was two wives."
Penn State coach Joe Paterno also will make Sherrill's book. Sherrill, a bitter rival of Paterno's when Sherrill coached at Pitt from 1977-81, confirmed that with some glee. It was Paterno who said in '79 that he couldn't stand the thought of leaving college football to the Jackie Sherrills and Barry Switzers of the world. Paterno later apologized to Switzer but wrote in his own book, "I didn't give a damn about what Sherrill felt."
"Let me just say this about that," Sherrill said. "There's no way the head coaches at Pitt and Penn State could ever be good friends. Not when they're competing. It just can't happen. The alumni wouldn't allow it ...
"Joe Paterno is a really good person. That doesn't mean everyone likes him or agrees with him all the time. But he's done tremendous things for a lot of people. My only advice to him is that when he makes the decision it's time to get out of coaching, that he accepts it really is time."
It's time for Sherrill, who will turn 60 Nov. 28, for a number of reasons.
It's been a tough year for him personally. In January, his third wife, Peggy, was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had surgery, is doing fine and has a positive prognosis. In March, his brother, John, died at 76. Sherrill had to make the decision to end his brother's life support. Then in April, his mother, Dovie, passed away at 98.
It's also been a tough year for Sherrill professionally. Mississippi State is 2-5 and headed toward its third consecutive losing season. Since 2001, it is 8-22 overall and just 3-16 in the Southeastern Conference.
Those downers will be covered in Sherrill's book. But he also has enjoyed enough good times to fill a dozen chapters.
Pitt's program hasn't been the same since Sherrill left for Texas A&M after the '81 season for a 10-year, $2.5 million contract, which, at the time, was more than Ronald Reagan was making as president and William Clements Jr. was making as Texas governor -- combined. The Panthers were 11-1 in each of his final three seasons with a roster that was a Who's Who of college football. Hugh Green. Mark May. Rickey Jackson. Carlton Williamson. Russ Grimm. Jimbo Covert. Dan Marino. Pitt's coaching staff might have been even more impressive. Jimmy Johnson. Dave Wannstedt. Foge Fazio. Joe Moore. Kirk Ferentz. Mike Sherman.
"If I had done a little better job," Sherrill said, "we would have won at least one national championship."
The highlight for Sherrill, of course, was beating Paterno at Penn State in '79 and '80.
"After that, our people believed we were finally there as a program. Penn State was the standard," he said.
At Texas A&M, the highlights were five consecutive wins against Texas and three consecutive Southwest Conference championships. At Mississippi State, it was three consecutive wins against Alabama, an SEC West title in '98 and a school-record 10 victories in '99.
Sherrill said he has few regrets.
"I probably wish I would have been a little more patient at times. I could be pretty hard-headed."
There also was that bull.
Before underdog Mississippi State played Texas in '92, Sherrill had "Wild Willie" castrated in front of his players. As strange motivational ploys go, that was off the charts. It caused a national furor.
"I should have done that on the South Farm, where they do it every day, instead of on the practice field," Sherrill said. "But I'd still do it again."
You might guess the punch line.
Mississippi State beat Texas, 28-10.
Sherrill still has chapters to write
By Ron Cook
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
The best thing about Jackie Sherrill's retirement at the end of the Mississippi State football season is that he'll have time to finish the book he has started with Pittsburgh writer Sam Sciullo Jr. If you know anything about the man and his highly successful and equally controversial coaching career, you know it will be must reading.
And not just the chapter about the castrated bull.
"A lot of people aren't going to like it," Sherrill said yesterday. "But if you're going to do a book, you have to be truthful."
There figures to be at least one chapter about the NCAA, which has been chasing Sherrill for years. He was forced out at Texas A&M in 1988 after a seven-year run, not long before the Aggies were hit with NCAA sanctions. His Mississippi State program, which was put on NCAA probation in '95 for improper activities by boosters, is again the target of an NCAA investigation.
"I'm fine knowing what I've done. The critics can say what they want. All I care about is what my former players say."
Sherrill then laughed.
"I was just telling my team last week that I've always treated my players like family. All it cost me along the way was two wives."
Penn State coach Joe Paterno also will make Sherrill's book. Sherrill, a bitter rival of Paterno's when Sherrill coached at Pitt from 1977-81, confirmed that with some glee. It was Paterno who said in '79 that he couldn't stand the thought of leaving college football to the Jackie Sherrills and Barry Switzers of the world. Paterno later apologized to Switzer but wrote in his own book, "I didn't give a damn about what Sherrill felt."
"Let me just say this about that," Sherrill said. "There's no way the head coaches at Pitt and Penn State could ever be good friends. Not when they're competing. It just can't happen. The alumni wouldn't allow it ...
"Joe Paterno is a really good person. That doesn't mean everyone likes him or agrees with him all the time. But he's done tremendous things for a lot of people. My only advice to him is that when he makes the decision it's time to get out of coaching, that he accepts it really is time."
It's time for Sherrill, who will turn 60 Nov. 28, for a number of reasons.
It's been a tough year for him personally. In January, his third wife, Peggy, was diagnosed with colon cancer. She had surgery, is doing fine and has a positive prognosis. In March, his brother, John, died at 76. Sherrill had to make the decision to end his brother's life support. Then in April, his mother, Dovie, passed away at 98.
It's also been a tough year for Sherrill professionally. Mississippi State is 2-5 and headed toward its third consecutive losing season. Since 2001, it is 8-22 overall and just 3-16 in the Southeastern Conference.
Those downers will be covered in Sherrill's book. But he also has enjoyed enough good times to fill a dozen chapters.
Pitt's program hasn't been the same since Sherrill left for Texas A&M after the '81 season for a 10-year, $2.5 million contract, which, at the time, was more than Ronald Reagan was making as president and William Clements Jr. was making as Texas governor -- combined. The Panthers were 11-1 in each of his final three seasons with a roster that was a Who's Who of college football. Hugh Green. Mark May. Rickey Jackson. Carlton Williamson. Russ Grimm. Jimbo Covert. Dan Marino. Pitt's coaching staff might have been even more impressive. Jimmy Johnson. Dave Wannstedt. Foge Fazio. Joe Moore. Kirk Ferentz. Mike Sherman.
"If I had done a little better job," Sherrill said, "we would have won at least one national championship."
The highlight for Sherrill, of course, was beating Paterno at Penn State in '79 and '80.
"After that, our people believed we were finally there as a program. Penn State was the standard," he said.
At Texas A&M, the highlights were five consecutive wins against Texas and three consecutive Southwest Conference championships. At Mississippi State, it was three consecutive wins against Alabama, an SEC West title in '98 and a school-record 10 victories in '99.
Sherrill said he has few regrets.
"I probably wish I would have been a little more patient at times. I could be pretty hard-headed."
There also was that bull.
Before underdog Mississippi State played Texas in '92, Sherrill had "Wild Willie" castrated in front of his players. As strange motivational ploys go, that was off the charts. It caused a national furor.
"I should have done that on the South Farm, where they do it every day, instead of on the practice field," Sherrill said. "But I'd still do it again."
You might guess the punch line.
Mississippi State beat Texas, 28-10.
