As we post the final quarter of the 1985 Southwest Conference Game of the Week between the TCU Horned Frogs and the Texas Longhorns….we want to tell the story of the head coaches in this game….Jim Wacker for TCU and Fred Akers for Texas…..as both were very successful coaches…. who either won multiple national championships or lost in multiple chances at national titles.
Jim Wacker was an American football coach and college athletics administrator….who served as the head football coach at Texas Lutheran University from 1971 – 1975….North Dakota State University from 1976 –1978….Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) from 1979 – 1982….Texas Christian University from 1983 – 1991…..and the University of Minnesota from 1992 – 1996….while compiling a career college football record of 159 – 131 – 3….while winning 2 x NAIA Division II National Championships with Texas Lutheran University in 1974 and 1975….and 2 x NCAA Division II Football Championships with Southwest Texas State University in 1981 and 1982.
Our Bone Daddy….the original Sportsphile….who was responsible for the original recording of our entire….was co-owner and operator of Madison Square Garden, The Sports Place, at 302 E. 6th Street in Austin, TX….which was a renowned restaurant and sports bar where our ImaSportsphile video library originated….drove to McAllen, TX on December 12, 1981 to see Coach Wacker lead his Southwest Texas Bobcats smashing of perennial powerhouse North Dakota State Bisons by a score of 42 – 13…..in what was then known as The Palm Bowl….cuz it was played in McAllen which was known as The City of Palms.
Fred Akers is a former American football player and coach….who served as head football coach at the University of Wyoming from 1975 – 1976….the University of Texas at Austin from 1977 – 1986…. and Purdue University from 1987 – 1990….while compiling a career college football record of 108 – 75 – 3 for a .694 career winning percentage.
Akers’ notable accomplishments include a Heisman Trophy for Earl Campbell in the 1977 season….along with national title chances in the 1978 and 1984 Cotton Bowl Classics….whereby In both of those years…. the Texas Longhorns went undefeated in the regular season….and being ranked # 1 in the country….only to lose in their bowl games to Notre Dame and Georgia respectively. . Fred Akers received criticism from those who believed he failed to match the standard set by previous head coach Darrell Royal….however, much of that was mitigated by an impressive overall record and a winning mark against Barry Switzer of the Oklahoma Sooners in the annual Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas….as Switzer was 3 – 0 – 1 against Texas in his 1st four years at the helm in Oklahoma before Akers came along.
However, in Akers’ last five years he struggled against Oklahoma, going 1–3–1….and against the Honrs annual Thanksgiving Battle against arch rival Texas A&M Aggies….when after losing his last three games by an average margin of 23 points….Akers drew the ire from the Texas faithful for losing bowl games at the end of four consecutive seasons (1982 – 1985). In 1986, after notching Texas’ first losing record in 30 years….Fred Akers left Texas to become the head football coach at Purdue University.
