The new ACC scheduling format pits Miami and Louisville against each other every season, and the winner of the new annual rivalry game will get a trophy honoring a legendary coach who led both programs.
The Hurricanes and Cardinals will compete each year for the Schnellenberger Trophy, honoring former UM and Louisville coach Howard Schnellenberger, the Louisville Sports Commission announced Monday.
The trophy includes bronzed western dress boots that Schnellenberger wore.
“Miami is excited to partner with our colleagues at Louisville to present The Schnellenberger Trophy on an annual basis,” said Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich in a press release. “Coach Schnellenberger made an incredible impact at both institutions, and this trophy will serve as a visual reminder of the legacy he created for the sport he loved.”
The Hurricanes face the Cardinals at home on Nov. 18. They last played each other in 2020, and Miami won 47-34.
Schnellenberger coached the Hurricanes from 1979 to 1983. When Schnellenberger took over the program, Miami was far from a football powerhouse. The Hurricanes had won only four bowl games and finished higher than 10th in the Associated Press poll just twice in program history.
After going 5-6 in his first season at UM, Schnellenberger guided Miami to nine wins in back-to-back years and led the Hurricanes to a Peach Bowl victory in 1981. In 1983, Schellenberger led the Hurricanes to a 11-1 record. After beating No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, Miami claimed its first national title.
Schnellenberger left the Hurricanes after winning the championship, departing with a 41-16 record. He left to coach in the fledgling USFL, but after that fell through, he took the Louisville job before the 1985 season.
The veteran coach spent 10 seasons with the Cardinals, going 54-56-2 and winning two bowl games. He ultimately left to become the new head coach at Oklahoma but resigned after one season.
Schnellenberger ended his career with a memorable seven-season stint as Florida Atlantic’s coach. The field at FAU Stadium is named after him.
Schnellenberger died on March 27, 2021, at the age of 87.
“Howard Schnellenberger is an iconic name in college football, but more importantly, he’s symbolic of the success and tradition that the University of Louisville and University of Miami football programs have enjoyed on the field,” Louisville athletic director Josh Heird said in the release. “To celebrate the budding rivalry between the two programs with a trophy that bears his name is a fitting way to pay tribute to the contributions he made to both universities. With this game having an impact on the conference standings, this trophy will add to the intensity and importance of each game in the series.”
