Woody Widenhofer

Woody Widenhofer spent a combined nine seasons as head coach at Missouri (in the Big Eight Conference) and Vanderbilt, coaching the teams to a combined record of 27-71-1.

He coached college football in five different decades and also spent time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns (under Bill Belichick and Nick Saban), serving as the Steelers’ defensive coordinator for four seasons from 1979-83 during the “Steel Curtain” era. Widenhofer earned four Super Bowl rings with the Steelers.

He also coached in the United States Football League.

Widenhofer, a Missouri graduate who also played linebacker at the school, ran a well-known fan ad campaign for the Tigers, telling fans to “climb on Woody’s Wagon,” but finished 5-6 in his best season with the team in 1987.

Widenhofer also reportedly worked in a toll booth in Destin, Fla., for three years, saying he wanted a way to keep busy and enjoyed meeting people. He quit when his wife, a Sprint Airlines employee, transferred to Dallas.