Paul Hackett (American football)

Last updated
Paul Hackett
Biographical details
Born (1947-07-05) July 5, 1947 (age 76)
Burlington, Vermont, U.S.
Playing career
1966–1968 UC Davis
Position(s) Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1969 UC Davis (assistant freshman)
1970–1971 UC Davis (freshman)
1972–1973 California (GA)
1974–1975 California (QB)
1976–1977 USC (QB/WR)
1978–1980 USC (QB/PGC)
1981–1982 Cleveland Browns (QB)
1983–1985 San Francisco 49ers (QB/WR/TE)
1986–1988 Dallas Cowboys (PGC)
1989 Pittsburgh (OC/QB)
1989–1992 Pittsburgh
1993–1997 Kansas City Chiefs (OC)
1998–2000 USC
2001–2004 New York Jets (OC)
2005–2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (QB)
2008 Oakland Raiders (special projects)
2009–2010 Oakland Raiders (QB)
Head coaching record
Overall33–37–1 (includes forfeit by California in 1999)
Bowls1–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships

Paul Roger Hackett (born July 5, 1947) is a former American football coach. He served as head football coach of University of Pittsburgh from 1989 to 1992 and at the University of Southern California (USC) from 1998 to 2000. Hackett was quarterbacks coach or offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Oakland Raiders.

Contents

Hackett began his college coaching career at his alma mater, the University of California, Davis, in 1969, assisting the freshmen in the first year and then directing them to a 13–0 mark over the next two seasons under College Football Hall of Fame coach Jim Sochor. He then was an assistant at University of California, Berkeley for four years (1972–1975), the first season as a graduate assistant, the next as the receivers coach and the final two as the quarterbacks coach. Then, at age 29, he moved to USC for five years (1976–1980) as an assistant coach under John Robinson.

Hackett then began in the NFL as offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns (1981–82), followed by a stint as quarterbacks/receivers coach for the San Francisco 49ers (1983–85)—during which he coached Joe Montana in the 1984 Super Bowl victory—and as offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys (1986–1988).

From 1989 to 1992 Hackett was the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He replaced Mike Gottfried, whom he had served as offensive coordinator, just prior to the 1989 John Hancock Bowl, which resulted in a Pittsburgh victory over Texas A&M.

Hackett then moved back to the NFL as offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1993 to 1997. He was instrumental in acquiring his quarterback from the 49ers, Joe Montana, to play for the Chiefs from 1993 to 1994. The Chiefs made the playoffs four of five seasons, ranking fifth in offense in his last year.

Hackett moved back to college football as head coach at USC from 1998 until 2000, prior to Pete Carroll taking over. During the first season he guided the Trojans to the 1998 Sun Bowl, losing in a major upset to TCU. Hackett's final two years at the school were difficult, as the fans and alumni base turned against him. [1] His 1999 and 2000 Trojans football teams were the first USC teams to have consecutive non-winning seasons since 1960 and 1961. [2] The 2000 team was tied for last place in the Pacific-10 Conference. [3] His winning percentage as USC coach was .514, compared to the school's then all-time win percentage of .691. [4] USC fired Hackett on November 27, 2000; to do so, it spent $800,000 to buy out the remaining two years of his five-year, $3.5-million contract. [5] [6] Hackett felt he was clearly not given enough time to rebuild and develop his recruits, such as Carson Palmer. "In two years, I expect to see this team explode," he said. [7] He was proved correct; by 2002, the Trojans were ranked fourth in the country with a team built primarily around Hackett's recruits.

After leaving USC, Hackett again returned to the NFL, serving as the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets from 2001 to 2004. He was then the Tampa Bay quarterbacks coach from 2005 to 2007. From 2008 to 2010, Hackett worked as the quarterback coach for the Oakland Raiders, after which he retired from coaching. Hackett is married and has two sons, David and Nathaniel.

Head coaching record

YearTeamOverallConferenceStandingBowl/playoffs Coaches#AP°
Pittsburgh Panthers (NCAA Division I-A independent)(1989–1990)
1989 Pittsburgh 1–0*W John Hancock 1917
1990 Pittsburgh 3–7–1
Pittsburgh Panthers (Big East Conference)(1991–1992)
1991 Pittsburgh 6–53–24th
1992 Pittsburgh 3–8**1–36th
Pittsburgh:13–20–14–5*Hackett only coached the John Hancock Bowl, replacing Mike Gottfried.
**Final game of season coached by Sal Sunseri
USC Trojans (Pacific-10 Conference)(1998–2000)
1998 USC 8–55–3T–3rdL Sun
1999 USC 6–63–5T–6th
2000 USC 5–72–6T–8th
USC:19–1810–14
Total:32–38–1

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pete Carroll</span> American football coach (born 1951)

Peter Clay Carroll is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC from 2001 to 2009, where he won six bowl games and back to back National Championships in 2003 and 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Holmgren</span> American football player, coach, and executive (born 1948)

Michael George Holmgren is a former American football coach and executive. He began his NFL career as a quarterbacks' coach and later as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, where they won Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. He served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998, where he won Super Bowl XXXI, and of the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2008. His last role in the NFL was as team president of the Cleveland Browns from 2010 to 2012. Prior to his career in the NFL, Holmgren coached football at the high school and collegiate levels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Leinart</span> American football player (born 1983)

Matthew Stephen Leinart is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football at USC, where he won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to an undefeated season as a junior, culminating with a victory in the 2005 BCS National Championship. Selected 10th overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2006 NFL Draft, Leinart primarily served as Kurt Warner's backup for four seasons. He spent his final three seasons in a backup role for the Houston Texans and Oakland Raiders. Leinart was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ken Norton Jr.</span> American football player and coach (born 1966)

Kenneth Howard Norton Jr. is an American football coach and former linebacker who most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) from 2018 to 2021. He is the son of Ken Norton, former world champion heavyweight boxer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Cavanaugh</span> American football player and coach (born 1956)

Matthew Andrew Cavanaugh is an American football coach and former quarterback. During his playing career, he earned two Super Bowl rings. Since his retirement after the 1991 season, Cavanaugh has worked as an offensive coach and coordinator, for teams including the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, where he earned a third Super Bowl ring as a coach, Washington Redskins, and New York Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Neuheisel</span> American football analyst, coach, player, and attorney (born 1961)

Richard Gerald Neuheisel Jr. is an American football analyst, coach, former player, and attorney. He served as the head football coach at the University of Colorado Boulder from 1995 to 1999, at the University of Washington from 1999 to 2002, and at his alma mater, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from 2008 to 2011, compiling a career college football coaching record of 87–59. From 2005 to 2007, Neuheisel was an assistant coach with the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL), as quarterbacks coach for two seasons and offensive coordinator for one. He formerly served as head coach for the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) before the collapse of the league. Before coaching, Neuheisel played quarterback for the UCLA Bruins from 1980 to 1983, then spent two seasons with the San Antonio Gunslingers of the United States Football League (USFL) before splitting the 1987 NFL season between the San Diego Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USC Trojans football</span> American college football team at University of Southern California

The USC Trojans football program represents University of Southern California in the sport of American football. The Trojans compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12).

John Alexander Robinson is an American former football coach best known for his two stints as head coach of the University of Southern California (USC) football team and for his tenure as head coach of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams (1983–1991). Robinson's USC teams won four Rose Bowls and captured a share of the national championship in the 1978 season. Robinson is one of the few college football head coaches to have non-consecutive tenure at the same school. In 2009, he was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Sarkisian</span> American football player and coach (born 1974)

Stephen Sarkisian is an American football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at the University of Texas at Austin, a position he has held since January 2021. Sarkisian served as the head football coach at the University of Washington from 2009 to 2013, then at the University of Southern California (USC) from 2014 to 2015. He played college football as a quarterback at Brigham Young University (BYU) and professionally with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). Sarkisian served as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) from 2017 to 2018 and at the University of Alabama from 2019 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norm Chow</span> American football player and coach (born 1946)

Norman Yew Heen Chow is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Helvetic Guards in the European League of Football (ELF). He was the head football coach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, a position he held from December 2011 until November 2015 and previously held the offensive coordinator position for the Utah Utes, UCLA Bruins, the NFL's Tennessee Titans, USC Trojans, NC State Wolfpack, and BYU Cougars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Doll</span> American football player and coach (1926–2010)

Donald LeRoy Doll, also known as Don Burnside, was an American football player and coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tee Martin</span> American football player and coach (born 1978)

Tamaurice Nigel "Tee" Martin is an American football coach and former quarterback who is the quarterbacks coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee, University of Southern California, University of Kentucky, University of New Mexico, North Atlanta HS, North Cobb HS and Morehouse College.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John David Booty</span> American football player (born 1985)

John David Booty is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at USC and was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Alfred Theodore Tollner is a former American football player and coach. He had served as the head coach at the University of Southern California (USC) from 1983 to 1986 and San Diego State University (SDSU) from 1994 to 2001, compiling an overall college football record of 69–68–1. Tollner also was an assistant coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, including stints as offensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.

The 2007 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, winning a share of the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) championship and winning the 2008 Rose Bowl. The team was coached by Pete Carroll and played its home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

The 1997 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, finishing with a 6–5 record and tied for fifth place in the Pacific-10 Conference with a 4–4 conference record; despite a qualifying record, the Trojans were not invited to a bowl game. The team was coached by John Robinson, in his second stint as head coach of the Trojans, and played their home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chip Kelly</span> American football coach (born 1963)

Charles Edward Kelly is an American football coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins. He came to prominence as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, whom he led to four consecutive BCS bowl game appearances, including the 2011 BCS National Championship Game. This success led to him serving as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons, three with the Philadelphia Eagles (2013–2015) and one with the San Francisco 49ers (2016). Kelly only made the playoffs in his first season with Philadelphia, and he was fired from both teams. After leaving the NFL, Kelly returned to college football in 2018 to coach UCLA.

Jeremy Bates is an American football coach and former player. He was the quarterbacks coach for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), a position he assumed in February 2012. Bates has previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks and quarterbacks coach for the USC Trojans football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clay Helton</span> American football player and coach (born 1972)

Clay Charles Helton is an American college football coach and former player, who is currently the head coach at Georgia Southern. He was previously the head coach of USC from 2015 to 2021. Helton has also been an assistant coach for Duke, Houston and Memphis. His father, Kim Helton, was a coach in college, the National Football League, and the Canadian Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Riley</span> American football coach (born 1983)

Lincoln Michael Riley is an American college football coach and former player who is the head coach of the USC Trojans football program at the University of Southern California.

References

  1. T. J. Simers, Hackett's Successor Needs Booster Shot for Alumni, Los Angeles Times, 2000-11-28, Accessed 2008-07-16.
  2. Bill Shaikin, USC Has Victory Bell, Los Angeles Times, 2000-11-19, Accessed 2008-07-15.
  3. Larry Stewart, ‘Very Disappointed,’ Hackett Gets the Ax, Los Angeles Times, 2000-11-28, Accessed 2008-07-16.
  4. David Wharton, Another USC Turnover, Los Angeles Times, 2000-11-28, Accessed 2008-07-16.
  5. David Wharton, Hackett Not Shy About Celebrating Big Victory, Los Angeles Times, 2000-11-19, Accessed 2008-07-16.
  6. Adande, J.A., Now Garrett's Back Is Against the Wallet, Los Angeles Times, 2000-12-16, Accessed 2008-07-15.
  7. "Archives - Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times . 28 November 2000.