Sherrill, Jackie W.
Football
b. Nov. 28, 1944, Duncan, OK
An offensive fullback and defensive linebacker at the University of Alabama, Sherrill graduated in 1967 and served as an assistant coach at several schools before taking over as head coach at Washington State University in 1976.
He had a 3-8-0 record in just one season there before going to Pittsburgh University in 1977. Sherrill's Pittsburgh teams went 50-9-1 over five seasons and his 1983 squad was ranked second in the nation.
In 1981, Sherrill became athletic director and head coach at Texas A & M University. The hiring brought a great deal of criticism because Sherrill's reported salary of $267,000 was higher than that of the university's president.
He brought success on the field, as Texas A & M won three straight Southwestern Conference championships, from 1985 through 1987. However, the program was put on probation for a number of recruiting violations and Sherrill was forced to resign after the 1988 season.
He spent two years away from football before being hired by Mississippi State University in 1991. It was another controversial hiring. Billy Brewer, coach of arch-rival University of Mississippi, called Sherrill "a habitual liar," but Sherrill got revenge with a 24-9 victory in the annual confrontation between the two schools and had a 7-5-0 record.
Sherrill retired from coaching after the 2003 season. His overall record was 182-120-4.