Clemson, S.C.-- Former Clemson Head Coach Danny Ford will be honored Saturday evening during the pregame for his induction into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Class of 2017. The announcement was originally announced on Jan. 9, 2017, the day Clemson won its first National Championship since 1981 when Ford was the Clemson head coach.
Ford is one of three coaches in the 2017 Hall of Fame class. He will be joined by former Duke, Florida and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier and former Mount Union Coach Larry Kehres.
Ford is the fourth former Clemson head coach to be named to the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame. The others are John Heisman, Jess Neely, and Frank Howard. Former Clemson players in the Hall of Fame are Banks McFadden, Terry Kinard and Jeff Davis.
Ford coached Clemson from 1978-89 and posted a record of 96-29-4, the second most coaching wins in Clemson history behind Frank Howard’s 165. The native of Alabama was just 33 years, seven months and 30 days at the time of the win over Nebraska and he is still the youngest coach to win the National Championship.
Ford was just 30 years old when he took over as Clemson Head Coach in December of 1978. In his first game, he defeated Hall of Fame Coach Woody Hayes and Ohio State, 17-15, in the 1978 Gator Bowl. In 1979 he coached Clemson to a 16-10 victory at Notre Dame, and he is still the second youngest visiting coach to win at Notre Dame Stadium.
Clemson had an 86-25-4 record in the 1980s and the .765 winning percentage was the fifth best in college football. The other nine coaches in the top 10 in winning percentage in that decade are all in the Hall of Fame.
Ford was 23-8-1 head-to-head as Clemson head coach against coaches who are already in the Hall of Fame.
In his 11 full years as Clemson head coach, Ford won five ACC Championships and had seven top 25 teams. He coached 21 different players who earned All-American honors and had 10 former players win a combined 13 Super Bowl Championships.
