Florida Atlantic announced on Wednesday afternoon that they are naming their field after Howard Schnellenberger.
Schnellenberger was one of the main reasons the football program is where it is today. The stadium will be renamed “Howard Schnellenberger Field” and will celebrated before the Owls’ first home game against Tulsa on September 13.
FAU president John Kelly praised Schnellenberger for his time in Boca Raton.
“Coach Schnellenberger is a legend, a true visionary who always will be synonymous with FAU football,” he stated. “The university, the community, and fans of college football everywhere look to coach as the consummate leader, and are thankful for all he has done for the sport. I know FAU will always remember this as we cheer our team on the beautiful field that will forever bear his name.”
Schnellenberger led Miami to their first national championship 1983. After stops at Louisville and Oklahoma, he was named the director of football operations at FAU in 1998 and built it from the ground up. In 2001, he decided to become the head coach and eventually turned the Owls into a Division I program in 2005. He won Florida Atlantic’s only two bowl victories in school history (2007 and 2008).
He retired in 2011 and was 58-74 in 11 years as the Owls’ head coach.
