In saddening news, FAU’s first football head coach Howard Schnellenberger has passed away at 87, FAU football reports.

Schnellenberger came to Florida Atlantic in 1998 and was named Director of Football Operations. From there, Schnellenberger became the Owl’s first football head coach, where he held a 58-74 record coaching from 2001 until his retirement in 2011. 

Schnellenberger brought FAU Football their first two wins in a bowl game in program history and finished with a winning record in four seasons as the Owls head coach. In 2014, Florida Atlantic named their football field after Coach Schnellenberger, three years after his retirement.

Schnellenberger was a legendary coach at other universities as well, most notably the University of Miami from 1979-1983 and the University of Louisville from 1985-1995. 

According to a statement released by FAU Football, a private, family-only memorial mass will be held, and instead of flowers, the family asks to make contributions to the Schnellenberger Family Foundation in Delray Beach, or the Howard Schnellenberger Endowed Scholarship Fund at FAU.

Joseph Acosta is the Business Manager of the FAU University Press. For all inquiries regarding this story or any other stories, email him at [email protected] or tweet him @acosta32_jp.