Gill To Go In Orange Bowl Hall of Honor

UB head football coach honored for his performances in Orange Bowl game

Turner Gill

BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo head football coach Turner Gill will be inducted into the Regions Bank Orange Bowl Hall of Honor during the 73rd FedEx Orange Bowl on January 2, 2007.

Gill will be joined by current University of Idaho head coach, and former Miami (FL) coach, Dennis Erickson, and former Florida State defensive standout Marvin Jones. The group will be recognized at the AvMed Orange Bowl Luncheon on January 1, 2007 as well as their formal induction into the Hall of Honor during the game on January 2nd to be televised on Fox Sports.

Gill participated in the 1984 Orange Bowl, perhaps the most famous in the game’s 72-year history, in which his Nebraska team fell to the Hurricanes of Miami, 31-30 after rallying from a two touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter. The year before, Gill earned Most Valuable Player honors as the Huskers defeated LSU, 21-20 and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the national polls.

As an assistant coach, Gill would help the Huskers capture a pair of Orange Bowl titles which secured national championships for Nebraska, in 1995 (a 24-17 win over Miami) and in 1997 (a 42-17 win over Tennessee). All told, Gill appeared at the Orange Bowl three times as a player (he sat out the 1982 Orange Bowl with an injury) and five times as a coach.

As an assistant at Nebraska from 1992-2004, Gill worked with the Huskers' quarterbacks, coaching two All-Americans (Tommie Frazier and Eric Crouch) and one Heisman Trophy winner (Crouch). At Nebraska he served under College Football Hall of Famer Tom Osborne, current Ohio head coach Frank Solich and current Nebraska mentor Bill Callahan.

Gill, a native of Fort Worth, TX, was a three-year starter at Nebraska, compiling a 28-2 record, including a 20-0 record in the Big Eight (now the Big XII). As a senior he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and in 1990 was named the starting quarterback on the Big Eight All-Decade team from 1980-89. Prior to serving as Buffalo’s head coach, he spent one year with the Green Bay Packers as an offensive assistant and Director of Player Development.

Gill became the 23rd head coach in Buffalo football history in December of 2005.

11/27/2006