Al Onofrio

Who was Al Onofrio?

Albert Joseph "Al" Onofrio was the head football coach at the University of Missouri from 1971 to 1977. During his tenure he compiled a 38–41 record. He spent 12 years on the Missouri staff, as an assistant as well. He is notable for having pulled upsets, mainly on the road. His Mizzou football teams upset the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on October 21, 1972 at South Bend, Indiana, the Alabama Crimson Tide on September 8, 1975, at Birmingham, the USC Trojans at Los Angeles on September 11, 1976, the Ohio State Buckeyes at Columbus two weeks later, and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Tempe on October 1, 1977, during his final season at Missouri. In his seven years at Mizzou, Onofrio compiled a 1–6 record against arch-rival Kansas, which contributed to his dismissal.

He coached four All-Americans, and 30 National Football League players. He led Missouri to two bowl games, in the 1972 Fiesta Bowl, a loss to Arizona State in Tempe, and the 1973 Sun Bowl, a win over Auburn in El Paso, Texas. He was a 1993 inductee to the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame.