Johnny Majors is a former standout halfback at the University of Tennessee and was the longtime head football coach at the University of Tennessee, Iowa StateUniversity, and the University of Pittsburgh. Coach Majors was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1987.

Majors played high school football for Huntland, Tennessee and led the Hornets to the 1951 state championship. Majors played for his father, Shirley Majors, at Huntland. Shirley Majors went on to become the longtime head coach at The University of the South. Majors then went on to the University of Tennessee where he was a triple-threat tailback. Majors was an All-American and runner-up for the 1956 Heisman Trophy. Majors played one ear with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. From 1957 through 1967, Majors was an assistant coach at several schools.

Majors was the head coach at Iowa State University from 1968-1972. Majors then went to the University of Pittsburgh where he recruited such greats as Tony Dorsett and Matt Cavanaugh. Majors coached the Panthers from 1973 through 1976 and won the national championship for the 1976 season. Majors won the National Coach of the Year Award for the 1976 season.

Coach Majors returned to his alma mater as head coach in 1977. Majors served as head coach through 1992. While with the Vols, he won 116 games, and 3 SEC Championships. Majors best season was in 1989 when the Vols went 11-1 and won the Cotton Bowl. From Tennessee, Majors returned to Pittsburgh where he was head coach from 1993 to 1996. Coach Majors retired from coaching after the 1996 season. Overall in his career as a head coach, Majors won 185 games. From 1997 through 2007, Majors worked at the University of Pittsburgh where he was Special Assistant to the Athletic Director and Chancellor.

Coach Majors retired to Knoxville where he lives with his wife, Mary Lynn.