It began under Devine and continued thereafter

Posted on: September 22, 2020 at 18:08:02 CT

In the old Big Eight, the Oklahoma program was always well supported by oil money. In the 1960's, Nebraska hired Bob Devaney from Wyoming and increased its support of the Cornhusker program. I.e. an athletic training center (weight training and steroid use). As noted in another post, Devine asked for, but did not get a commitment for the same level of support that Nebraska was giving Devaney. (And before any jumps to a conclusion, I don't know if Dan and/or his staff contemplated steroid use.)

Al Onofrio ("Uncle Al") followed Dan and gave Mizzou some of its greatest individual game victories (the games were scheduled by Devine, schedules were done seven years in advance in those days), but his teams were woefully inconsistent and had lots of trouble beating Kansas.

Onofrio was succeeded by Powers and, if memory serves, Uehling became Chancellor about the same time. As everyone knows, she gave academics priority over sports.

After Powers was fired, he was replaced by Woody Weidenhoffer. The hiring was hearlded by the Athletic Administration as gettilng a "Mizzou guy" back in charge of the program, as having a coach who not only had coach Pittsburg's Steel Curtain defensive line in multiple Super Bowls, but who understood Mizzou's "unique situation".

Bob Broeg, the St. Louis Post Dispatch sports reporter and the chronicler of Mizzou sports, summed up Woody's era with the simple line "couldn't run a competent program".

Woody was succeeded by Bob Stull. If memory serves, Haskell Monroe replaced Uehling as Chancellor at the same time. Monroe and Stull both came to Mizzou from UTEP. Monroe did not change Uehling's policy, i.e. no Prop 48 kids, no real money for new facilities.

One reason there was not more of an outcry over Uehling's actions with regard to the football program was Norm Stewart and his basketball program were enjoying great success.