Jim Butterfield, one of the most successful coaches in college football history, will soon be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Butterfield is part of the divisional class of inductees for players and coaches in NCAA Divisions I-AA, II, and III, and schools affiliated with the NAIA.
The 1997 class will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on August 15-16 in South Bend, Indiana. Joining Butterfield is the late Paul Hoernemann, who coached at Heidelberg from 1946 to 1959, and the following 11 players: Joe Cichy (North Dakota State, 1968-70), Joe Delaney (Northwestern State, 1977-80), Fred Dryer (San Diego State, 1967-68), Joe Dudek (Plymouth State, 1982-85), William Grinnell (Tufts, 1932-34), Frank Hawkins (Nevada,1977-80), Pierce Holt (Angelo State, 1984-87), Gary Johnson (Grambling State, 1971-74), Ken O'Brien (California-Davis, 1980-82), Bruce Taylor (Boston, 1967-69), and Lynn Thomsen (Augustana, 1983-86). The ceremony is scheduled to be televised by ESPN.
During his 27-year tenure as head coach at Ithaca, Butterfield had national championship clubs in three different decades-a feat matched only by Ohio State's Woody Hayes.Under his guidance, Ithaca participated 11 times in the Division III play-offs and set records for play-off games (29), wins (21), and Stagg Bowl appearances (7). In addition to the championship squads of 1979, 1988, and 1991, Ithaca finished as runner-up in 1974, 1975, 1980, and 1985. His teams also participated in two ECAC play-off games, winning the north championship in 1984 and suffering a one-point loss in the same contest in 1987.