Barry Switzer and Brian Baldinger together in a recent photo.

National Football Foundation joins the New York Athletic Club for a football kickoff event at the prestigious club in the heart of New York City.

IRVING, Texas (Aug. 19, 2014) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) and the New York Athletic Club (NYAC) announced today that College Football Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer, who led the University of Oklahoma to three national championships, will be the keynote speaker at a 2014 football kickoff event on Sept. 9 at the historic venue in New York City. The event will begin at 6 p.m. ET with Coach Switzer speaking at 7 p.m.

“The New York Athletic Club is extremely pleased to welcome Coach Switzer as the first person to address our membership in support of our new partnership with the National Football Foundation,” said NYAC President Dominic Bruzzese. “A dynamic force in college football for decades, Coach Switzer has created a legacy that places him among the greatest coaches of all-time. We are proud to welcome him to our 2014 college football kick-off event.”

Campus Insiders Vice President of Content and Brand Development and On-Air Host Bonnie Bernstein will moderate the event, which will have a question and answer format to encourage audience participation. Recognized by the American Sportscasters Association as one of the most accomplished female journalists, Bernstein will utilize her talents and in-depth knowledge of college football to cajole Coach Switzer into reliving some of his proudest moments.

“As one of the most prestigious sport organizations in the nation, the New York Athletic Club provides an exciting venue for leaders from the world of college football to share their stories and insights,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “This event and many more to follow will strengthen our connection to the NYAC and its role in hosting the Campbell Trophy as the nation’s premier scholar-athlete award. I want to thank Coach Switzer and Bonnie Bernstein for helping us kickoff the 2014 season.”

The event builds on the relationship between the NFF and the NYAC, which is anchored by a section in the NYAC Hall of Fame that showcases the NFF William V. Campbell Trophy. The award, celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2014, recognizes a college football player as the absolute best in the country for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary community leadership. In April of this year, the NYAC became the official and exclusive home of the Campbell Trophy.

The NYAC and the NFF plan to stage multiple events each year, including an annual luncheon celebration with the winner of the Campbell Trophy, which occurs the day after the winner is announced at the NFF Annual Awards Dinner. The 2014 NYAC-NFF Campbell Trophy luncheon celebration will take place Dec. 10, the day after the 57th NFF Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

A look back on Coach Barry Switzer’s life and career

Born Oct. 5, 1937 in Crossett, Ark., Barry Switzer attended Crossett High School, becoming a top student and starting on the football team. He earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Arkansas, and he played center and linebacker for the Razorbacks. He served as captain of the 1959 team, which won the Southwest Conference and the Gator Bowl. During his time in Fayetteville, he learned from two coaching legends, Jack Mitchell and future Hall of Famer Frank Broyles.

After college, Switzer spent one year in the U.S. Army. He then returned to Arkansas as an assistant under Coach Broyles from 1961-65. At the start of the 1966 football season, he moved to Norman, Okla., and he worked as assistant coach with the Sooners from 1966-72 before becoming Oklahoma’s head coach in 1973.

For the period 1972-75, the Sooners had a 37-game unbeaten streak. Seven of those games came in 1972 with the rest coming under Switzer’s head coaching tutelage. Switzer’s team won three national championships (1974, 1975 and 1985), and in his 16 years as head coach, Oklahoma won the Big Eight Conference 12 times. The Sooners played in 13 bowls with an 8-5 record. They outscored their opponents 6,093 to 2,429, averaging 32.1 against their opponent’s 12.8 per game.

Switzer notched a 157-29-4 overall record during his 16 years in Norman. When he retired after the 1988 season, his winning percentage, .837, placed him fourth in history among Division 1-A college coaches at the time. A master at coaching the wishbone “T” formation, Switzer ensured his teams annually ranked among the national leaders in scoring, rushing offense, and total offense.

After a five-year break, Switzer returned to coaching, leaving the college ranks for the head job with the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. During his four years in Dallas, 1994-97, he amassed an impressive 45-26 record, including a Super Bowl XXX victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers following the 1995 season.

At Oklahoma, Switzer coached six College Football Hall of Famers, including Tony Casillas, Keith Jackson, Lee Roy Selmon, Rod Shoate, Billy Sims and Joe Washington. He also coached College Football Hall of Famers Troy Aikman (UCLA), Charles Haley (James Madison), Russell Maryland (Miami, Fla.), Jay Novacek (Wyoming), Deion Sanders (Florida State) and Emmitt Smith (Florida) with the Dallas Cowboys, among others.

Following his retirement from the pros, Switzer set up home in Norman, Oklahoma, and his volunteer work has included the Special Olympics, Society to Prevent Blindness, scholarships for minority students, and various local charities. In 1999, the University of Oklahoma dedicated a new athletic facility in his honor, naming it the Switzer Center. Switzer was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2001.