Coach Joe Pannunzio, who led the Murray State Racers to their last Ohio Valley Football championship 2002, is this week's guest on the Runnin' with the Racers Podcast, episode 97.
The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast posts each week to GoRacers.com, iTunes and Soundcloud.
Out of Pueblo, Colorado, Pannunzio was a quarterback at Southern Colorado in 1981 and stayed in the Centennial State to start his coaching career at Mesa College as offensive coordinator. This was the beginning of Pannunzio enjoying a long career that has reached the highest level of college and pro football.
Former Murray State coach Mike Gottfried had Joe on his staff at Kansas 1983 and told him about Murray State University. Pannunzio was at Auburn in 1999, when the Racers were searching for a new head coach to replace Denver Johnson who had left for Illinois State and Pannunzio became interested in coming to MSU.
"Had it not been for Mike Gottfried, really, most of my career probably doesn't happen," said Pannunzio who turned 61 on July 4. "I had been at Auburn for one year and my fifth year in the SEC. Coach Gottfried called me about the Murray job and told me this was my chance to be a head coach. Mike was a
Joe Pannunzio at his introductory
press conference in January 2000.
father figure to me."
In 2002, Pannunzio's Racers became the hottest team in the OVC when they won five of six to set up a showdown for the conference title on Nov. 23, 2002 at Murray's Roy Stewart Stadium. The decided underdogs, the Racers looked to upset the Eastern Illinois Panthers and future NFL quarterback Tony Romo.
The Racers played a clean game and didn't commit a turnover, while forcing EIU into four. MSU had the lead 34-23 with 6:20 remaining. Romo led EIU on a scoring drive in the final seconds to take a 35-34 lead. After the kick off, the Racers had the ball on their own 33 with 20 seconds on the clock. Racer quarterback Stewart Childress hit Marcus Christon on a 24-yard pass to the EIU 43 with 14 seconds remaining. Pannunzio huddled with his place kicker, Shane Andrus, on the sideline.
"I really believe this, you have to go through tough times to prepare to make plays and win big games and this was our chance," Pannunzio said. "Shane told me, get me 10 yards and this baby is over, go get yourself a drink, we're OVC champions!"
One more pass to Jimmy St. Louis and the highly confident Shane Andrus trotted out for a try from 52 yards to win the game. The snap from Will Rasinen was true, the holder, Brian Bivens, placed the ball perfectly and Andrus boomed the kick of his life that split the uprights at the north end of the field with distance to spare. The kick was good and the Racers gained a share of the OVC championship 37-35. The MSU student section ran on the field and tore down one of the goalposts and carried it to the steps of Hart Hall.
"When he made it, it was hard to believe," Pannunzio said. "It was a great moment and I'll never forget it."
There were other memorable moments for Coach Pannunzio at MSU including a win at Eastern Kentucky in 2000 by a score of 24-22. The Racers won another time in 2004 at EKU in overtime, 19-16. At that time, Murray State only had four wins at EKU since 1966 and two were from Pannunzio teams.
In 2005, the Racers hosted the Austin Peay Governors in a November game at home. If there ever was proof that good things come to a player who stays ready until his name is called, it was tailback Stevie Chaney. He started the season No. 3 on the tailback depth chart behind Chad Cook and Robbie Wize. However, on Nov. 12, 2005, Cook was out with an injury and Wize was sick.
Chaney got the start and ended up setting the MSU single-game rushing record with 310 yards on 41 carries. He broke the former record of 259 yards that had stood for 33 years by George Greenfield against Evansville in 1972.
"Maybe we did a poor job of our evaluation and getting him in there more (before that game)," Pannunzio said. "It was a big game and whenever someone has that kind of game, your line has to do a good job and that was a fun day."
After he left MSU, Pannunzio was part of the rise of the Alabama Crimson Tide program led by Coach Nick Saban. After 75 wins, a 43-5 record in the Southeastern Conference and a pair of national championships later, Pannunzio is now a part of the front office in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles as Director of Team Development.
After stops at Kansas, TCU, Minnesota, Ole Miss, Auburn before Murray State and then Miami, Alabama twice and twice with the Eagles, Joe Pannunzio remembers the good times with the Racers.
"Go Racers always!" he said. "Tell everyone back in Murray that I said hello."
About Runnin' With The Racers Podcast
Murray State Basketball great Jonathan Stark was the first guest when the pilot episode posted Aug. 29, 2018, The podcast is produced weekly and usually is available by Wednesday. The Runnin' with the Racers Podcast is mainly guest driven with news and notes of the week from the Racers. Dave Winder, MSU Athletics Associate AD for Media Relations is the host. The podcast is available on GoRacers.com, ITunes and Soundcloud.
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Chaney got the start and ended up setting the MSU single-game rushing record with 310 yards on 41 carries. He broke the former record of 259 yards that had stood for 33 years by George Greenfield against Evansville in 1972.
