Oklahoma Goes With Experience : College football: Schnellenberger, 60, is chosen to lead the Sooner program back to national prominence.

Oklahoma turned to a builder of football programs to return the Sooners to national prominence, hiring Howard Schnellenberger to replace Gary Gibbs on Friday.

In five years, Schnellenberger led Miami from the brink of extinction to a national title. In 10 years at Louisville, he won nearly half his games and took the Cardinals to two bowl games. That was a program that in the decade before his arrival had only two winning seasons.

His college record is 96-71-2.

“It is exciting for a 60-year-old coach who has coached for a long time to be given the assignment and trust and confidence to lead this program,” Schnellenberger said.

“I’m not used to leading a great program and coming in in the shadows of Bud Wilkinson and all the other great coaches you have had here.”

Pending approval by the school’s regents, Schnellenberger will be given a five-year deal worth a base salary of $125,000 per year.

Schnellenberger lends an established coaching name to Oklahoma. The Sooners, winners of six national titles, have not won a Big Eight title since 1987 and this season finished 6-5 and in fourth place in the conference.

He said it is his “avowed goal” to restore the program to national prominence.

Schnellenberger was 54-56-2 in 10 seasons at Louisville and took the team to the 1991 Fiesta Bowl and the 1993 Liberty Bowl. That Fiesta Bowl team finished 10-1-1.

The Cardinals went 6-5 this year.

Before going to Louisville, Schnellenberger coached at Miami from 1979 to 1983 and led the Hurricanes to the 1983 national championship. He also was coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1973-74 and served as an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins and Rams.