Galen Hall Galen Samuel Hall ( born August 14 , 1940 ) is an American college and professional football coach and former player . He is a native of Pennsylvania , and an alumnus of Penn State University , where he played college football . Hall was previously the offensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Florida , and the head coach of the University of Florida , the Orlando Thunder , the Rhein Fire , and the XFL ' s Orlando Rage . He most recently served as the offensive coordinator at his alma mater , Penn State . Early life and education . Hall was born in Altoona , Pennsylvania in 1940 and grew up in Williamsburg , Pennsylvania . He was raised by his grandparents , following the death of his father several months before he was born . He attended Penn State University in State College , Pennsylvania , where he was the starting quarterback for coach Rip Engle ' s Nittany Lions in 1960 and 1961 . He led the Nittany Lions to a combined 15 – 6 record and victories in the 1960 Liberty Bowl and 1961 Gator Bowl . Hall was also a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity while a Penn State student . Professional football career . Hall had a short stint as quarterback in the National Football League ( NFL ) in 1962 , during which he appeared in three games with the Washington Redskins . Afterward , he played for the New York Jets of the American Football League ( AFL ) in 1963 . Hall appeared in thirteen games that season , completing 45 of 118 pass attempts , including his only start , a 48 – 0 loss late in the season against the Kansas City Chiefs . Coaching career . College coaching . Oklahoma . Hall served as Offensive Backfield and Ends Coach for West Virginia University from 1964 to 1965 , in 1966 he joined the University of Oklahoma staff as receivers coach and was the offensive coordinator there from 1973 to 1983 . During that time , the Sooners boasted one of the most prolific offenses in college football , predominantly using the wishbone attack , won two national championships , and produced Heisman - winning running back Billy Sims . After a disappointing season in 1983 , Oklahoma replaced many assistant coaches while retaining head coach Barry Switzer . Hall was let go , but was quickly hired to be the new offensive coordinator for the Florida Gators to replace Mike Shanahan , who had left Florida for the NFL . Florida . Hall installed a conventional I formation offense at Florida under head coach Charley Pell for the 1984 season . However , between the third and fourth games , Pell was fired after an NCAA investigation alleged 107 violations of NCAA rules . Hall , who had not been at Florida when the violations occurred between 1979 and 1983 , was made the interim head coach by athletic director Bill Carr . The Gators won the remaining eight games on their schedule under Hall , including big wins over arch - rivals Georgia , Auburn , and Florida State , and finished with a 9 – 1 – 1 record . By virtue of an undefeated 5 – 0 – 1 conference record , Florida won its first - ever Southeastern Conference ( SEC ) football championship . The team finished the season ranked No . 3 in the AP poll , the team ' s highest ever ranking up to that time . The team was unable to go to a bowl due to NCAA sanctions imposed for the violations under Pell . Nonetheless , the Gators were crowned national champions by several minor polls , including that of the New York Times . Hall was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year and university president Marshall Criser named him the permanent head coach at the end of the season . On May 30 , 1985 , the SEC university presidents voted 6 – 4 to vacate Florida ' s 1984 SEC title and make the team ineligible for the conference title during the upcoming 1985 and 1986 seasons because of the rule violations committed under Pell , overturning an executive committee ruling that allowed the Gators to keep their 1984 title . The decision drew much anger from Criser and Gator players and fans due to its retroactive nature . Despite the sanctions , Hall ' s 1985 Gators would again go 9 – 1 – 1 on the field and tie for the SEC lead with a 5 – 1 conference record , but could not claim the conference title because of NCAA and SEC probation . The 1984 and 1985 seasons are remembered as " Best in the SEC " years for Florida football . However , Hall ' s subsequent Gators teams were hamstrung by severe NCAA sanctions inherited from Pell , including scholarship restrictions that severely limited the team ' s number of scholarship players . Hall ' s first two recruiting classes only had 25 players . His teams typically featured strong defense and a solid rushing attack ( especially with record - setting running back Emmitt Smith ) . The sanctions began taking their full effect midway through Hall ' s tenure , however ; between 1986 and 1989 , Hall ' s Gators never won more than seven games in a season , and never won more than four games in SEC play . Even with the burden of the sanctions hanging over them , Hall ' s teams remained competitive ; they never suffered a losing season overall and only had one losing SEC record . University president Robert A . Bryan forced Hall ' s resignation in the middle of the 1989 season during another investigation of possible NCAA rule violations . The new allegations were primarily related to Hall paying several of his assistants out of his own pocket as well as paying the legal expenses related to the child - support obligations of one of his players , allegations that he still denies . The NCAA ultimately slapped the Gators with two years ' probation , and banned them from bowl consideration for the 1990 season . It deemed Hall ' s alleged violations serious enough that it would have kicked the Gators off live television during the 1990 season as well had school officials not forced Hall ' s resignation . Hall has not been hired as a college head coach ever since - - and indeed , wouldn ' t return to the collegiate ranks again in any capacity for 15 years - - prompting later employer Joe Paterno to call him " a good coach who got screwed " . Professional coaching . In 1992 , Hall was the second head coach of the Orlando Thunder of the World League of American Football . He coached the team to an 8 – 2 record before losing to the Sacramento Surge in the World Bowl II championship game . In 1994 , Hall became the head coach of the Charlotte Rage of the Arena Football League . He led the team to a 5 – 7 record , and a spot in the playoffs . He went on to become head coach of the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe from 1995 – 2000 , leading the team to three World Bowl berths , including NFL Europe championships in 1998 and 2000 . He is the second - winningest coach in NFL Europe history with forty - four victories and was selected Coach of the Year three times . In 2001 Hall was named head coach of the XFL ' s Orlando Rage , posting a league - best 8 – 2 record before losing in the first round of the playoffs . He was named XFL Coach of the Year that season . He was reunited with former Florida running back Emmitt Smith while serving as running back s coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2002 . Back to college . In late 2004 , Hall returned to his alma mater , Penn State , to become the offensive coordinator and running back s coach under head coach Joe Paterno , who had been an assistant coach at Penn State during his college days . The Nittany Lions were coming off of consecutive losing seasons , but finished the 2005 slate with an 11 – 1 record and a share of the Big Ten Conference title behind a much - improved offensive attack . They would win nine games in 2006 and 2007 , and won the conference title in 2008 with another 11 – 1 record , earning a trip to the Rose Bowl and fielding one of top offenses in college football . Paterno was ousted in the middle of the 2011 season , and his successor , Bill O ' Brien , opted not to retain Hall .