Joseph Krivak, 1957 (Football and Baseball)
Joe Krivak, an offensive lineman/linebacker, earned three football letters while blocking for All-American Jim Brown, including in the 1957 Cotton Bowl. He also played third base and earned one letter in baseball. Krivak earned his degree in history science in 1957 and an M.A. in Education from Syracuse in 1961.
Krivak is best known as an innovative college football coach who developed six NFL quarterbacks at the University of Maryland, four of whom played in the Super Bowl. He was an assistant coach at Syracuse, Maryland, Navy and Virginia, working with receivers and quarterbacks. He was head coach at Maryland from 1987-1991 and was recognized by the Dapper Dan Club of the Ohio Valley in 1990 after the Terps’ Independence Bowl appearance. He coached in 14 bowl games and on seven Atlantic Coast Conference championship teams. In 1984, his play-calling is credited with Maryland’s overcoming a 31-0 deficit to defeat defending national champion Miami, 42-40, in Miami. He served on the Rules Committee of the American Football Coaches Association. Krivak’s career began at Madonna High School in Weirton, W.Va., where he taught history and mathematics and coached the football team, several of whose members went on to play at SU.
He is active in his community, especially at Sacred Heart Church in Bowie, Md., where he has chaired the annual Father Joe Hogan Memorial Golf Tournament, which raises scholarship funds. Since his retirement from coaching in 1997, he has continued to host summer quarterbacks and receivers camps for high school players and coaches. He is a regular donor to SU and since his retirement has been able to attend at least one SU football game each year with his class of players.
Krivak is best known as an innovative college football coach who developed six NFL quarterbacks at the University of Maryland, four of whom played in the Super Bowl. He was an assistant coach at Syracuse, Maryland, Navy and Virginia, working with receivers and quarterbacks. He was head coach at Maryland from 1987-1991 and was recognized by the Dapper Dan Club of the Ohio Valley in 1990 after the Terps’ Independence Bowl appearance. He coached in 14 bowl games and on seven Atlantic Coast Conference championship teams. In 1984, his play-calling is credited with Maryland’s overcoming a 31-0 deficit to defeat defending national champion Miami, 42-40, in Miami. He served on the Rules Committee of the American Football Coaches Association. Krivak’s career began at Madonna High School in Weirton, W.Va., where he taught history and mathematics and coached the football team, several of whose members went on to play at SU.
He is active in his community, especially at Sacred Heart Church in Bowie, Md., where he has chaired the annual Father Joe Hogan Memorial Golf Tournament, which raises scholarship funds. Since his retirement from coaching in 1997, he has continued to host summer quarterbacks and receivers camps for high school players and coaches. He is a regular donor to SU and since his retirement has been able to attend at least one SU football game each year with his class of players.
