Selmer was named the program's fifth head coach in six years. Under Selmer, a trend that started earlier in the decade continued, with home attendance declining every year. After finishing 2–8 in 1975 and 3–8 in 1976, the university fired Selmer, citing concerns about dwindling attendance and the loss of local blue-chip recruits to other schools. After a national search, Lou Saban, formerly head coach of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Boston Patriots, was hired on December 27, 1976, as head coach. Miami only won three games in 1977, but Saban was able to put together a well-regarded recruiting class that included future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly of East Brady, Pennsylvania. Kelly had been recruited by Penn State as a linebacker and agreed to come to Miami after Saban promised him he would play quarterback. Among the other 30 signees in Saban's first recruiting class were 11 future NFL players. The Hurricanes improved by three games in Saban's second season and Ottis Anderson emerged as an NFL talent. Anderson became the first Miami running back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and led the team in rushing for three straight seasons from 1977 through 1979. Anderson set numerous school rushing records and was Miami's career rushing leader until 2014, when he was overtaken by Duke Johnson. After just two seasons as head coach, Saban resigned in the wake of a controversy concerning football players throwing a Jewish man into Lake Osceola, an on campus lake. He left after the 1978 season to take the head coaching position at Army. Howard Schnellenberger era (1979–1983) Saban's departure, the constant coaching upheaval Miami experienced during the decade, and assorted fiscal problems sparked the university's board of trustees to hold a vote on whether to drop the football program down to the Division I-AA level or eliminate it altogether. University executive vice president Dr. John Green was able to convince the board to give Division I-A football another shot and hired Howard Schnellenberger, offensive coordinator for the NFL's Miami Dolphins, to succeed Saban. Despite not having any college head coaching experience, Schnellenberger had impressive credentials, playing end at Kentucky from 1952 to 1956 under head coach Bear Bryant and serving as Bryant's offensive coordinator at Alabama from 1961 to 1965, helping the Crimson Tide win three national championships in 1961, 1964 and 1965. Schnellenberger also served