GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Dick Sheridan, the architect of Furman football's championship tradition, has been selected for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame announced today.

Sheridan and former Villanova head coach Andy Talley will join 17 All-American players in comprising the 2020 College Football Hall of Fame Class that will be officially inducted during the 63rd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 8 at the New York Hilton Midtown.  

The inductees will also be recognized at their respective collegiate institutions with NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salutes, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the fall. Their accomplishments will be forever immortalized at the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga.

"This is a tremendous and well-deserved honor for coach Sheridan and for Furman University," said Paladin head coach Clay Hendrix, who played for Sheridan from 1982-85 during one of the most successful periods in program history.  "What he accomplished at Furman was pretty remarkable.   He was such a phenomenal leader and remains as respected today as he was during his coaching career.   He set a standard of excellence and class that we work every day to build upon and continue.  

"Coach Sheridan's championship record speaks for itself, but I believe his greatest legacy is the impact he had on developing his players into men of character who would become better husbands, fathers, and leaders in their respective communities.

"As a former player who was also privileged to get my start in coaching under coach Sheridan, I know I share with so many other coaches and players a tremendous sense of pride from having been mentored by him.   This is a prestigious honor and we are delighted that the College Football Hall of Fame has chosen to recognize such a deserving man and coach."

Sheridan came to Furman in 1973 as an assistant coach and was named head coach in 1978.  Over the next eight seasons (1978-85), he posted a 69-23-2 record, winning a school record 74.4 percent of his games.  He directed the Paladins to six Southern Conference championships and earned three league coach of the year accolades, multiple state coach of the year citations, as well as AFCA FCS National Coach of the Year honors in 1985 after leading Furman to a then-school record 12-2 campaign and national runner-up finish.

From 1980-83 Furman became only the second program in SoCon history to win four consecutive league championships.

During his Paladin head coaching tenure he oversaw Furman's transition from FBS to FCS, and beginning in 1982 directed Furman to wins over South Carolina (1982), Georgia Tech (1983), and N.C. State twice (1984 & '85).

Sheridan, who also served as Furman's athletics director from 1983-85, coached eight first team All-Americans, 75 all-conference players, and five SoCon Players of the Year, including the league's first three-time selection, tailback Stanford Jennings. In addition, he mentored three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, including two-time academic All-American and 1985 NFF National Scholar-Athlete, running back Brian Jager.  He is the first player or coach from Furman to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

Sheridan's success followed him to N.C. State, where in his first year (1986) he posted an 8-3-1 record and Peach Bowl appearance while landing both Atlantic Coast Conference and Bobby Dodd National Coach of the Year honors. He went on to guide the Wolfpack to five more bowl games, including wins in the 1988 Peach Bowl and 1990 All-American Bowl, as well as national rankings in 1991 (No. 24) and 1992 (No. 17). Posting winning records in all but one of his seven seasons at N.C. State, he finished his tenure in Raleigh with the second-most wins in school history (52) while coaching four All-Americans and 31 all-conference players.

A native of North Augusta S.C., Sheridan graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1964. He began his football coaching career that year as an assistant at Eau Claire (S.C.) High School, remaining there until 1969. He accepted his first head coaching position at Orangeburg-Wilkinson (S.C.) High School, where in three seasons he guided the program to a 37-8-1 record, including a 13-0 record and 1971 AAAA state championship.

Airport (S.C.) High School was his next stop before coming to Furman in 1973 as the Paladins' quarterbacks and receivers coach.

He is a member of both Furman and South Carolina Athletic Halls of Fame.