JOE SALEM
Game 269 | January 3, 1979 | Joe Salem
Expectations for Gopher football ran high as former quarterback Joe Salem was recruited from Northern Arizona to succeed Cal Stoll as Gopher football coach. Salem had backed up Sandy Stephens on the 1960 team that was named National Champions. In his first year as head coach the team finished sixth in the Big Ten with an overall record of 4-6-1.
Game 291 | September 25, 1981 | Joe Salem
Gopher football under Salem had its best year in 1981. The team finished 6-5 with impressive wins over Iowa and Ohio State. One of the stars of the defense was Edina's Karl Mecklenburg, who went on to become one of the top defensive linemen in the history of the Denver Broncos.
Game 299 | August 11, 1982 | Joe Salem
The Gopher football team appeared to have turned a corner when it won its first three games in 1982, but finished the season by losing its last eight. Hohensee, a gifted passer, led an offense that set a school record with 742 yards in the opening victory over Ohio University. Olson, the center, captained the team. His son, Ed, from Mahtomedi, became one of the first members of Tim Brewster's 2009 Gopher football recruiting class.
