1982 national championship

The place to be if you were a sports fan in 1982 was New Orleans. Not because the Saints had a big year, or that LSU was dominant. But two head coaches, already on their way legendary status, won their first national championships in 1982. In the springtime, North Carolina’s Dean Smith brought his seventh Final Four team to New Orleans and finally won a national championship. And later in the year, Penn State’s Joe Paterno took home his first crown in the Sugar Bowl, a title that was the first in Penn State football history.