AMES, Iowa – Former Iowa State head football coach Earle Bruce, who led the Cyclones to three-straight eight-win seasons and two Bowl games, passed away early this morning at the age of 87.

Bruce was hired as the head football coach at Iowa State in 1973, replacing Johnny Majors, who left for Pittsburgh after the 1972 season.

Bruce, who arrived at Iowa State after directing Tampa to the 1972 Tangerine Bowl, led the Cyclones during one of their most prosperous periods in school history from 1973-78. He tallied a career 36-32 mark as the Cyclone mentor, but in his last three seasons (1976-78), the Cyclones went 24-11 and earned bowl bids in 1977 (Peach Bowl) and 1978 (Hall of Fame Bowl).

Bruce left Iowa State after the 1978 season to return to his alma mater Ohio State, replacing the legendary Woody Hayes. He won or shared four Big Ten titles in his nine seasons as the leader of the Buckeyes. He was the AFCA National Coach-of-the-Year in 1979.

A 2002 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Bruce compiled a career 154-90-2 record as a head coach, which also included stops at Northern Iowa and Colorado State. In his 20 years as a head coach at the Division I-A level, he led his teams to 12 bowl appearances, including seven victories.

Bruce graduated from Ohio State in 1953 and earned his master’s degree from Kent State in 1963.

He was inducted into the Iowa State Hall of Fame in 2000.