Ready? Set? Hike! Sorry, maybe I shouldn’t start with a football pun but then again, why not? It’s not like there’s a limitation, as there are when it comes to an associate degree online. However, let’s move on and discuss the greatest head college football coaches – of all time. Hut-hut. Sorry, but that won’t be the last pun you see today.
Steve Spurrier
Let’s kick off this list with none other than Steve Spurrier. Spurrier’s impeccable 26 year career earned him a 228-89-2 career record. Impressive? Yeah, we’d say so. Managing Florida, Duke, and South Carolina, this trash talker even took Florida to Top 12 finishes during the AP Poll every single year.
Steve Spurrier
Ara Parseghian
Norte Dame, Northwestern, and Miami fans were ridin’ high for 24 years, thanks to Ara Parseghian. During that time he racked up a 170-58-6 career record, nice. However what’s most noteworthy here is his 17 losses (nope, not a typo, just mere 17 losses, people) in his 11 years with the Fighting Irish. Why he retired at 51 is beyond us. Maybe he wanted to focus on an associate degree online, or maybe he just wanted to play golf.
Ara Parseghian
Dabo Swinney
Currently Dabo Swinney is the current head football coach at Clemson University – a position he took over in the 2008 season, once Tommy Bowden retired. In fact, just last year, he lead the Tigers to a pretty sweet victory at the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship, snagging a national championship. Slay, Dabo, slay.
Dabo Swinney
Lloyd Carr
Oh man, already we’ve reached Lloyd Carr. From 1995 to 2007, Carr was the head football coach at the University of Michigan. Moreover the Wolverines, under Carr, either won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles. NICE. Oh, let’s not forget that this College Football Hall of Famer has a career record of 122–40. All of which an associate degree online had no part of.
Lloyd Carr
John Heisman
Not a single soul out there hasn’t heard of John Heisman – whether you know him as a player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball, or as a sportswriter and actor – Heisman is a true legend. Named the “pioneer of Southern football”, Heisman earned a college football record of 186–70–18. Furthermore, there’s also a little thing known as the Heisman Trophy. Yup, the one that’s awarded annually to the season’s most impressive player, is named after this legend. #epic
John Heisman
Darrell Royal
Texas, Washington, and Mississippi were lucky enough to Darrell Royal head coach. Lest we forget, Royal became a star player at Oklahoma before he turned into a star coach with Texas. Yup, he’s that good. Furthermore, Royal never had a losing season while at Texas! In fact, he even earned 11 Southwest Conference championships and went to the Cotton Bowl a staggering 10 times.
Darrell Royal
John McKay
From 1960 to 1975, John McKay was the head coach at University of Southern California (USC). Afterwards, from 1976 to 1984, McKay coached the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In his 16 seasons with USC, McKay snagged a career record of 127–40–8. Furthermore he went on to win nine AAWU/Pac-8 conference titles – and his teams made eight appearances at the Rose Bowl, earning five wins.
John McKay
Jim Tressel
Controversial choice? Perhaps. But in case and with Tressel’s record, an exception is made. Jim Tressel’s time at Ohio State earned the team three BCS National Championship Games, niceeeee. Plus his 2002 squad won a national title – where he went on to achieve the first 14–0 season record in major college football since the 1897 Penn Quakers. None of his players even thought of an associate degree online, they were too busy winnin’ games.
Jim Tressel
Gary Pinkel
First of all, Gary Pinkel has the kind of attitude that could melt even the coldest of hearts. Yeah, the man was loved and admired by most everyone he met and didn’t meet. Now that that’s out of the way, Pinkel is known as the winningest coach in Toledo and Missouri. Although currently our thoughts are with Pinkel as he retired in 2015 due to a diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Gary Pinkel
Chris Ault
Why yes, we are referring to Chris Ault, the former football player, coach, and athletic director. With three stints as the head football coach at the University of Nevada, Reno, Ault lead the Wolf Pack to a record 233–109–1 over a staggering 28 seasons. Seven years after his retirement in 1995, he was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame.
Chris Ault
Barry Alvarez
Barry Alvarez, a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, serves as the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Long before though, he was head coach at Wisconsin for 16 whopping seasons, racking up a 118–73–4 career record. Moreover he still maintains the longest head coaching tenure AND the most wins in Wisconsin Badgers football history. No need for an associate degree online here, Barry’s got all the right moves.
Barry Alvarez
Lou Holtz
From 1969 to 2004, Lou Holtz was head coach of quite a few teams – including The College of William & Mary, North Carolina State, University of Arkansas, University of Minnesota, Notre Dame, and University of South Carolina. Together with his impeccably quick wit and ability to inspire those around him, Holtz is forever in the history books.
Lou Holtz
Mike Gundy
Ever since 2005, Mike Gundy has been head coach at Oklahoma State University–Stillwater. Furthermore over the years he has gained the Big 12 Coach of the Year Award, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year. Achievements greater than an associate degree online? Yup, you could say that.
Mike Gundy
Frank Beamer
Ahem, when you talk about the Virginia Tech Hokies, you can’t not talk about Frank Beamer. That’s a fact. Why? Maybe because he was the head coach there from 1987 to 2015. Additionally, he’s one of the longest tenured coaches in the NCAA Division I FBS and, moreover upon his retirement, he was the winningest active coach of that level.
Frank Beamer
Kyle Whittingham
Currently Kyle Whittingham is the head coach at University of Utah Utes. Before he got the head coaching gig, he was Utah’s defensive coordinator for ten whole seasons. In 2004, he became head coach when Urban Meyer left to coach the Florida Gators.
Kyle Whittingham
Mark Dantonio
Since 2007, Mark Dantonio has held the head coaching job at Michigan State University – where he is even took the team to one of their most successful eras in the program’s entire history. Which means that the Spartans earned three Big Ten Conference championships and seven victories over their arch rival, Michigan. Well done, Dantonio.
Mark Dantonio
Gary Patterson
Where do we even begin? Gary Patterson is the head coach over at Texas Christian University, and he’s also the winningest coach in Horned Frogs’ history. So there’s that. Furthermore, with the Frogs, he’s earned six conference championships, four Mountain West Conference titles, a Big 12 Conference title win, and nine bowl game victories, including the Rose Bowl and Peach Bowl.
Gary Patterson
Urban Meyer
Currently Urban Meyer is the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes – however before this, he served as head coach at Bowling Green Falcons, the Utah Utes, and the Florida Gators. Moreover Meyer is just one of three coaches (Pop Warner and Nick Saban are the other two) to have won a major college football national championship at two different universities. Maybe he’ll consider an associate degree online when he retires? I mean when he temporarily retired in 2011, he was a college football analyst at ESPN so it’s not all that far fetched.
Urban Meyer
James Franklin
Penn State University is honored to call the 45 year old, James Franklin, their head football coach. Previously he was head coach at Vanderbilt University and has racked up a career record of 49–30 to date. Which is still way more exciting than an associate degree online ever possibly hope to be.
James Franklin
Wayne ‘Woody’ Hayes
In his 33 year coaching career, Wayne ‘Woody’ Hayes< racked up a 238-72-10 record. In his 28 seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Hayes' teams bagged five national championships, 13 Big Ten Conference titles, and earned a record of 205–61–10. 1983 is when he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame – and it is so richly deserved.
Wayne Woody Hayes
Barry Switzer
Prior to landing the head coaching job of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, Barry Switzer was head coach at the University of Oklahoma for 16 years. If we look at his college football career alone, you’ll note that he has one of the highest winning percentages of any other college football coach in history! Furthermore he’s one of three head coaches to winn both a college football national championship and a Super Bowl, (the others being Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carroll).
Barry Switzer
David Shaw
So currently David Shaw is the head coach of the Stanford Cardinal football team. Although before this gig, he was a four-year letter winner as a wide receiver for the Cardinal. Before his return to Stanford as the offensive coordinator, Shaw was Harbaugh’s passing game coordinator at the University of San Diego AND an assistant coach for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, and Baltimore Ravens. Shaw never needed to consider an associate degree online – he’s just too good.
David Shaw
Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh is more than just a quarterback or brilliant head coach, he’s also a college grad and not an associate degree online one either. With a B.A. in communications and a shining record as a QB, Harbaugh set his sights high. In the college football level, Harbaugh was head coach for University of San Diego, Stanford University, and currently, the University of Michigan (his alma mater). So far his career record is 78–33 and don’t even get us started on his NFL days, as a player or a coach.
Jim Harbaugh
Bernie Bierman
Bernie Bierman spent 27 seasons as the head coach at Iowa, Minnesota, Tulane, Mississippi State, and Montana. Moreover, his compiled a career record of 153-65-12 and won a title with Minnesota. And in his time, an associate degree online wasn’t even an option.
Bernie Bierman
Pop Warner
Pop Warner is up next, sports fans. Let’s see, he coached in 44 seasons for seven different teams – and along the way, he racked up a career record of 319-106-32. Furthermore, who could forget the fact that he coached Jim Thorpe and also earned Temple’s first Sugar Bowl. Such a rock-star.
Pop Warner
Jimbo Fisher
So before Jimbo Fisher became head football coach at Florida State University, he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Louisiana State University. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, during his inaugural year with FSU – he took the team to their first 10-win season since 2003. Which was also their first appearance in the ACC Championship Game since 2005. Fisher is quite the man, eh?
Jimbo Fisher
Bill Snyder
Currently, this College Football Hall of Famer is head coach at Kansas State University – although he held that same position from 1989 to 2005, but was rehired in 2008. Which means one thing – you guessed it – he’s just one of a handful of college football head coaches to have earned a non-consecutive tenure…at the same school. With a plethora of conference and national coach of the year awards to his name, Synder even has the Kansas State stadium named after him.
Bill Snyder
Walter Camp
Walter Camp – the football player, coach, and sports writer who is forever known as the “Father of American Football” – easily makes the cut. In his time, he developed many inventions, including the line of scrimmage and the system of downs. As a player and coach for Yale and Stanford, Camp finished with a career record of 79–5–3.
Walter Camp
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Granted Amos Alonzo Stagg didn’t just pioneer American football, he’s also credited with his works in basketball, baseball, track and field. Cause that’s not intimidating. In his career, this College Football Hall of Famer racked up a record of 314–199–35.
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Fielding H. Yost
Ahem, you’re looking at college football royalty here folks, and that’s all without an associate degree online. So well done. Yost was a mastermind at Michigan, taking the Wolverines to six title wins and ten Big Ten Conference titles. At the end of his head coaching career, he finished with a career record of 198–35–12. Trust us, we could brag about Yost’s accomplishments all day long but you probably get the hint.
Fielding H. Yost
Les Miles
Whether you know Les Miles by his nickname, the Mad Hatter, or his quirkiness or even his signature white cap – no doubt you also know him as quite the football genius. As the head coach of Louisiana State University and Oklahoma State University, Miles has a career record of 141–55.
Les Miles
Jimmy Johnson
When talking about Jimmy Johnson, we gotta say that he’s a jack of all trades – not is he a football broadcaster, but he’s also a former player, coach, and executive. Not only is Johnson a College Football Hall of Fame inductee, but he’s also one of three football coaches to have lead teams to both a major college football championship and a Super Bowl victory (Barry Switzer and Pete Carroll are the other two).
Jimmy Johnson
Frank Leahy
Not many schools had dominant sports teams as World War II raged on, but when it comes to Notre Dame, we make an exception. And it’s easy to thank Frank Leahy for their awesome success. As head coach, for 13 seasons with Norte Dame in the 40’s he took the Fighting Irish to six undefeated seasons, four national championship teams, and an impressive unbeaten string of 39 games.
Frank Leahy
Bobby Dodd
Boddy Dodd and an associate degree online don’t make any sense but being a College Football Hall of Famer totally does. In fact, Dodd is just one of four to be inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame as both a player and coach. Maybe it has to do with his career record, which is 165–64–8.
Bobby Dodd
Tom Osborne
Tom Osborne dominated the scene for 25 seasons as the head coach at Nebraska and in 1997 when he retired, his career record was an impress 255-49-3. Moreover in all his years of coaching, he never had a team go un-ranked or let alone, lose over three contests. And in case you’re wondering, that’s not an easy accomplishment!
Tom Osborne
Eddie Robinson
Maybe you think Eddie Robinson is a controversial choice but hey, his record still stands and that’s all we’re looking at here. For 56 years, Robinson was the head football coach at Grambling State – where he also lead over 200 players to the NFL, impressive to say the least. Robinson won 408 games in his career and that makes him the winningest coach in the game.
Eddie Robinson
Bobby Bowden
From 1976 to 2009, good ol’ Bobby Bodwen was the head coach of the Florida State Seminoles. While there, he took FSU to an Associated Press and Coaches Poll National Title and a BCS National Championship, including 12 Atlantic Coast Conference championships. Bringing his career record to 377–129–4. Not bad, Bobby, not bad.
Bobby Bowden
Bud Wilkinson
Football player? Coach? Broadcaster? Politician? College Football Hall of Famer? Check all of the above cause we’re here to brag about Bud Wilkinson. From 1947 to 1963, Bud was head coach of University of Oklahoma, where he earned a record of 145–29–4. Additionally, his Oklahoma Sooners would win three national championships and 14 conference titles. Furthermore, between 1953 and 1957, his Oklahoma squads won 47 straight games, which is still an unbeaten record for college football. #winner
Bud Wilkinson
Bob Stoops
Big Game Bob as been the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma since 1999! Impressive. During the 2000 season, Stoops lead the Sooners to an Orange Bowl victory and also a national championship. As a result, Stoops was received the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award and the Walter Camp Coach of the Year twice.
Bob Stoops
Nick Saban
Since 2007, Nick Saban as been the head coach at the University of Alabama. Before this gig, he was the head coach for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and three other universities, which includes the Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Toledo. Currently his career record stands at 205–61–1.
Nick Saban
Pete Carroll
As you probably know, Pete Carroll currently serves as head coach and executive VP to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks. Let’s rewind for a second though, Carroll is just one of three football coaches to have won a Super Bowl and a college football national championship. Impressive would be an understatement.
Pete Carroll
John Gagliardi
John Gagliardi could talk about whatever he wants, even an associate degree online, considering he has 500 wins to his name! This College Football Hall of Famer has a career record of 489–138–11 – which means that has the most wins out of any coach in all of college football history. Now that’s impressive.
John Gagliardi
Bob Neyland
Bob Neyland – the former football player, coach, and officer in the United States Army- is one of just two college football coaches to have won national titles in two non-consecutive tenures at the same school. Then there’s the fact that he still holds the record for most wins in Tennessee Volunteers history with 173 wins in 216 games, six undefeated seasons, nine undefeated regular seasons, seven conference championships, and four national championships. Dang, that’s quite a mouthful.
Bob Neyland
Knute Rockne
Knute Rockne will forever be a football legend. For 13 years, Rockne was the head coach at Notre Dame where he racked up a career record of 105-12-5. Plus Rockne coached Notre Dame to 11 seasons where the team had just one or fewer losses. Told you he was a legend.
Knute Rockne
Bear Bryant
Come on, don’t act so surprised. Of course Bear Brant – the myth, the man, the legend – plops in at the number one slot! Bryant was head coach for 38 years where he earned ridiculous number of accolades – upon retirement in 1982, he actually held the record for most wins as a head coach in collegiate football history with a whopping 323 wins. With his trademark black and white houndstooth hat and deep voice, Bryant is also remembered best as the longtime head coach at the University of Alabama.
Bear Bryant