Who are the top 5 college football coaches of all-time?

[WABLTY]

Excellent call. How about Kehres at Mt Union. He was 332 - 24-1 in 27 seasons. That is almost a 93% winning percentage. 11 National Titles. 21 unbeaten regular seasons. Stone cold killer.

Yeah, he was the other one I thought about mentioning actually, but figured I've just leave it at the guy with almost 500 wins.

 

[Irish7478]

If that's going to be one of your criteria for greatest coaches of all time, I don't have a problem with it. I can see where you are coming from. I would think your list looks something like this;

Wilkinson
Royal
Bowden
Paterno
Devany
and anyone else who turned a powerhouse into what it became.

coaches that would be out on your list;
Switzer
Osborne
Bryant
Johnson
Saban
and anyone else who came after a powerhouse was established.

different angle, but I could see it.

Knute Rockne needs to be on this list. I know it was a long time ago, but he started the football tradition at ND. His overall record was 105-12-5, and his last two years were both undefeated seasons and National Championships. He was just hitting his stride, had he not died in the plane crash, there is no telling what his record would have been (he was only 43 when he died).

 

[Wheat]

Tom Osborne..... No homo, I mean homer...

but he had a hard time beating OU until Switzer resigned, LOL!~

 

[BigRedMoe]

but he had a hard time beating OU until Switzer resigned, LOL!~

He had a hard time beating a few elite teams until he changed his recruiting tactics and started putting a bigger emphasis on speed. Then he went 60-3 over a five year period while OU was busy scratching its ass and smelling its fingers.

 

[Wheat]

DKR.. Credited with originating the Wishbone. Won NC with it and basically saved OU by teaching them his offense. Great coach, but clearly not perfect

and he was a native Okie, and an All American at OU and basically saved UT by turning them into what they are today.

 

[Wheat]

I never thought that much of Switzer. Just wasn't an innovator. Killer recruiter. I really give a lot of credit to coaches that pushed the game forward. I have Switzer in that Bowden group. There are so many coaches out their that deserve more respect. Guys like Yeoman, who revolutionized football with the veer option, and Dick LeBeau, credited with creating the 3-4. Most the guys mentioned were excellent coaches in great spots.

ya, no innovator at all, but he did happen to talk Chuck Fairbanks into changing his whole offense 3 weeks into a season and turned it into one of the most prolific offenses of all time.

yep, no innovator there......

 

[HUBSTER]

Not actually top 5, but John Gagliardi deserves a tip of the cap at least.

These topics always make me wonder what would have been if Frank Kush didn't get fired for punching his punter. He had more wins and was younger than Paterno when he was canned. If he'd coached at ASU until his natural retirement (whenever that would have been), ASU probably has National Championships to their name.

At the same token, what if John McKay had remained at USC? Four National Championships to his credit.

 

[Wheat]

He had a hard time beating a few elite teams until he changed his recruiting tactics and started putting a bigger emphasis on speed. Then he went 60-3 over a five year period while OU was busy scratching its ass and smelling its fingers.

now, now, no reason to get all riled up, I got nothing against St Tom, but his head to head vs Barry was not very good, ya know...5 out of 17 isn't that impressive.

 

[Codaxx]

ya, no innovator at all, but he did happen to talk Chuck Fairbanks into changing his whole offense 3 weeks into a season and turned it into one of the most prolific offenses of all time.

yep, no innovator there......

considering he didnt develop that offense no. . If you want to back it up, feel free to give me the innovations that Switzer has been credited with.

 

[Codaxx]

He had a hard time beating a few elite teams until he changed his recruiting tactics and started putting a bigger emphasis on speed. Then he went 60-3 over a five year period while OU was busy scratching its ass and smelling its fingers.

wasnt that when OU was busy with Probation during that period?

 

[Wheat]

considering he didnt develop that offense no. . If you want to back it up, feel free to give me the innovations that Switzer has been credited with.

no he didn't develop that offense, but he had the balls as an assistant coach to talk his head coach into completely changing his offense from the veer, which was not working, into the bone which did and putting his own wrinkles into it. he freshened it up, which is innovative, I'd think. it was also one of the most prolific offenses in CFB history.

damn son, you need to lighten up. you seem to be kind of wound up, lately.....

 

[Tin Man]

General Neyland

 

[Codaxx]

no he didn't develop that offense, but he had the balls as an assistant coach to talk his head coach into completely changing his offense from the veer, which was not working, into the bone which did and putting his own wrinkles into it. he freshened it up, which is innovative, I'd think. it was also one of the most prolific offenses in CFB history.

damn son, you need to lighten up. you seem to be kind of wound up, lately.....

Lighten up? I just asked for an example of why you thought he was innovative. DKR sent Bellard over to Oklahoma to help Switzer. OU changed the offense right before Red River and preceded to get pounded. DKR stepped in. Going to leave this excerpt from Okie paper, jsut because i think this is one of the cooler stories in CFB's history.

"Emory, Chuck Fairbanks is gonna lose his job up there if they don’t do something about their offense, so I want to help him out,” Royal said. “Barry Switzer is gonna be calling, and I want you to tell him whatever they need to know to put in the wishbone.” Bellard was incredulous. “Darrell, you gotta be joking.”
Said Royal, “Nope, I’m just as dead serious as I can be.”
So, according to the book, Switzer called and kept calling in the ensuing months. “Anytime he had a question about what to do in a certain situation or against some defense, he would just call me right up,” Bellard said. “We gave the whole thing to ‘em.”
Later in the book, Switzer downplayed the story. “Aw sure, they helped us a little bit,” Switzer said. “But Emory had a bunch of lectures, and we had all the Texas film, so it’s not like there were a lot of secrets. By the time the 1971 season came around, our offense had it rolling, and we just about changed college football for the next 20 years or so.”

http://newsok.com/ou-football-tip-of-the-cap-to-emory-bellard/article/3773125

 

[olympicoscar]

Knute Rockne
Bud Wilkinson
Earl Blaik
Bear Bryant
Joe Paterno

 

[outofyourmind]

Maybe the innovation Switzer came up with was spying on Texas.

Does that count?

 

[Codaxx]

Maybe the innovation Switzer came up with was spying on Texas.

Does that count?

Honestly, I dont know why anyone would have Switzer over Wilkerson. Wilkerson cemeted OU's place in CFB history. He is credited with inventing the 5-2, some know it as the Oklahoma front. He would drop the DEs out in coverage on occasion, which would give the defense a modern 3-4 look. The 3-4 became the rage in the NFL as guys like Bum Philips (from Ok State) and Chuck Fairbanks (from OU) installed it. If you are going to be a homer, at least pick the right guy.

 

[ugafan6612]

Lane Kiffin

 

[Wheat]

Honestly, I dont know why anyone would have Switzer over Wilkerson. Wilkerson cemeted OU's place in CFB history. He is credited with inventing the 5-2, some know it as the Oklahoma front. He would drop the DEs out in coverage on occasion, which would give the defense a modern 3-4 look. The 3-4 became the rage in the NFL as guys like Bum Philips (from Ok State) and Chuck Fairbanks (from OU) installed it. If you are going to be a homer, at least pick the right guy.

who said that, cuz it sure wasn't me...oh and by the way it is Wilkinson, not Wilkerson.....

 

[HizzleRocker]

Darrell K. Royal
Woody Hayes
Bobby Bowden
Bear Bryant
Knute Rockne

 

[Codaxx]

who said that, cuz it sure wasn't me...oh and by the way it is Wilkinson, not Wilkerson.....

not sure how I screwed that up, but the man is in the top 5. I think clearly the greatest coach in OU history. Pretty much checks off all the boxes I mentioned. Elevated his program to new heights. He was an innovator that had lasting influence on the game.