re: Pick your coach from this list

Letter Coach Name HC Record Career Notes / Current Team
A Kalen DeBoer 121-15 Alabama (high-powered offense, 85 PPG / 570 YPG in table)
B Lance Leipold 114-53 Kansas
C Sonny Dykes 26-17 TCU (record shown is pre-2022; full career ~105-70 now)
D Bobby Petrino 247-121 Former Arkansas/Louisville, currently UNLV OC
E Pat Narduzzi 141-37 Pitt
F Matt Campbell 56-28 Iowa State (pre-2021 total; full career ~90-60 now)
G Hugh Freeze 44-33 Auburn (pre-2022 total; full career ~115-60 now)
H Dan Lanning 41-12 Oregon
I Mike Locksley 44-7 Maryland
J Mario Cristobal 34-14 Miami (pre-2022 total; full career ~80-75 now)
K Jonathan Smith 33-17 Michigan State (pre-2025 total)
L Mike Gundy 71-26 Oklahoma State (very early career slice)
M Dabo Swinney 40-11 Clemson (early career slice)
N Kirk Ferentz 89-26 Iowa (early career slice; full career 200+ wins)
O Scott Frost 24-45 Former Nebraska/UCF
P Jeff Brohm 92-54 Louisville
Q Lincoln Riley 26-15 USC (pre-2022 total; full career ~80-20 now)
R Brian Kelly 21-15 LSU (very early career at Grand Valley State)

Couple big mushrooms on that list

Brother. I like this post.

This is what I’ve been saying. When you take the emotional element and the name marketing strategies out of it, you look at numbers.

Granted the sos and conferences plays into this somewhat, but this was a really great post to help with realistic conversations.

It’s like those of us who’ve been blessed with a great wife.


Looks are wonderful but it ain’t worth it if they are crazy.

When you’ve got a good one, one that will go the distance with you, you can sure recognize the guys who also got it right and the ones who got it wrong.

There are tangible things you can point to. Not just the gut feeling stuff.

I submit it is the same with coaches.

Is there any merit the “coaching tree” aspect to finding a great next HC?