The Definitive Blueprint For Your School's Next Big Hire...

This blueprint was sent to Scott Woodward last year and used to land Brian Kelly, and it should be used by any school wanting to take their team to the next level:

You start with coaches that have reached the top. Here are the coaches that have won titles since 2000:
Nick Saban (7): 2003, 2009**, 2011*, 2012***, 2015, 2017*, 2020****
Urban Meyer (3): 2006, 2008, 2014
Dabo Swinney (2): 2016, 2018
Ed Orgeron (1): 2019
Les Miles (1): 2007
Mack Brown (1): 2005
Bob Stoops (1): 2000
Pete Carroll (1): 2004
Gene Chizik (1): 2010
Jim Tressel (1): 2002
Larry Coker (1): 2001
Jimbo Fisher (1): 2013
Kirby Smart (1): 2021

* Did not win division
** Colt McCoy left game in 1st quarter of BCS title game
*** Diminished title due to undefeated Ohio State's postseason ban
**** Diminished title due to COVID


Here are coaches that have taken their teams to the CFB playoffs but have never won a title:
Mark Helfrich (2014*)
Mark Dantonio (2015)
Chris Petersen (2016)
Lincoln Riley (2017, 2018, 2019)
Brian Kelly (2018, 2020)
Ryan Day (2019, 2020*)
Luke Fickell (2021)
Jim Harbaugh (2021)

* Lost in Playoff National Championship game

Former NFL head coaches with prior college head coaching experience:
Matt Rhule
Urban Meyer

This is your starting point...you immediately cross off the guys who have lost their luster or too old: Coker, Tresell, Brown, Bob Stoops, Helfrich, Dantonio, Chizik, Miles and Orgeron.

Others you obviously cross off include Smart, Harbaugh, Kingsbury, Carroll, Riley, Kelly, Saban and Day.

Everyone else left should be vetted and have their interest gauged...Then you throw in those maybe looking to make a big move and you are left with:

Dabo Swinney
Urban Meyer
Matt Rhule
Luke Fickell
Lane Kiffin
Mark Stoops
Chris Petersen
Dave Aranda
James Franklin
P.J. Fleck
Tom Herman
Dave Clawson

This is your short list...AD's, you can take it from here.