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Who's the last old guy to come out of retirement and be successful?

Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:36 pm
Posted by Yeti_Chaser
Member since Nov 2017
11267 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:36 pm
Spurrier had a couple good years but that's it. Didn't work for Mac Brown. Belichick isn't working if you count that. Urban failed but it was the NFL. Bill Snyder maybe?

Posted by sarussell01
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2021
828 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:39 pm to
And Saban has a losing record to Spurrier so anyone says but Saban would be different is delusional. Even Saban knows he won’t be as successful with NIL etc., Why would he want to tarnish his legacy by going back to coaching and possibly not be as successful?? It’s hard for even him to top his success at Bama in this new era of CFB, if we’re being honest here.
Posted by Draconian Sanctions
Markey's bar
Member since Oct 2008
87590 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:39 pm to
Snyder
Posted by fightntiger32
Member since Jan 2014
616 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:40 pm to
Pete Carrol at USC.
Posted by TigerBR1111
Baton Rouge
Member since Sep 2014
8111 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:40 pm to
Posted by CDawson
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2017
19119 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:42 pm to
Urban won a title for the Butteyes after the SEC broke him at Florida.
Posted by Lgrnwd
Member since Jan 2018
8111 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:42 pm to
Phil Jackson
Posted by CDawson
Louisiana
Member since Dec 2017
19119 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:42 pm to
quote:

but Saban would be different is delusional. Even Saban knows he won’t be as successful with NIL


LSU offered him $30mm in NIL funding. That matters…

That’s even more than he was paying out in his best days at Bama.
This post was edited on 11/1/25 at 12:43 pm
Posted by prplhze2000
Parts Unknown
Member since Jan 2007
56562 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 12:46 pm to
Snyder.
Posted by SaveFarris
Member since Apr 2012
2454 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 1:01 pm to
Posted by Earthquake 88
Mobile
Member since Jan 2010
3224 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 1:32 pm to
Barry Switzer won a Super Bowl after OU retired him. They won the SB because they had the best players not because of Switzer.

The only seventy something guy I recall coming back like many noted was Snyder. I would have loved to see what a Bill Snyder in his prime could have done at LSU. He’s one of the least talked about great coaches in CFB history. What he did at Kansas State was beyond remarkable. Well funded high schools had better facilities and stadiums than the Wildcats.
Posted by Sofaking2
Member since Apr 2023
18328 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 1:38 pm to
Saban is one of a kind. He is not like any other coach. He is driven like a mad man
Posted by TigerintheNO
New Orleans
Member since Jan 2004
43935 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 1:42 pm to
Dick Vermeil and Bill Parcells in the NFL
Posted by TheHarahanian
Actually not Harahan as of 6/2023
Member since May 2017
22658 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 1:44 pm to

Dick Vermeil
Posted by go ta hell ole miss
Member since Jan 2007
14420 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 1:46 pm to
Bill Snyder was successful at Kansas State.

Mack Brown Mack Brown inherited a 2-9 team and took them to the Orange Bowl in his 2nd season. That was UNC's first major bowl game since the 1949 Sugar Bowl. He got them to another bowl game. Fedora was 45-43 at UNC, including 5-18 in the final two years, so that was a great turnaround.

Meyer retired from Florida and was okay after coming back.

Cris Ault was 18-5 after his first retirement and 70-46 at Nevada, including a 13-1 season. So overall he was 88-51.

Alvarez was good each time he came back. Big Game Bob was pretty big for OK in the Alamo Bowl. Though both were limited.
This post was edited on 11/1/25 at 1:51 pm
Posted by AlwysATgr
Member since Apr 2008
19920 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 2:01 pm to
When we speak of "retirement" we think of someone in their mid-60s who leaves their vocation.

In the case of CFB HCs, those who retire and then return to the game would seem to be a pretty small sample set.

I wouldn't consider Spurrier or Urban as retired before their respective stints at USCe and tOSU. Both had only been out of coaching for a year. Urban was late 40s and Spurrier 60.

Posted by Yeti_Chaser
Member since Nov 2017
11267 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 2:23 pm to
quote:

I wouldn't consider Spurrier or Urban as retired before their respective stints at USCe and tOSU. Both had only been out of coaching for a year.

I was looking for a comp to Saban. Being out of the game for only a year or so is fairly similar. The age makes it tricky. It would be hard for anyone to have the same drive that made Saban so great after a few years of retirement
Posted by PerryWinkleBlue
Member since Apr 2025
249 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 2:24 pm to
Pawl Manury

Obviously
Posted by Madking
Member since Apr 2016
65671 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 2:25 pm to
“I want Kelly and Woody back so we can keep failing.. waaaa!!”
This post was edited on 11/1/25 at 2:26 pm
Posted by icoczar
birmingham
Member since Sep 2005
1196 posts
Posted on 11/1/25 at 2:40 pm to
Switzer with Dallas
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