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Resume of every national championship coach when hired title school BCS / Playoff era
Posted on 11/13/25 at 12:38 am
Posted on 11/13/25 at 12:38 am
1998 Fulmer at Tennessee
OC Coordinator at Tennessee. Weaseled his way into HC after serving as interim to start the 92 season.
1999 Bowden at FSU
Hired in 76 after going 31-6 at Howard and 42-26 at WVU.
2000 Bob Stoops at Oklahoma
Hired in 1999 after serving as DC at Kansas State and Florida.
2001 Larry Coker at Miami.
OC at Miami. Previously OC at Tulsa, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma. Won natty in year 1.
2002 Jim Tressel at Ohio State
Won 4 1-AA National Championships at Youngstown State. Was HC there from 1986-2000. 135-57-2 record. Hired in 2001.
2003 (LSU) 09 11 12 15 17 20 (Alabama) Nick Saban
9-2 at Toledo. 34-24-1 at Michigan State. Hired in 2000 at LSU. After going 48-16 at LSU and 15-17 with the Dolphins he was hired at Alabama in 2007.
Pete Carroll 2004 USC
33-31 as HC with NYJ / Patriots. 1-2 in the playoffs. Hired by USC in 2001 after being unemployed for a year.
Mack Brown 2005 Texas
6-5 at Appalachian State. 11-23 at Tulane. 69-46-1 at UNC. Hired by Texas in 1998.
Urban Meyer 2006 2008 (Florida) 2014 (Ohio State)
17-6 at Bowling Green. 22-2 at Utah. Hired by Florida in 05. 65-15 at Florida. Hired by Ohio State after a 1 year retirement in 2012.
Les Miles 2007
28-21 at Oklahoma State. Hired in 2005.
2010 Gene Chizik at Auburn
5-19 at Iowa State. Hired in 2009
2013 Jimbo Fisher at Florida State
Hired in 2010. Promoted from OC. Previously OC at Cincinnati and LSU.
2016 2018 Dabo Swinney Clemson
Interim HC final 7 games in 2008. Hired full time after going 4-3. Previously responsibilities included WR coach, recruiting coordinator, and assistant HC.
2019 Ed Orgeron LSU
10-25 at Ole Miss. 6-2 as USC interim HC. Went 6-2 as LSU interim HC and was hired full time. He was promoted from D Line coach.
2021 2022 Kirby Smart Georgia
DC at Alabama from 2008-2015. Hired in 2016.
2023 Jim Harbaugh Michigan
29-6 at San Diego. 29-21 at Stanford. 44-19-1 with the 49ers. 5-3 in the playoffs. Hired by Michigan in 2015.
2024 Ryan Day Ohio State
2 years as Ohio State OC. 3 years prior experience as an OC at Temple and Boston College. Served at acting HC for 3 games in 2018 while Meyer was suspended. Hired in 2019.
17 Coaches in this time have won national championships.
7 of them had no previous full time head coaching experience whatsoever. (Fulmer, Swinney, and Day had briefly been interim / acting HC)
2 coaches had losing records when hired by the school they would bring a championship (Chizik and Orgeron)
2 coaches had no FBS head coaching experience. Tressel was at the 1-AA (now FCS) level. Carroll only had NFL HC experience.
Of the remaining 6: Bowden and Saban had excellent records at brief stints at minor schools and solid but unspectacular records at middle of the road major schools. Miles had solid results at a middle of the road power conference school. Meyer had an outstanding record at multiple small conference schools. Brown had a losing record combined at two minor schools and moderate success at a middling power conference school. Harbaugh had a ton of success at the FCS and NFL levels while putting together a solid record at a middling power conference school.
Saban and Meyer were only championship coaches that won at multiple stops.
What's the point of all this?
There is no magic formula. You have pretty much every background covered. You have plenty of examples of guys going from coordinators straight to leading a blue blood to a national championship. You also have guys with anywhere from horrible to good results at middling power conference jobs winning championships at power schools. Then there's the Tressels and Meyers of the world who went from smaller jobs to winning championships at Blue bloods.
The point is that all of you guys with whatever opening you have need to chill out on the "that guy hasn't been a HC" or that guy just goes 8-4 at garbage can big 12 university, or that guy is only winning in the sun belt or the FCS.
It's pretty much a total crapshoot. Just keep an open mind and remain supportive and optimistic until whoever is hired for whatever job is proven to be a failure sometimes down the line and repeat the cycle until it works
OC Coordinator at Tennessee. Weaseled his way into HC after serving as interim to start the 92 season.
1999 Bowden at FSU
Hired in 76 after going 31-6 at Howard and 42-26 at WVU.
2000 Bob Stoops at Oklahoma
Hired in 1999 after serving as DC at Kansas State and Florida.
2001 Larry Coker at Miami.
OC at Miami. Previously OC at Tulsa, Oklahoma State, and Oklahoma. Won natty in year 1.
2002 Jim Tressel at Ohio State
Won 4 1-AA National Championships at Youngstown State. Was HC there from 1986-2000. 135-57-2 record. Hired in 2001.
2003 (LSU) 09 11 12 15 17 20 (Alabama) Nick Saban
9-2 at Toledo. 34-24-1 at Michigan State. Hired in 2000 at LSU. After going 48-16 at LSU and 15-17 with the Dolphins he was hired at Alabama in 2007.
Pete Carroll 2004 USC
33-31 as HC with NYJ / Patriots. 1-2 in the playoffs. Hired by USC in 2001 after being unemployed for a year.
Mack Brown 2005 Texas
6-5 at Appalachian State. 11-23 at Tulane. 69-46-1 at UNC. Hired by Texas in 1998.
Urban Meyer 2006 2008 (Florida) 2014 (Ohio State)
17-6 at Bowling Green. 22-2 at Utah. Hired by Florida in 05. 65-15 at Florida. Hired by Ohio State after a 1 year retirement in 2012.
Les Miles 2007
28-21 at Oklahoma State. Hired in 2005.
2010 Gene Chizik at Auburn
5-19 at Iowa State. Hired in 2009
2013 Jimbo Fisher at Florida State
Hired in 2010. Promoted from OC. Previously OC at Cincinnati and LSU.
2016 2018 Dabo Swinney Clemson
Interim HC final 7 games in 2008. Hired full time after going 4-3. Previously responsibilities included WR coach, recruiting coordinator, and assistant HC.
2019 Ed Orgeron LSU
10-25 at Ole Miss. 6-2 as USC interim HC. Went 6-2 as LSU interim HC and was hired full time. He was promoted from D Line coach.
2021 2022 Kirby Smart Georgia
DC at Alabama from 2008-2015. Hired in 2016.
2023 Jim Harbaugh Michigan
29-6 at San Diego. 29-21 at Stanford. 44-19-1 with the 49ers. 5-3 in the playoffs. Hired by Michigan in 2015.
2024 Ryan Day Ohio State
2 years as Ohio State OC. 3 years prior experience as an OC at Temple and Boston College. Served at acting HC for 3 games in 2018 while Meyer was suspended. Hired in 2019.
17 Coaches in this time have won national championships.
7 of them had no previous full time head coaching experience whatsoever. (Fulmer, Swinney, and Day had briefly been interim / acting HC)
2 coaches had losing records when hired by the school they would bring a championship (Chizik and Orgeron)
2 coaches had no FBS head coaching experience. Tressel was at the 1-AA (now FCS) level. Carroll only had NFL HC experience.
Of the remaining 6: Bowden and Saban had excellent records at brief stints at minor schools and solid but unspectacular records at middle of the road major schools. Miles had solid results at a middle of the road power conference school. Meyer had an outstanding record at multiple small conference schools. Brown had a losing record combined at two minor schools and moderate success at a middling power conference school. Harbaugh had a ton of success at the FCS and NFL levels while putting together a solid record at a middling power conference school.
Saban and Meyer were only championship coaches that won at multiple stops.
What's the point of all this?
There is no magic formula. You have pretty much every background covered. You have plenty of examples of guys going from coordinators straight to leading a blue blood to a national championship. You also have guys with anywhere from horrible to good results at middling power conference jobs winning championships at power schools. Then there's the Tressels and Meyers of the world who went from smaller jobs to winning championships at Blue bloods.
The point is that all of you guys with whatever opening you have need to chill out on the "that guy hasn't been a HC" or that guy just goes 8-4 at garbage can big 12 university, or that guy is only winning in the sun belt or the FCS.
It's pretty much a total crapshoot. Just keep an open mind and remain supportive and optimistic until whoever is hired for whatever job is proven to be a failure sometimes down the line and repeat the cycle until it works
13
Posted on 11/13/25 at 4:42 am to rolltide32
Good start..I would add...
Look at work ethic..especially during football season,
Look at coaching skills, is he a teacher of skills, leadership qualities, how does he
Practice his teams, how does he address team issues from week to week
Look at hiring skills of staff, Look at staff turnover
Point...there’s more to hiring than you see on a resume.
Look at work ethic..especially during football season,
Look at coaching skills, is he a teacher of skills, leadership qualities, how does he
Practice his teams, how does he address team issues from week to week
Look at hiring skills of staff, Look at staff turnover
Point...there’s more to hiring than you see on a resume.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 6:11 am to rolltide32
quote:
2010 Gene Chizik at Auburn
5-19 at Iowa State. Hired in 2009
My only takeaway from this post is the following:
How in the hell did Chizik land that job?
Posted on 11/13/25 at 6:44 am to Mississippi Tiger 7
quote:
My only takeaway from this post is the following:
How in the hell did Chizik land that job?
He was the only one that said that he would 100% take part in the “priest” handling all illegal payments scheme that they had cooked up. Good for them.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:15 am to Mississippi Tiger 7
quote:
How in the hell did Chizik land that job?
Familiarity with the program... he was the DC of the 2004 undefeated Auburn team
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:17 am to rolltide32
Appreciate the post
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:26 am to Screaming Viking
quote:so Chiz agreed to pay off the father of a guy who was in the middle of an investigation by the University of Florida for grand larceny?
He was the only one that said that he would 100% take part in the “priest” handling all illegal payments scheme that they had cooked up. Good for them.
we’re smarter than i thought - good for us indeed
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:31 am to rolltide32
quote:
There is no magic formula. You have pretty much every background covered
Just have to find someone that excels on one side of ball, can connect with the kids and surround program with great staff
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:35 am to Mississippi Tiger 7
quote:
How in the hell did Chizik land that job?
He was the DC for 3 years earlier under Tuberville(2002-2004), when Auburn had some spectacular defenses. Iowa was trending down when he got there, so folks may have thought that was a reflection on him. Turned out, as a HC, he was a product of his coordinators, plus talent. Mahlzahn was his OC for his 3 winning seasons.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:41 am to rolltide32
That would all be true except for 1 small detail. NIL. Throw in the transfer policy as well, but you really need a HC in this day and age, that has 1. Done it at a high level as a HC and 2. Has done it at a high level WITH both NIL and the transfer portal (Not just with the transfer portal). NIL has made the biggest impact on Coaching that I can ever remember. If your school doesn’t have the booster and NIL funds behind it, you’re at a major disadvantage.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:43 am to 756
Biggest thing you need is experience coaching under NIL and a school and boosters that will support your NIL Program.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:46 am to FearlessFreep
quote:
so Chiz agreed to pay off the father of a guy who was in the middle of an investigation by the University of Florida for grand larceny?
not at all. I dont think Chiz was ever that smart. He agreed to look the other way and know nothing. Plausible deniability.
FTR auburn was not close to the only one doing this.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:50 am to rolltide32
quote:
It's pretty much a total crapshoot
I would have to disagree with this statement.
756 has a better handle on what is required.
I believe there are companies who will assist programs with their coaching searches/evaluations.
ETA: Nice work rolltide32
This post was edited on 11/13/25 at 7:54 am
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:51 am to rolltide32
quote:
There is no magic formula. You have pretty much every background covered.
I didn’t see any 1st year NFL coordinators on that list, so can we drop that one?
Posted on 11/13/25 at 7:55 am to rolltide32
You won't see this often, but hanks rolltide32 for your efforts.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 8:00 am to rolltide32
Every single one of those guys could win a natty with LSU
Posted on 11/13/25 at 8:08 am to rolltide32
Urban and Harbaugh were the only 2 you might debate as a slam dunk hire. The rest were not very sexy.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 8:24 am to rolltide32
This is the best post on the is board.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 8:27 am to Blueghost1978
quote:
Throw in the transfer policy as well, but you really need a HC in this day and age, that has 1. Done it at a high level as a HC
You absolutely do not. That’s incredibly limiting and you’re shutting out a ton of likely highly innovative and soon to be successful candidates.
Posted on 11/13/25 at 9:04 am to rolltide32
quote:
There is no magic formula
The magic formula is players. Saban was great with his discipline and process-oriented approach, but that doesn’t do shite when you’re taking a bunch of three stars to UGA or OSU. You need a bunch of asskickers, and no one was better than Saban at getting them. That’s primarily why he was so successful.
A lot of “mediocre coaches” have won Super Bowls and national championships. Not too many mediocre rosters have, though. Jimbo Fisher and Ed Oregeron won national titles by building two of the best teams this century, and even in this crazy coaching climate no one wants them. I bet every program would take a 20 y/o Jameis Winston or Joe Burrow, though.
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