30 Best College Football Coaches of All-Time
By Hayden Hyde
(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Honorable Mention
- Frank Thomas
- Larry Kehres
- Robert Neyland
- Jackie Sherrill
- Les Miles
- Bobby Dodd
- Bob Stoops
- John Heisman
- Earl Blaik
- Gene Stallings
- Jimmy Johnson
It’s almost unfair to compile a list of just 30 so here’s the list of coaches who were in contention to crack the list, but fell just short but are worthy of an honorable mention.
Larry Kehres may be the best football coach you’ve never heard of. He took over the Mount Union athletic department in 1985 and became head football coach a year later. Since then, Kehres failed to qualify for the NCAA Division III playoffs only four times during his stint from 1986-2012. He also boasts the highest winning percentage (93.26 percent) in college football history with only 24 losses to his 332 wins.
Robert Neyland is one of the greatest coaches of his time. Tennessee named their stadium after “The General” who won four national championships at Tennessee and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956.
Almost everyone should recognize Les Miles’ name. He’s on the hot seat as the 2015 season comes to an end, but the LSU head coach for the last 11 years has been one of the best in the 21st century and a Hall of Fame quote.
It would be criminal not to mention John Heisman. The trophy given to the best player in the nation each year is named after him. As a coach, Heisman won one national championship during his head coaching career, which included stays at eight different universities. Interestingly, coaching football wasn’t his only forte, Heisman was just as successful as a baseball coach.
You could make an argument for any of these coaches to be on this list and many others too. However, without further ado, here are the top 30 college football coaches of all time.
Next: The 30 Best Ever