Ranking the 25 best head coaches in college football history
By Zach Bigalke
10. Robert Neyland
Robert Neyland was a linebacker for Army who took over at Tennessee in 1926 and turned the school from an afterthought into a national powerhouse. In his first seven years with the Volunteers, Neyland posted five unbeaten seasons and a 61-2-5 record in Southern Conference play. After moving to the newly-formed SEC, Tennessee went 15-5 over the next two seasons before Neyland was called to active duty serving in the Panama Canal Zone.
He returned after serving his yearlong tour of duty to a Tennessee team that had slumped to 4-5 in 1935 in his absence. Within a few years, Neyland rebuilt the Vols into a team that went 31-2 between 1938 and 1940 and won two national titles. By 1941, though, Neyland was recalled into active service and spent time in the Pacific theater during World War II. He once again returned to Knoxville after his military service was complete.
John Barnhill had maintained a strong team in Tennessee in Neyland’s absence, and they would go on to win the 1950 and 1951 national championships. Had Neyland not lost seven years of his coaching career to military service, he might be even higher up the list of head coaches.