Ranking the 25 best head coaches in college football history

9. Frank Leahy

Frank Leahy played tackle on Knute Rockne’s 1929 and 1930 national championship teams. But he actually got his start as a head coach not in South Bend but rather at Boston College. There he took his first head coaching job after a eight seasons as a line coach at Georgetown, Michigan State, and Fordham. In his first season with the Eagles, Leahy led Boston College to a 9-2 record. He followed that up with a perfect 11-0 season capped by a Sugar Bowl win over Tennessee.

Leahy’s success wasn’t lost on his former team, and he was hired to replace Elmer Layden in 1941. Only a 0-0 draw against Army prevented the Fighting Irish from posting a perfect record in Leahy’s first season at the helm, though they regressed to 7-2-2 in 1942. A 9-1 mark in 1943 was enough to snatch the national championship for Notre Dame, but entering the Navy for two years during World War II.

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Upon returning to South Bend in 1946, Leahy got Notre Dame right back to their winning ways. The Irish went 36-0-2 between 1946 and 1949 and captured three national titles during the span. Leahy’s record tapered off over his final four seasons. He still posted a 9-0-1 mark in his final season before leaving Notre Dame for good. In the end, only his former coach was more prolific in terms of national title rate among head coaches.