SMQ: Are alma maters really the best destinations for head coaches?

Are alma maters really the most attractive destinations for head coaches? SMQ investigates the case of several historic teams led by former players.

This is the time of year when teams fallen on hard times begin looking for new head coaches to lead their programs. The phenomenon is endemic, striking not only at fledgling schools but also historic powerhouses. And there always seems to be something intoxicating about the possibility of bringing home a former star to lead the program.

On Friday evening leading into Week 12, a tweet by Bleacher Report writer and Alabama journalism professor Lars Anderson made the rounds about UCF coach Scott Frost and a possible return to his alma mater:

The 140-character speculation quickly forced Frost to denounce the rumors. “I can promise you that no decision has been made,” Frost told reporters after his UCF squad defeated Temple 45-19 on Saturday afternoon. The win kept the Knights among the four unbeaten teams in the country, setting up an epic War of I-4 against rival South Florida that will decide the AAC East crown on Black Friday.

We often think of powerhouses like Nebraska as premier destinations for head coaches. For Frost, there is a definite tie to Lincoln that makes the rumors seem somehow more credible. After all, Frost played his final two college seasons for the Cornhuskers after transferring back to his home state from Stanford. In his senior season, Frost helped the Huskers win a share of the 1997 national championship in the final season before the BCS era.

But is coaching one’s alma mater enough of a draw for a head coach?

Certain powerhouses definitely have inbuilt advantages. Places like Nebraska have an undeniable history and head start on building alumni bases that a school like UCF just can’t provide a head coach. But do powerhouses make a coach a success, or does a coach make a school a powerhouse?

Currently, eight head coaches at the Power Five level are leading the programs where they made their names as players. There are four other coaches — Bryan Harsin at Boise State, Matt Wells at Utah State, Scott Satterfield at Appalachian State, and Paul Haynes at Kent State — that are currently leading their Group of Five alma maters.

Frost has denied that he is in any advanced negotiation with Nebraska to land in Lincoln any time soon. But to think that he has never considered leading the Cornhuskers would be preposterous. So, whether he is currently in a situation to make the leap or not, the speculation surrounding Frost makes sense.

So let’s focus specifically on those coaches who are leading their alma mater and how it might work out for Frost. Everyone wants to be the next Knute Rockne or Bear Bryant, coming home to lead their own schools to victory. But is that really the way it works, especially in the modern era of the sport?

This week, Sunday Morning Quarterback seeks to answer some of these questions about whether taking over the job at one’s alma mater is really the most attractive proposition on the table for rising head coaches. To do so, let’s look closer at those eight Power Five schools where head coaches are leading their alma maters to see if it really would be better back home for Frost and others considering such a shift.