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.

Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines

• YEARS AT MICHIGAN AS PLAYER: 1982-1986
• YEARS AT MICHIGAN AS COACH: 2015-present

Recruited by legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler, Jim Harbaugh spent five years in Ann Arbor while in college. He redshirted in 1982, and started two and a half seasons for the Wolverines. By his senior year, Harbaugh was building his legend as he led Michigan to the 1987 Rose Bowl where they lost to Arizona State. He was also the losing quarterback in the Holiday Bowl against BYU in 1984, when the Cougars came back to stay undefeated and win the national title.

He then went on to the NFL ranks, where he enjoyed a long career as a quarterback, before building his chops as a coach. Harbaugh’s reputation was cemented at Stanford, but the Michigan man decided to try his hand at leading a pro team. He took the San Francisco 49ers to three NFC championship games and Super Bowl XLVII, where he lost to his brother John’s Baltimore Ravens squad.

After a power play in San Francisco, Harbaugh made his way back to Ann Arbor. Since returning to Michigan in 2015, Harbaugh has posted 10-win seasons with metronomic regularity. But the ultimate prize for the Wolverines is always going to be Big Ten titles and chances to win a national championship. Just like Brady Hoke and Rich Rodriguez before him, all the pedigree as a Michigan man won’t save Harbaugh long-term if he continues to struggle against conference opposition.

Mark Richt and the Miami Hurricanes

• YEARS AT MIAMI AS PLAYER: 1978-1982
• YEARS AT MIAMI AS COACH: 2016-present

Mark Richt was part of the early period of dynasty building at Miami. Recruited by Howard Schnellenberger to play for the Hurricanes, Richt was mostly a backup to bigger stars at quarterback such as Jim Kelly, Vinny Testaverde, and Bernie Kosar. He threw for 1500 yards for the Canes in his limited action, taking advantage whenever he could get on the field.

Since leaving Coral Gables, Richt shifted to what many Hurricanes fans see as the dark side — Florida State. Under Bobby Bowden, Richt helped the Seminoles win two national titles in 1993 and 1999. He was one of the hottest prospects in the country to jump from coordinator to head coach when Georgia hired him to his first head gig in 2001.

In 15 years, the Bulldogs won two SEC titles and six division crowns. But, unable to seriously contend for the school’s first national title since 1980, Richt was unceremoniously ditched after the 2015 season.

He quickly landed at his alma mater, and in his second season at the helm has the Hurricanes in the ACC championship game for the first time in school history. A win would put Miami into the College Football Playoff and allow him to potentially do what he never could manage to pull off in Athens.

Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs

• YEARS AT GEORGIA AS PLAYER: 1995-1998
• YEARS AT GEORGIA AS COACH: 2016-present

After taking over at Georgia for Mark Richt, Kirby Smart has his alma mater in position to win the SEC for the first time since 2005. They are also in the hunt for a spot in the College Football Playoff this season, as is the case for any team with a shot to take the SEC crown.

Smart came to Georgia as a defensive back, and in his career managed to win several accolades including all-SEC honors as an upperclassman. He currently ranks fourth all-time in career interceptions. After years working for Nick Saban at nearly a decade, Smart finally earned his first chance to lead a program. He took it at his alma mater, where Richt’s performances over a decade and a half were never enough to placate the fan base.

Now Smart is hoping that he can pull off at Georgia what he never could as a player — namely, win titles with the crew. If Georgia pulls off the miraculous and defeats whichever Iron Bowl victor meets the Bulldogs in Atlanta, they will play for their first-ever national title of the 21st century.

It is instructive to remember, though, that while Georgia is good it is hardly perfect.

Kliff Kingsbury and the Texas Tech Red Raiders

• YEARS AT TEXAS TECH AS PLAYER: 1998-2002
• YEARS AT TEXAS TECH AS COACH: 2013-present

Kliff Kingsbury was a record-setting quarterback for Texas Tech between 1998 and 2002, helping cement Mike Leach’s resume as a big-time Air Raid aficionado and Kingsbury as an ideal person to lead such an offense. He was one of two Texas Tech players who have ever defeated both Texas and Oklahoma as the starting quarterback.

Once he left school in Lubbock, Kingsbury spent several years bouncing around various professional leagues both in the United States and abroad in NFL Europe and the Canadian Football League.

Kingsbury made his way back into college football as an assistant under Kevin Sumlin, first at Houston and then at Texas A&M. He helped groom Case Keenum with the Cougars and Heisman winner Johnny Manziel with the Aggies before his old school came calling for a new head coach. Kingsbury jumped at the chance to return to Lubbock in his first chance to lead a program.

Since taking over at his alma mater in 2013, things have never really gone very right for Texas Tech. The Red Raiders got off to a 7-0 start in his first year at the helm, but bombed out in the back half of the season to finish 8-5. That ultimately has been the best record of his career to date. Regardless of his background as a Red Raider alumnus, Kingsbury finds himself on the hot seat as Tech is in danger of missing a bowl game for the third time in his five seasons.

Barry Odom and the Missouri Tigers

• YEARS AT MISSOURI AS PLAYER: 1996-1999
• YEARS AT MISSOURI AS COACH: 2016-present

Barry Odom took over at Missouri in 2016 after Gary Pinkel stepped down for health reasons. The former Tigers linebacker played at the school from 1996 to 1999, and was part of teams that finished in the Top 25 in 1997 and 1998. After leaving school, he spent several years as a high school coach before returning to his alma mater and working his way up the ranks.

Since taking over for Pinkel, things have been far from rosy for Odom despite his status as an alumnus. The seat heated up almost immediately under the new coach, as Missouri went 4-8 in Odom’s first year at the helm. A year after Pinkel had failed to get the Tigers to a bowl game, Odom provided a disappointing follow-up campaign.

In 2017, things trended slightly upward. Missouri opened the year 1-5, raising questions about Odom’s viability as a leader. But with a five-game winning streak, the Tigers are now bowl-eligible and the seat has cooled a bit under Odom.

Still, his ascension from defensive coordinator to head coach was not fully supported by the fan base in Columbia. There are still plenty of questions about whether Odom is the long-term solution at his alma mater. He is a case study in the pitfalls that can lie in wait even for those taking over a program they obviously care about and support.

Pat Fitzgerald and the Northwestern Wildcats

• YEARS AT NORTHWESTERN AS PLAYER: 1993-1996
• YEARS AT NORTHWESTERN AS COACH: 2006-present

Pat Fitzgerald took over in 2006 at his alma mater after Randy Walker’s sudden passing. Northwestern struggled at first, and the private institution is never going to be a perennial powerhouse. For Fitzgerald, though, the position has been a perfect fit that has benefitted both sides.

As a player, Fitzgerald was an imposing figure at linebacker who played a critical role in helping the Wildcats reach the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1949. He has not been able to replicate that level of brilliance in his dozen years on the other end of the job,

In his 12th season at the helm in Evanston, Fitzgerald has a chance to pull out a third-ever 10-win season for the Wildcats. He has been able to consistently do mare with less, and he was also a fair voice when his players went to the National Labor Relations board in an effort to unionize the company.

There have been overtures from other programs over the past decade, but Fitzgerald has been content to remain at the school where he got his degree. Few other programs offer that level of job security for minimal levels of success.

David Shaw and the Stanford Cardinal

• YEARS AT STANFORD AS PLAYER: 1991-1994
• YEARS AT STANFORD AS COACH: 2011-present

During his time as a player at Stanford, David Shaw helped the Cardinal win 10 games as a sophomore, though that success wasn’t sustained over his upperclassmen years. Playing for Dennis Green and Bill Walsh, Shaw caught 57 passes for 664 yards and scored five touchdowns over his four seasons in Palo Alto.

As a coach, Shaw served as a quarterbacks coach in the NFL before joining Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Division II San Diego. He moved with Harbaugh back to his alma mater when he landed the Cardinal job, and helped rebuild the school to Pac-10/Pac-12 prominence.

Once Harbaugh bolted for his NFL opportunity with the San Francisco 49ers, Shaw was named the new head coach in 2011. Since that time, he has built upon and improved Stanford’s standing. When Harbaugh left, the school was just beginning to become a Pac-12 North powerhouse. Now it is a perennial contender for the division and conference title thanks to Shaw.

Over his first six years at the helm, Stanford won three conference titles and a share of another in 2011. He has taken the Cardinal bowling every year, including a 2-2 record in New Year’s Six contests. Under Shaw, Stanford is once again in the hunt for a conference title in 2017 if it gets a little help from a Washington team it knocked off earlier in the year.

Paul Chryst and the Wisconsin Badgers

• YEARS AT WISCONSIN AS PLAYER: 1986-1988
• YEARS AT WISCONSIN AS COACH: 2015-present

Paul Chryst was born in Madison, went to high school in Platteville, and spent three years as the Badgers quarterback. He is the quintessential definition of a homer, having spent a lifetime rooting for Wisconsin football and being involved with the program.

He was one of the last recruits who never spent any time playing for Barry Alvarez, the architect of the modern Wisconsin program. But that hardly matters, as Chryst continues to guide Wisconsin on similar principles predicated on taking advantage at the line of scrimmage to make holes for its running backs.

Chryst actually left Madison for his first head coaching gig. After seven years as an offensive coordinator with the Badgers, Chryst finally got his chance to lead a program when Pittsburgh came calling. The former Badger spent three years with the Panthers, going 6-6 in the regular season for three straight seasons.

He has had better luck at his alma mater, earning 10-win seasons in each of his first three years at the helm including 2017. This season, the Badgers are in position to play for the College Football Playoff if they can win their final two games and emerge as an undefeated Big Ten champion.

Mike Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys

• YEARS AT OKLAHOMA STATE AS PLAYER: 1986-1989
• YEARS AT OKLAHOMA STATE AS COACH: 2005-present

Mike Gundy was the quarterback of Oklahoma State at the same time that Barry Sanders was putting together his record-breaking and Heisman-winning career in Stillwater. Among Power Five head coaches leading an alma mater, Gundy has the longest tenure of the bunch after starting with the Cowboys a year before Pat Fitzgerald took the Northwestern role.

All but five of Gundy’s quarter-century in the coaching ranks were at Oklahoma State. He started as a wide receivers coach in 1990, moved on to coach quarterbacks for five years, and then left Stillwater. He spent a few years at Baylor and Maryland before Les Miles invited Gundy to return to his coaching staff.

Gundy jumped at the opportunity, setting himself up as the offensive coordinator. When Miles jumped to LSU, Gundy stayed behind at his alma mater and landed the head coaching gig. He originally became infamous for berating a journalist, but that merely proved that Gundy is an intensely loyal leader who will stick up for his charges.

Gundy has been rewarded with five 10-win seasons and 12 straight bowl appearances. Under the mullet man at his alma mater, Oklahoma State has won the Big 12 title once back in 2011 after taking a share of the title a year before.

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What does it all mean?

None of the eight coaches listed above are national championship coaches. And while the expectations wouldn’t come instantly for a guy like Scott Frost were he to take over in Lincoln, the grace period wouldn’t last forever.

Nebraska is nothing like Stanford or Northwestern, private schools with limited histories of success where the emphasis is on respectability. It isn’t even an Oklahoma State or Texas Tech or Wisconsin, all programs with rich if broken histories.

No, Nebraska is a blueblood school in the same mold as places like Miami, Michigan, or Georgia. Ultimately finding success at one’s alma mater is no easy task. Being Bear Bryant coming home to mama, or Knute Rockne creating a legacy at the same school where he played, are usually exceptions to the rule.

Each of the eight coaches listed have had great enough careers at the schools from which they graduated. None, though, has even come within sniffing distance of the College Football Playoff itself. Oklahoma State was probably the closest at the tail end of the BCS era, but in the new system Miami has the best chance to break the trend.

So what does this all mean for Frost, then?

All that is left now is to see whether “I can promise you no deal has been made” is sincere, or merely a statement that nothing is set in stone yet. Should Frost leave Orlando after guiding UCF to a New Year’s Six game, Lincoln would be a hot opportunity for an alumnus.

But not every alum can wander into an ideal situation. We could soon see one fired from his post if Kingsbury continues to fail to bring any semblance of postseason contention to the Red Raiders. In a few years, we could be asking the same questions about the current UCF coach.

Next: Projected Week 13 CFB Playoff Rankings

Ultimately, job security for head coaches is becoming more and more finite with each passing day in the modern era. For guys like Frost, getting to lead the old team can be really exciting — at least until the stress overtakes the joy.