It is hard to win a national championship. Here are 10 of the greatest college football coaches who have never taken home the crown.
No one had a better take about winning a championship than TCU coach — who is on this list — Gary Patterson. “Forget winning a championship, Patter said in an interview, it’s hard just to win a game on Saturday.”
Every fan wants to see their favorite college football program crack the code to winning a championship. It isn’t easy. That is why there are just a few elite teams in college football. If you’re a fan of a team that goes to a bowl every year and recruits some really good players, your head coach is one you should be thankful you have.
College football coaches are defined by more than just championships. Some coaches are great recruiters. Others are program builders, while still others have been able to take a program and either maintain what was built or take the program to the next level.
Some coaches are at programs that will never win national championships. Some programs don’t have the size, budget or resources to recruit at an elite enough level to win a national title.
Putting together this list was not easy. The criteria are heavily subjective. Some coaches built their programs from the ground up. Others innovated where they were, but were not at programs with the access to win a national title. It was difficult not to turn this list into a lifetime achievement award.
The most important thing about this list, it is in no certain order except No. 10 and No. 1. Who do you think was left off the list? Who do you think has no place on the list? Here are 10 of the best coaches to never win a national title.