Top 5 college coaches of all-time

[BB73]

Who would you vote for as the top 5 coaches in college football history?

Mandel recently had an article on this topic for SI.com, which was posted in Woody's thread in the alumni forum.

I intentionally left off Urban Meyer, Pete Carroll and Jim Tressel, who have less than 10 years as head coach at a major college program. I also did not include smaller division coaches like Eddie Robinson, John Gagliardi, and Larry Kehres.

This was discussed in this thread a few years ago, but this time it's a poll where you can vote for 5:

BP.Mt.Rushmore.of.Coaches

 

[powerlifter]

No particular order...

Hayes,Rockne,Paterno,Bryant,Bowden

 

[buchtelgrad04]

No order:

Hayes
Bryant
JoePa
Camp
Bowden

 

[cincibuck]

The poll sems to reflect a view point shaped by current events. I went with Hayes, Yost, Stagg, Wilkensen, Bryant.

All were innovative coaches and all escaped the ethical issues that keep me from voting for the likes of Bobby Bowden. All lifted their teams to national prominence and all mentored young coaches who became famous in their own right.

 

[BB73]

The poll sems to reflect a view point shaped by current events.

Are you referring to the results so far, rather than the poll itself?

Including Camp, Stagg, Warner, and Yost; while not including Stoops, Carroll, Meyer, and Tressel was intended to minimize the effects of current events.

 

[GaTechBuckeye]

Other: John Heisman...I was surprised he wasn't on the list.
Bobby Dodd - I think he makes just as good a case as any of the others for my number 5 spot.

 

[MaliBuckeye]

I take it Grambling isn't perceived as a "major" college football program?

 

[buchtelgrad04]

I take it Grambling isn't perceived as a "major" college football program?

I take it you didn't read the first post in this thread?

 

[MaliBuckeye]

I take it you didn't read the first post in this thread?

I take it that I'm an idiot... Whoops.

 

[osucollegebuck]

Wow, so few votes for Walter Camp is troubling. But guys like Camp and Warner have an almost unfair advantage with their innovations they brought to the game.

 

[LordJeffBuck]

I didn't vote for anyone in the dark ages of college football, so guys like Knute Rockne (.881 pct, 3 NC's), Fielding Yost (.832 pct, 3 NC's), Walter Camp, and Pop Warner didn't make the cut.

1. Frank Leahy, Notre Dame (1941-1953), 87-11-9 (.855), 5 NC's (1943, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1953); Leahy's five NC's in 13 years is truly an amazing achievement.
2. Bear Bryant, Alabama (1958-1982), 232-46-9 (.824), 4 NC's (1961, 1965, 1978, 1979); Bryant reigned in the SEC before the rise of southern football (especially Big Three football), but he still put together a stellar record.
3. Barry Switzer, Oklahoma (1973-1988), 157-29-4 (.837), 3 NC's (1974, 1975, 1985); slightly over Bud Wilkinson (145-29-4, 2 NC's) because Switzer faced tougher competition in the Big 8.
4. Tom Osborne, Nebraska (1973-1997), 255-29-3 (.836), 3 NC's (1994, 1995, 1997); known as a choke artist until he won 3 NC's in 4 years at the end of his career.
5. Woody Hayes, Ohio State (1951-1978), 205-61-10 (.761), 3 NC's (1954, 1957, 1968); somewhat of a homer pick; Woody would have been at the top of the list if he could've "closed" a couple of times between 1969 and 1975.
HM. Ara Parseghian, Notre Dame (1964-1974), 95-17-4 (.836), 2 NC's (1966, 1973). Notre Dame football would have been a joke a couple of decades earlier if it hadn't been for Ara. In the ten years between Leahy and Parsehian, the Irish went 51-48-0 (.515) with no NC; Ara's worst season in South Bend was 8-3-0 (.727), and he brought ND back to the top of the CFB world.

 

[BB73]

Other: John Heisman...I was surprised he wasn't on the list.
Bobby Dodd - I think he makes just as good a case as any of the others for my number 5 spot.

Heisman's winning percentage 171-66-16 (.708) doesn't measure up to most of the names on the list.

Dodd's 165-64-8 (.713) isn't much better. They both have significant awards named after them, but I don't think either one has much of a case for the top-5 of all time.

Many other names were considered for the list: guys like Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, Vince Dooley, Dana X. Bible, Howard Jones, John Robinson, and Ara Parseghian (I'm stunned that LJB takes him over Rockne). I just didn't believe that any of those merited serious consideration among the top-5 of all time. But all lists like this are subjective.

 

[ScriptOhio]

TOP 5
Walter Camp
Bear Bryant
Bud Wilkinson
Woody Hayes
Pop Warner

Honerable Mention 5
Joe Paterno
Amos Alonzo Stagg
Bo Schembechler
Knute Rockne
Fielding Yost

 

[LordJeffBuck]

Many other names were considered for the list: guys like Lou Holtz, Steve Spurrier, Vince Dooley, Dana X. Bible, Howard Jones, John Robinson, and Ara Parseghian (I'm stunned that LJB takes him over Rockne).

I don't necessarily "take him [Parseghian] over Rockne", but rather I focused on the (more-or-less) modern era of college football, as I mentioned in my post.

 

[methomps]

lol not one vote for John McKay? 4 NCs, 2-time national coach of the year