Read this ranking on ESPN today, thought it was interesting. Not gonna copy the entire list, but I’ll post some highlights.
100. Bronco Mendenhall (BYU 2005-15, Virginia 2016-present)
99. James Franklin (Vanderbilt 2011-13, Penn State 2014-present)
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97. Bobby Wallace (North Alabama 1988-97, Temple 1998-2005, West Alabama 2006-10, North Alabama 2012-16)
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95. Kevin Donley (Anderson 1978-81, Georgetown-KY 1982-92, California-PA 1993-96, Saint Francis-IN 1998-present)
94. Charles McClendon (LSU 1962-79)
93. Kirby Smart (Georgia 2016-present)
92. David Shaw (Stanford 2011-present)
91. Dan Mullen (Mississippi State 2009-17, Florida 2018-present)
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84. Gene Stallings (Texas A&M 1965-71, Alabama 1990-96)
83. Kyle Whittingham (Utah 2005-present)
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81. Rich Brooks (Oregon 1977-94, Kentucky 2003-09)
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77. Bobby Petrino (Louisville 2003-06, Arkansas 2008-11, WKU 2013, Louisville 2014-18, Missouri State 2020-present)
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74. Jerry Claiborne (Virginia Tech 1961-70, Maryland 1972-81, Kentucky 1982-89)
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71. Kirk Ferentz (Maine 1990-92, Iowa 1999-present)
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65. Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State 2005-present)
64. Gary Pinkel (Toledo 1991-2000, Missouri 2001-15)
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62. Craig Bohl (NDSU 2003-13, Wyoming 2014-present)
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58. Chip Kelly (Oregon 2009-12, UCLA 2018-present)
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56. RC Slocum (Texas A&M 1989-2002)
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50. Johnny Majors (Iowa State 1968-72, Pitt 1973-76, Tennessee 1977-92)
49. Phil Fulmer (Tennessee 1992-2008)
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47. Les Miles (Oklahoma State 2001-2004, LSU 2005-16, Kansas 2019-20)
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45. Shug Jordan (Auburn 1951-75)
Record: 175-83-7
National Title: 1957 FBS
Conference Title: 1957 SEC
He led Auburn during most of Bear Bryant’s Bama tenure but still managed to steal seven top-10 finishes, seven seasons of 9-plus wins, a Heisman (via Pat Sullivan) and a national title for himself. There’s a reason why Cliff Hare Stadium became Jordan-Hare in 1973.
44. Vince Dooley (Georgia 1964-88)
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41. Mike Leach (Texas Tech 2000-09, Washington State 2012-19, Mississippi State 2020-present)
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39. Danny Ford (Clemson 1978-89, Arkansas 1993-97)
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36 Brian Kelly (Grand Valley State 1991-2003, Central Michigan 2004-06, Cincinnati 2007-09, Notre Dame 2010-present)
35. Mark Richt (Georgia 2001-15, Miami 2016-18)
34. Jumbo Fisher (Florida State 2010-17, Texas A&M 2018-present)
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31. Pat Dye (East Carolina 1974-79, Wyoming 1980, Auburn 1981-92)
Record: 153-62-5
Conference Titles: 1976 Southern, 1983 and 1987-89 SEC
Like Richt, Dye’s career had everything but a national title. His Tigers came agonizingly close in 1983 and came within seven points of an unbeaten record in 1988. Regardless, AU was the scariest SEC team of the late 1980s and had the top-10 finishes to prove it.
30. Frank Broyles (Missouri 1957, Arkansas 1958-76)
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28. Gary Patterson (TCU 2001-present)
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24. Dan Devine (Arizona State 1955-57, Missouri 1958-70, Notre Dame 1975-80)
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21. Mack Brown (Appalachian State 1983, Tulane 1985-87, North Carolina 1988-97, Texas 1998-2013, North Carolina 2019-present)
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19. Lou Holtz (William & Mary 1969-71, NC State 1972-75, Arkansas 1977-83, Minnesota 1984-85, Notre Dane 1986-96, South Carolina 1999-2004)
18. Darrell K Royal (Mississippi State 1954-55, Washington 1956, Texas 1957-76)
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13. Steve Spurrier (Duke 1987-89, Florida 1990-2001, South Carolina 2005-15)
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7. Dabo Swinney (Clemson 2009-present)
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5. Urban Meyer (Bowling Green 2001-02, Utah 2003-04, Florida 2005-10, Ohio State 2012-18)
4. Tom Osborne (Nebraska 1973-97)
3. Bobby Bowden (Samford 1959-62, West Virginia 1970-75, Florida State 1976-2009)
Record: 377-129-4
National Titles: 1993, 1999
Conference Titles: 1992-2000, 2002-03, 2005 ACC
You almost literally can’t build a winner like Bowden did at FSU anymore. His indie Noles took on all comers and acted like a national power until they became one. Only Swinney has a shot at his 14 straight top-five finishes, and Bowden’s 26 top-15 finishes are jarring, too.
2. Bear Bryant (Maryland 1945, Kentucky 1946-53, Texas A&M 1954-57, Alabama 1958-82)
Record: 323-85-17
National Titles: 1961, 1964-65, 1978-79
Conference Titles: 1956 SWC, 1950, 1961, 1964-66, 1971-75, 1977-79 and 1981 SEC
He nearly won national titles at Kentucky and A&M, and when “Mama called,” he came home to his alma mater, won three national titles in five years, then responded to a late 1960s funk by integrating his roster, adopting the Wishbone and ripping off seven top-fives in eight years.
1. Nick Saban (Toledo 1990, Michigan State 1995-99, LSU 2000-04, Alabama 2007-present)
Record: 256-65-1
National Titles: 2003, 2009, 2011-12, 2015, 2017 and 2020
Conference Titles: 1990 MAC, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2014-16, 2018 and 2020 SEC
Was there any doubt? Saban has already done enough to earn a spot on this list when he left for the NFL in 2005. Since coming to Tuscaloosa in 2007, he has put together simply the greatest-ever run of dominance: six national titles (with two more title games appearances), seven SEC titles and 13 straight top-10 finishes. He hasn’t quite matched Bowden’s 14 straight top-fives, but the rings more than make up for that. And if last year is any indication, this run is far from over.
This writer clearly didn’t get the memo that Dye actually did win a title in 1983.
100. Bronco Mendenhall (BYU 2005-15, Virginia 2016-present)
99. James Franklin (Vanderbilt 2011-13, Penn State 2014-present)
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97. Bobby Wallace (North Alabama 1988-97, Temple 1998-2005, West Alabama 2006-10, North Alabama 2012-16)
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95. Kevin Donley (Anderson 1978-81, Georgetown-KY 1982-92, California-PA 1993-96, Saint Francis-IN 1998-present)
94. Charles McClendon (LSU 1962-79)
93. Kirby Smart (Georgia 2016-present)
92. David Shaw (Stanford 2011-present)
91. Dan Mullen (Mississippi State 2009-17, Florida 2018-present)
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84. Gene Stallings (Texas A&M 1965-71, Alabama 1990-96)
83. Kyle Whittingham (Utah 2005-present)
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81. Rich Brooks (Oregon 1977-94, Kentucky 2003-09)
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77. Bobby Petrino (Louisville 2003-06, Arkansas 2008-11, WKU 2013, Louisville 2014-18, Missouri State 2020-present)
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74. Jerry Claiborne (Virginia Tech 1961-70, Maryland 1972-81, Kentucky 1982-89)
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71. Kirk Ferentz (Maine 1990-92, Iowa 1999-present)
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65. Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State 2005-present)
64. Gary Pinkel (Toledo 1991-2000, Missouri 2001-15)
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62. Craig Bohl (NDSU 2003-13, Wyoming 2014-present)
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58. Chip Kelly (Oregon 2009-12, UCLA 2018-present)
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56. RC Slocum (Texas A&M 1989-2002)
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50. Johnny Majors (Iowa State 1968-72, Pitt 1973-76, Tennessee 1977-92)
49. Phil Fulmer (Tennessee 1992-2008)
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47. Les Miles (Oklahoma State 2001-2004, LSU 2005-16, Kansas 2019-20)
•
45. Shug Jordan (Auburn 1951-75)
Record: 175-83-7
National Title: 1957 FBS
Conference Title: 1957 SEC
He led Auburn during most of Bear Bryant’s Bama tenure but still managed to steal seven top-10 finishes, seven seasons of 9-plus wins, a Heisman (via Pat Sullivan) and a national title for himself. There’s a reason why Cliff Hare Stadium became Jordan-Hare in 1973.
44. Vince Dooley (Georgia 1964-88)
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41. Mike Leach (Texas Tech 2000-09, Washington State 2012-19, Mississippi State 2020-present)
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39. Danny Ford (Clemson 1978-89, Arkansas 1993-97)
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36 Brian Kelly (Grand Valley State 1991-2003, Central Michigan 2004-06, Cincinnati 2007-09, Notre Dame 2010-present)
35. Mark Richt (Georgia 2001-15, Miami 2016-18)
34. Jumbo Fisher (Florida State 2010-17, Texas A&M 2018-present)
•
31. Pat Dye (East Carolina 1974-79, Wyoming 1980, Auburn 1981-92)
Record: 153-62-5
Conference Titles: 1976 Southern, 1983 and 1987-89 SEC
Like Richt, Dye’s career had everything but a national title. His Tigers came agonizingly close in 1983 and came within seven points of an unbeaten record in 1988. Regardless, AU was the scariest SEC team of the late 1980s and had the top-10 finishes to prove it.
30. Frank Broyles (Missouri 1957, Arkansas 1958-76)
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28. Gary Patterson (TCU 2001-present)
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24. Dan Devine (Arizona State 1955-57, Missouri 1958-70, Notre Dame 1975-80)
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21. Mack Brown (Appalachian State 1983, Tulane 1985-87, North Carolina 1988-97, Texas 1998-2013, North Carolina 2019-present)
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19. Lou Holtz (William & Mary 1969-71, NC State 1972-75, Arkansas 1977-83, Minnesota 1984-85, Notre Dane 1986-96, South Carolina 1999-2004)
18. Darrell K Royal (Mississippi State 1954-55, Washington 1956, Texas 1957-76)
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13. Steve Spurrier (Duke 1987-89, Florida 1990-2001, South Carolina 2005-15)
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7. Dabo Swinney (Clemson 2009-present)
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5. Urban Meyer (Bowling Green 2001-02, Utah 2003-04, Florida 2005-10, Ohio State 2012-18)
4. Tom Osborne (Nebraska 1973-97)
3. Bobby Bowden (Samford 1959-62, West Virginia 1970-75, Florida State 1976-2009)
Record: 377-129-4
National Titles: 1993, 1999
Conference Titles: 1992-2000, 2002-03, 2005 ACC
You almost literally can’t build a winner like Bowden did at FSU anymore. His indie Noles took on all comers and acted like a national power until they became one. Only Swinney has a shot at his 14 straight top-five finishes, and Bowden’s 26 top-15 finishes are jarring, too.
2. Bear Bryant (Maryland 1945, Kentucky 1946-53, Texas A&M 1954-57, Alabama 1958-82)
Record: 323-85-17
National Titles: 1961, 1964-65, 1978-79
Conference Titles: 1956 SWC, 1950, 1961, 1964-66, 1971-75, 1977-79 and 1981 SEC
He nearly won national titles at Kentucky and A&M, and when “Mama called,” he came home to his alma mater, won three national titles in five years, then responded to a late 1960s funk by integrating his roster, adopting the Wishbone and ripping off seven top-fives in eight years.
1. Nick Saban (Toledo 1990, Michigan State 1995-99, LSU 2000-04, Alabama 2007-present)
Record: 256-65-1
National Titles: 2003, 2009, 2011-12, 2015, 2017 and 2020
Conference Titles: 1990 MAC, 2001, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2014-16, 2018 and 2020 SEC
Was there any doubt? Saban has already done enough to earn a spot on this list when he left for the NFL in 2005. Since coming to Tuscaloosa in 2007, he has put together simply the greatest-ever run of dominance: six national titles (with two more title games appearances), seven SEC titles and 13 straight top-10 finishes. He hasn’t quite matched Bowden’s 14 straight top-fives, but the rings more than make up for that. And if last year is any indication, this run is far from over.
This writer clearly didn’t get the memo that Dye actually did win a title in 1983.
