10 Best Coaches since the BCS

[zjcvols]

I didn't rank them in order, but these were my 10:

Nick Saban
Kirby Smart
Urban Meyer
Bill Snyder
Dabo Swinney
Bob Stoops
Jim Tressel
Jim Harbaugh
Brian Kelly
Kyle Whittingham

 

[LouderVol]

I didn't rank them in order, but these were my 10:

Nick Saban
Kirby Smart
Urban Meyer
Bill Snyder
Dabo Swinney
Bob Stoops
Jim Tressel
Jim Harbaugh
Brian Kelly
Kyle Whittingham

Tressel didn't coach in the playoff era.

 

[YankeeVol]

Tressel didn't coach in the playoff era.

I assume he's including the BCS era

 

[bamawriter]

I didn't rank them in order, but these were my 10:

Nick Saban
Kirby Smart
Urban Meyer
Bill Snyder
Dabo Swinney
Bob Stoops
Jim Tressel
Jim Harbaugh
Brian Kelly
Kyle Whittingham

Put Pete Carroll in place of Kelly and you've got the list.

 

[zjcvols]

Put Pete Carroll in place of Kelly and you've got the list.

That's completely fair. I knew I'd forget someone. Carroll only coached 9 years in the era but 2 national titles trumps Kelly's longevity.

 

[LouderVol]

I assume he's including the BCS era

"since" implied "after" to me. but whatever.

 

[adam.vol]

Put Pete Carroll in place of Kelly and you've got the list.

The only person I could add is Chris Peterson, who took Boise State to an undefeated season and Washington to the playoffs.

 

[zjcvols]

The only person I could add is Chris Peterson, who took Boise State to an undefeated season and Washington to the playoffs.

Definitely is worthy of consideration. Especially revitalizing that Washington program

 

[stolitonic]

As much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure I would put Urban in there. I certainly would not for his run at UF and tOSU. The talent advantage he had at those schools at that time was just mind boggling.

The fact he only won one NC with the Suckeyes is almost criminal with the amount of talent they squandered.

UF, well the inmates were running the asylum. They just happened to win a large number of football games

As much as I hate Pete Carroll and the downstream effects him bolting from USC had, I would still put him above Urban.

 

[LouderVol]

As much as I hate to say it, I'm not sure I would put Urban in there. I certainly would not for his run at UF and tOSU. The talent advantage he had at those schools at that time was just mind boggling.

The fact he only won one NC with the Suckeyes is almost criminal with the amount of talent they squandered.

UF, well the inmates were running the asylum. They just happened to win a large number of football games

As much as I hate Pete Carroll and the downstream effects him bolting from USC had, I would still put him above Urban.

Pete Carroll relied just as much on having more talent than the other team as Meyer did.

 

[DirtyDawg]

Pete Carroll relied just as much on having more talent than the other team as Meyer did.

I agree, and honestly acquiring that talent is one of the key attributes of a good head coach.

 

[n_huffhines]

I didn't rank them in order, but these were my 10:

Nick Saban
Kirby Smart
Urban Meyer
Bill Snyder
Dabo Swinney
Bob Stoops
Jim Tressel
Jim Harbaugh
Brian Kelly
Kyle Whittingham

I'll put the top 2 in order:

Saban
Whittingham

Whittingham has had an unbelievable run at Utah. Utah thought they were doomed when Meyer left and I truly believe they ended up with the better coach. Put Whittingham in Columbus and it's over.

He lifted Utah from mid-major status to perennial power 5 conference title contender. Utah was little brother in an isolated state with 2m people where basketball was the most popular sport. How he's done this with sustained success is incredible.

My Dad did his Phd program at the U and he watched them play in just 7 bowl games (Freedom, Copper, Las Vegas) from 1972 to 2003. In fact, they had only been to 5 bowl games ever without Whittingham as DC or HC. Whittingham won them the Fiesta Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and he took them to the Rose Bowl twice. I can't stress to you how much this would have shocked my Dad in 1990 if you told him this would happen in his lifetime.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

Nick Saban
Kirby Smart
Pete Carrol
Urban Meyer
Dabo Swinney
Bill Snyder
Steve Spurrier
Chris Petersen
Kyle Whittingham
Bob Stoops

Also tempted to throw Craig Bohl in there instead of Mack or Bob.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

Does Bobby Bowden qualify? If Bob Stoops does, I’d say Bobby probably does . He won 1 in 1999 and played for them in 98 and 2000. That’s toward the end of his prime, but 3 title games in 4 years is pretty strong .

 

[zjcvols]

Does Bobby Bowden qualify? If Bob Stoops does, I’d say Bobby probably does . He won 1 in 1999 and played for them in 98 and 2000. That’s toward the end of his prime, but 3 title games in 4 years is pretty strong .

I did not include Bowden since he only coached for 10 years or so, but I can completely understand including him in there.

 

[stolitonic]

Does Bobby Bowden qualify? If Bob Stoops does, I’d say Bobby probably does . He won 1 in 1999 and played for them in 98 and 2000. That’s toward the end of his prime, but 3 title games in 4 years is pretty strong .

Good point, but I would question exactly how much coaching Bowden was doing by that point.

I heard as far back as the early 90s that Mickey Andrews and I guess Mark Richt at the time were running the football show. Bowden was just there to basically kiss babies and make mommas feel good about sending their kids off to Tallahassee.

Not knocking Bowden in any way as I respected him greatly

 

[DirtyDawg]

Does Bobby Bowden qualify? If Bob Stoops does, I’d say Bobby probably does . He won 1 in 1999 and played for them in 98 and 2000. That’s toward the end of his prime, but 3 title games in 4 years is pretty strong .

I hated FSU bc everyone around me in South GA was an FSU fan and I was a fan of the mediocre Dawgs. Ironically, those fans now say they are lifelong Dawg fans! Go figure!

Anyway, back on topic, hated FSU but I always loved Bobby Bowden. He was a great man! He did much for the community and his players.

 

[RDU VOL#14]

I hated FSU bc everyone around me in South GA was an FSU fan and I was a fan of the mediocre Dawgs. Ironically, those fans now say they are lifelong Dawg fans! Go figure!

Anyway, back on topic, hated FSU but I always loved Bobby Bowden. He was a great man! He did much for the community and his players.

I really enjoyed those mediocre teams of the 90s you guys had. Looking forward to the return of the Ray Goff and Jim Donnan type coaches again.

 

[DirtyDawg]

I really enjoyed those mediocre teams of the 90s you guys had. Looking forward to the return of the Ray Goff and Jim Donnan type coaches again.

Oh God I hope that’s a long ways off. It was brutal. It sucked knowing that we were going to get our butts handed to us every time we played you guys or UF.

You guys look to be coming out of a long mediocre stretch as well. Finally found a really good coach. CJH and Co are the real deal I’m sad to say