Legend = A head coach that won at least 100 games at a major school (Current P5). 100 wins requires longevity and success. I think both are required to be a "legend".
I identified 38 legendary coaches that retired, fired, or left their school for greener pastures in the past 50 years. I then looked at their replacements and categorized them based on whether they were internally promoted, externally hired but had ties to the "legend", or externally hired with no ties to the legend. Once sorted I then assessed the replacements based on if they had winning percentages over .500 and over .650.
17 internal promotions
16/17 (94%) had career records at the school over .500
9/17 (53%) had career records at the school over .650
3/17 (18%) went on to reach "legend" status themselves
8 external hires with ties to the legend
8/8 (100%) had career records at the school over .500
6/8 (75%) had career records at the school over .650
3/8 (38%) went on to reach "legend" status themselves
12 hired without ties to the legend (one died in a plane crash before coaching first game - not included below)
6/11 (55%) had career records at the school over .500
2/11 (18%) had career records at the school over .650
None of them went on to reach "legend" status
If history is any indication it appears that it pays off to maintain ties to the legend. It is very rare for someone with ties to the legend to tank the program (drive win % below 50%) where as it is nearly a coin flip when you go outside the legend's tree. Staying inside the coaching tree also has about a 1 in 4 chance of resulting in another legendary coach.
Internal promotions
Jimbo Fisher replaced Bobby Bowden at FSU
Bud Carson replaced Bobby Dodd at Ga Tech
Gary Gibbs replaced Barry Switzer at OU
Tom Osborne replaced Bob Devaney at Nebraska
Frank Solich replaced Tom Osborne at Nebraska
Chuck Reedy replaced Grant Teaff at Baylor
Gary Moeller replaced Bo Schembechler at Michigan
Joe Paterno replaced Rip Engle at Penn St.
Dennis Stolz replaced Duffy Daugherty at Mich St
Bret Bielema replaced Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin
Bob Toledo replaced Terry Donahue at UCLA
Jim Lambright replaced Don James at Washington
Chip Kelly replaced Mike Bellotti at Oregon
Phil Fulmer replaced Johnny Majors at Tennessee
Ray Goff replaced Vince Dooley at Georgia
Doug Barfield replaced Ralph Jordan at Auburn
Ken Cooper replaced John Vaught at Ole Miss
External hires with legendary ties
Fred Akers replaced Darrell Royal at Texas
Rich Rodriguez replaced Don Nehlen at WVU
Earle Bruce replaced Woody Hayes at Ohio St
Jim Tressel replaced John Cooper at Ohio St
Kirk Ferentz replaced Hayden Fry at Iowa
John Robinson replaced John McKay at USC
Ray Perkins replaced Bear Bryant at Alabama
Ron Zook replaced Steve Spurrier at Florida
External hires with no ties to the legend
Al Groh replaced George Welsh at Virginia
Hootie Ingram replaced Frank Howard at Clemson
Frank Maloney replaced Ben Schwartzwalder at Syracuse
Charlie Strong replaced Mack Brown at Texas
Dennis Franchione replaced RC Slocum at Texas a&m
Rich Rodriguez replaced Lloyd Carr at Michigan
Bill O'Brien replaced Joe Paterno at Penn St
Darryl Rogers replaced Frank Kush at Arizona State
Lane Kiffin replaced Phil Fulmer at Tennessee
Bo Rein replaced Charles McClendon at LSU and then died in a plane crash.
Lou Holtz replaced Frank Broyles at Arkansas
Ron Prince replaced Bill Snyder at KSU
I identified 38 legendary coaches that retired, fired, or left their school for greener pastures in the past 50 years. I then looked at their replacements and categorized them based on whether they were internally promoted, externally hired but had ties to the "legend", or externally hired with no ties to the legend. Once sorted I then assessed the replacements based on if they had winning percentages over .500 and over .650.
17 internal promotions
16/17 (94%) had career records at the school over .500
9/17 (53%) had career records at the school over .650
3/17 (18%) went on to reach "legend" status themselves
8 external hires with ties to the legend
8/8 (100%) had career records at the school over .500
6/8 (75%) had career records at the school over .650
3/8 (38%) went on to reach "legend" status themselves
12 hired without ties to the legend (one died in a plane crash before coaching first game - not included below)
6/11 (55%) had career records at the school over .500
2/11 (18%) had career records at the school over .650
None of them went on to reach "legend" status
If history is any indication it appears that it pays off to maintain ties to the legend. It is very rare for someone with ties to the legend to tank the program (drive win % below 50%) where as it is nearly a coin flip when you go outside the legend's tree. Staying inside the coaching tree also has about a 1 in 4 chance of resulting in another legendary coach.
Internal promotions
Jimbo Fisher replaced Bobby Bowden at FSU
Bud Carson replaced Bobby Dodd at Ga Tech
Gary Gibbs replaced Barry Switzer at OU
Tom Osborne replaced Bob Devaney at Nebraska
Frank Solich replaced Tom Osborne at Nebraska
Chuck Reedy replaced Grant Teaff at Baylor
Gary Moeller replaced Bo Schembechler at Michigan
Joe Paterno replaced Rip Engle at Penn St.
Dennis Stolz replaced Duffy Daugherty at Mich St
Bret Bielema replaced Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin
Bob Toledo replaced Terry Donahue at UCLA
Jim Lambright replaced Don James at Washington
Chip Kelly replaced Mike Bellotti at Oregon
Phil Fulmer replaced Johnny Majors at Tennessee
Ray Goff replaced Vince Dooley at Georgia
Doug Barfield replaced Ralph Jordan at Auburn
Ken Cooper replaced John Vaught at Ole Miss
External hires with legendary ties
Fred Akers replaced Darrell Royal at Texas
Rich Rodriguez replaced Don Nehlen at WVU
Earle Bruce replaced Woody Hayes at Ohio St
Jim Tressel replaced John Cooper at Ohio St
Kirk Ferentz replaced Hayden Fry at Iowa
John Robinson replaced John McKay at USC
Ray Perkins replaced Bear Bryant at Alabama
Ron Zook replaced Steve Spurrier at Florida
External hires with no ties to the legend
Al Groh replaced George Welsh at Virginia
Hootie Ingram replaced Frank Howard at Clemson
Frank Maloney replaced Ben Schwartzwalder at Syracuse
Charlie Strong replaced Mack Brown at Texas
Dennis Franchione replaced RC Slocum at Texas a&m
Rich Rodriguez replaced Lloyd Carr at Michigan
Bill O'Brien replaced Joe Paterno at Penn St
Darryl Rogers replaced Frank Kush at Arizona State
Lane Kiffin replaced Phil Fulmer at Tennessee
Bo Rein replaced Charles McClendon at LSU and then died in a plane crash.
Lou Holtz replaced Frank Broyles at Arkansas
Ron Prince replaced Bill Snyder at KSU
