Over the last two decades, there have been hundreds of coaching changes. There have been 21 openings so far this year, and over the last five years, there's been an average of 23 openings per offseason. The lower-tiered schools swing and miss all the time, and in the rare times they hire a winner, they lose their coach to a Power 5 school.
The big schools hire search firms, conduct wide searches, interview dozens of candidates, spend big money, target the 'hot coach,' do their homework, and then ... they hire someone who doesn't work out—for whatever reason (too much losing, expectations not met, scandal, leave for different job, etc).
Below is, in my opinion, a fair breakdown of all the coaches who have been hired by Power 5 schools in the last 20 years. I don't expect everyone to agree with every coach; there's 200 of them. Also, recent hires (last 3-4 years) are not included, so congrats to guys like Lovie Smith for getting another year to prove themselves.
The studs (21)
Either achieved big success in prolonged period or widely considered to be among the best.
Gary Patterson. Mack Brown. Bob Stoops. Les Miles (LSU). Nick Saban. Dabo Swinney. Bill Snyder (v2). Urban Meyer (FL, OSU). Mark Richt (UGA). Jim Harbaugh (Stan). Mark Dantonio. Dan Mullen. Brian Kelly. Jim Tressel. Chip Kelly (Oregon). Steve Spurrier. David Shaw. Pete Carroll. Chris Petersen. James Franklin, Jimbo Fisher.
Strong hires (24)
Met/exceeded expectations for 5+ years.
Art Briles. Gary Pinkel. Mike Leach (twice). Gary Barnett (CU). Rich Rodriguez (WVU). Dana Holgorsen. Houston Nutt (Ark). Bobby Petrino (v1). Tommy Tuberville (Auburn). Tom O'Brien (BC). Jeff Tedford. Paul Johnson. Kirk Ferentz. Mark Stoops. Dave Doeren. Pat Fitzgerald. Hugh Freeze. Mike Bellotti. Mike Riley (v2). Greg Schiano (RU). Kyle Whittingham. Jim Grobe. Bret Bielema (Wisc). David Cutcliffe (Duke).
Didn't work out, for whatever reason, or expectations not met (131)
Gene Chizik (ISU). Paul Rhoads. Terry Allen. Mark Mangino. Turner Gill. Charlie Weis (KU). David Beaty. Dan Hawkins. Jon Embree. Mike MacIntyre. Frank Solich. Bill Callahan. Bo Pelini. Mike Riley (Neb). Dennis Franchione (A&M). Mike Sherman. Kevin Sumlin (A&M). Tommy Tuberville (TT). Kliff Kingsbury. Kevin Steele. Guy Morriss. Bob Simmons. John Blake. Charlie Strong (Texas). Ron Prince. Bill Stewart. Mike DuBose. Dennis Franchione (again). Mike Shula. John Mackovic. Mike Stoops. Rich Rodriguez (Ariz). Dirk Koetter. Dennis Erickson (ASU). Todd Graham. Bobby Petrino (Ark). John Smith. Bret Beilema (Ark). Jeff Jagodzinski. Frank Spaziani. Tom Holmoe. Sonny Dykes (Cal). Tommy West. Tommy Bowden. Carl Franks. Ted Roof. Ron Zook (Fla). Will Muschamp (Fla). Jim McElwain. Chan Gailey. Ron Turner. Ron Zook (Ill). Tim Beckman. Bill Cubit. Cam Cameron. Gerry DiNardo. Terry Hoeppner. Bill Lynch. Kevin Wilson. Hal Mumme. Rich Brooks. Joker Phillips. Steve Kragthorpe. Bobby Petrino (L'Ville v2). Rob Vanderlinden. Randy Edsall. DJ Durkin. Randy Shannon. Al Golden. Rich Rodriguez (Mich). Brady Hoke. Bobby Williams. John Smith. Tim Brewster. Tracy Claeys. Sylvester Croom. Carl Torbush. John Bunting. Butch Davis. Everett Withers. Larry Fedora. Chuck A'Mato. Tom O'Brien (NC St). Randy Walker. Bob Davie. Tyrone Willingham (ND). Charlie Weis (ND). Luke Fickell. David Cutcliffe (Miss). Ed Orgeron (Miss). Houston Nutt (Miss). Mark Helfrich. Mike Riley (OSU v1). Dennis Erickson. Gary Andersen (OSU). Walt Harris. Dave Wannstedt. Todd Graham (Pitt). Paul Chryst (Pitt). Danny Hope. Darrell Hazell. Kyle Flood. Lou Holtz (SC). Tyrone Willingham (Stan). Buddy Teevens. Walt Harris (Stan). Greg Robinson. Scott Shafer. Lane Kiffin (Tenn). Derek Dooley. Butch Jones. Karl Dorrell. Rick Neuheisel (UCLA). Jim Mora. Paul Hackett. Lane Kiffin (USC). Steve Sarkisian (USC). Woody Widenhofer. Bobby Johnson. Robbie Caldwell. Derek Mason. Al Groh. Mike London. Keith Gilbertson. Tyrone Willingham (Wash). Steve Sarkisian (Wash). Bill Doba. Paul Wulff.
Unsure/Incomplete (15)
Guz Malzahn* (Auburn). Gene Chizik** (Auburn). Steve Addazio (BC). Ralph Friedgen. Glen Mason (Minn). Jerry Kill (Minn). Willie Taggart (Oregon). Bill O'Brien (PSU). Doug Marrone. Urban Meyer (Utah). Rick Neuheisel (Wash). Charlie Strong (Ville). Larry Coker****, Jim Grobe (Baylor), Dan McCarney (ISU).
*Has been solid, but inconsistent, fanbase divided.
**Awful but won a national title
****National title, but despised, fired.
The big schools hire search firms, conduct wide searches, interview dozens of candidates, spend big money, target the 'hot coach,' do their homework, and then ... they hire someone who doesn't work out—for whatever reason (too much losing, expectations not met, scandal, leave for different job, etc).
Below is, in my opinion, a fair breakdown of all the coaches who have been hired by Power 5 schools in the last 20 years. I don't expect everyone to agree with every coach; there's 200 of them. Also, recent hires (last 3-4 years) are not included, so congrats to guys like Lovie Smith for getting another year to prove themselves.
The studs (21)
Either achieved big success in prolonged period or widely considered to be among the best.
Gary Patterson. Mack Brown. Bob Stoops. Les Miles (LSU). Nick Saban. Dabo Swinney. Bill Snyder (v2). Urban Meyer (FL, OSU). Mark Richt (UGA). Jim Harbaugh (Stan). Mark Dantonio. Dan Mullen. Brian Kelly. Jim Tressel. Chip Kelly (Oregon). Steve Spurrier. David Shaw. Pete Carroll. Chris Petersen. James Franklin, Jimbo Fisher.
Strong hires (24)
Met/exceeded expectations for 5+ years.
Art Briles. Gary Pinkel. Mike Leach (twice). Gary Barnett (CU). Rich Rodriguez (WVU). Dana Holgorsen. Houston Nutt (Ark). Bobby Petrino (v1). Tommy Tuberville (Auburn). Tom O'Brien (BC). Jeff Tedford. Paul Johnson. Kirk Ferentz. Mark Stoops. Dave Doeren. Pat Fitzgerald. Hugh Freeze. Mike Bellotti. Mike Riley (v2). Greg Schiano (RU). Kyle Whittingham. Jim Grobe. Bret Bielema (Wisc). David Cutcliffe (Duke).
Didn't work out, for whatever reason, or expectations not met (131)
Gene Chizik (ISU). Paul Rhoads. Terry Allen. Mark Mangino. Turner Gill. Charlie Weis (KU). David Beaty. Dan Hawkins. Jon Embree. Mike MacIntyre. Frank Solich. Bill Callahan. Bo Pelini. Mike Riley (Neb). Dennis Franchione (A&M). Mike Sherman. Kevin Sumlin (A&M). Tommy Tuberville (TT). Kliff Kingsbury. Kevin Steele. Guy Morriss. Bob Simmons. John Blake. Charlie Strong (Texas). Ron Prince. Bill Stewart. Mike DuBose. Dennis Franchione (again). Mike Shula. John Mackovic. Mike Stoops. Rich Rodriguez (Ariz). Dirk Koetter. Dennis Erickson (ASU). Todd Graham. Bobby Petrino (Ark). John Smith. Bret Beilema (Ark). Jeff Jagodzinski. Frank Spaziani. Tom Holmoe. Sonny Dykes (Cal). Tommy West. Tommy Bowden. Carl Franks. Ted Roof. Ron Zook (Fla). Will Muschamp (Fla). Jim McElwain. Chan Gailey. Ron Turner. Ron Zook (Ill). Tim Beckman. Bill Cubit. Cam Cameron. Gerry DiNardo. Terry Hoeppner. Bill Lynch. Kevin Wilson. Hal Mumme. Rich Brooks. Joker Phillips. Steve Kragthorpe. Bobby Petrino (L'Ville v2). Rob Vanderlinden. Randy Edsall. DJ Durkin. Randy Shannon. Al Golden. Rich Rodriguez (Mich). Brady Hoke. Bobby Williams. John Smith. Tim Brewster. Tracy Claeys. Sylvester Croom. Carl Torbush. John Bunting. Butch Davis. Everett Withers. Larry Fedora. Chuck A'Mato. Tom O'Brien (NC St). Randy Walker. Bob Davie. Tyrone Willingham (ND). Charlie Weis (ND). Luke Fickell. David Cutcliffe (Miss). Ed Orgeron (Miss). Houston Nutt (Miss). Mark Helfrich. Mike Riley (OSU v1). Dennis Erickson. Gary Andersen (OSU). Walt Harris. Dave Wannstedt. Todd Graham (Pitt). Paul Chryst (Pitt). Danny Hope. Darrell Hazell. Kyle Flood. Lou Holtz (SC). Tyrone Willingham (Stan). Buddy Teevens. Walt Harris (Stan). Greg Robinson. Scott Shafer. Lane Kiffin (Tenn). Derek Dooley. Butch Jones. Karl Dorrell. Rick Neuheisel (UCLA). Jim Mora. Paul Hackett. Lane Kiffin (USC). Steve Sarkisian (USC). Woody Widenhofer. Bobby Johnson. Robbie Caldwell. Derek Mason. Al Groh. Mike London. Keith Gilbertson. Tyrone Willingham (Wash). Steve Sarkisian (Wash). Bill Doba. Paul Wulff.
Unsure/Incomplete (15)
Guz Malzahn* (Auburn). Gene Chizik** (Auburn). Steve Addazio (BC). Ralph Friedgen. Glen Mason (Minn). Jerry Kill (Minn). Willie Taggart (Oregon). Bill O'Brien (PSU). Doug Marrone. Urban Meyer (Utah). Rick Neuheisel (Wash). Charlie Strong (Ville). Larry Coker****, Jim Grobe (Baylor), Dan McCarney (ISU).
*Has been solid, but inconsistent, fanbase divided.
**Awful but won a national title
****National title, but despised, fired.
