List of college football seasons coached leaders

This is a list of college football coaches who was the leaders in seasons coached.[1][2] Individuals on the list have served as head coach of a college football program for 30 or more seasons to be included on the list.

"College level" is defined as a four-year college or university program in either the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or the National Collegiate Athletic Association. If the team competed at a time before the official organization of either of the two groups but is generally accepted as a "college football program" it would also be included. The list includes coaches with 30 seasons regardless of division.

Coaches expected to be active in the (fall) 2021 season are in bold. Current through the end of the 2020–21 college football season.

Head coach First year Last year Total years Games coached Wins Losses Ties Win %
John Gagliardi 1949 2013 65 638 489 138 11 .775
Eddie G. Robinson 1941 1997 55 591 408 167 16 .704
Amos Alonzo Stagg, Sr. 1892 1946 55 555 330 190 35 .626
Joe Paterno 1966 2011 46 659 409[a] 136 3 .749
Bob Ford 1965 2013 45 457 265 191 1 .581
Dennis Douds 1974 2018 45 471 264 204 3 .564
Fred T. Long 1921 1965 45 409 227 151 31 .593
Bobby Bowden 1959 2009 44 510 377[b] 129 4 .743
Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner 1895 1938 44 456 318 106 32 .732
Kevin Donley 1978 2020 43 472 335 136 1 .711
Larry Wilcox 1979 2020 42 458 305 153 0 .666
Peter Mazzaferro 1959 2004 41 377 209 157 11 .569
Forrest "Frosty" Westering 1962 2003 40 406 303 96 7 .755
James S. Malosky 1958 1997 40 393 255 125 13 .665
Roy Kidd 1964 2002 39 446 314 124 8 .713
Jimmye Laycock 1980 2018 39 445 249 194 2 .562
Eddie Anderson 1922 1964 39 344 201 128 15 .606
Barry Streeter 1978 2017 39[c] 391 194 191 5 .504
Paul "Bear" Bryant 1945 1982 38 425 323 85 17 .780
Hank Biesiot 1976 2013 38 380 258 121 1 .680
Al Bagnoli 1982 2020 38[d] 383 256 127 0 .668
Ken Sparks 1980 2016 37 412 338 99 2 .772
Monte Cater 1981 2017 37 394 275 117 2 .701
Andy Talley 1979 2016 37 414 257 155 2 .623
Rick Giancola 1983 2020 37[e] 382 253 127 2 .648
Hayden Fry 1962 1998 37 420 232 178 10 .564
Harold Elliott 1964 2004 37 392 205 179 9 .533
Harold R. "Tubby" Raymond 1966 2001 36 422 300 119 3 .714
Ron Schipper 1961 1996 36 357 287 67 3 .808
Frank Girardi 1972 2007 36 359 257 97 5 .723
Rob Ash 1980 2015 36 389 247 137 5 .641
Ace Mumford 1924 1961 36 341 233 85 23 .717
Ron Randleman 1969 2004 36 391 218 167 6 .565
Eric Hamilton 1977 2012 36 358 212 144 2 .595
Jess C. Neely 1931 1966 36 363 187 159 17 .539
Frank Beamer 1981 2015 35 427 280 143 4 .660
Fred Martinelli 1959 1993 35 348 217 119 12 .641
Andrew C. "Scrappy" Moore 1931 1967 35 332 171 148 13 .535
Willard Bailey 1971 2010 34 387 231 149 7 .606
Walt Hameline 1981 2014 34 365 224 139 2 .616
John Heisman 1893 1927 34 253 171 66 16 .708
Lou Holtz 1969 2004 33 388 249 132 7 .651
Mike Ayers 1985 2017 33 380 218 180 2 .576
Bill Manlove 1969 2001 33 327 215 111 1 .659
Tim Murphy 1987 2020 33[f] 337 210 126 1 .625
Gilmour "Gloomy Gil" Dobie 1906 1938 33 242 182 45 15 .783
Jim Ostendarp 1959 1991 33 264 168 91 5 .646
Lou Little 1924 1956 33 292 151 128 13 .539
Mack Brown 1983 2020 32[g] 392 259 132 1 .662
Woody Hayes 1946 1978 32 320 238 72 10 .759
John Merritt 1952 1983 32 321 237 72 12 .757
Gene Carpenter 1968 2000 32 314 219 89 6 .707
Ron Harms 1964 1999 32 335 219 112 4 .660
Jim Christopherson 1969 2000 32 326 217 102 7 .676
Cleveland L. Abbott 1923 1954 32 326 202 97 27 .661
Jim Sweeney 1963 1996 32 358 201 153 4 .567
Carmen Cozza 1965 1996 32 303 179 119 5 .599
Paul D. "Tony" Hinkle 1926 1969 32 277 165 99 13 .619
Dwight "Dike" Beede 1938 1972 32 279 147 118 14 .554
William H. Spaulding 1907 1938 32 242 144 83 15 .626
Harry W. Hughes 1911 1946 32 240 126 96 18 .563
Jason M. Saunderson 1909 1941 32 237 121 103 13 .538
Lews H. "Lew" Elverson 1938 1974 32 235 97 130 8 .430
Roger Harring 1969 1999 31 343 261 75 7 .771
Jerry Moore 1979 2012 31 379 243 135 2 .642
Billy Joe 1972 2004 31 349 237 108 4 .685
Warren B. Woodson 1935 1973 31 312 203 95 14 .673
Jim Dennison 1973 2012 31 340 199 139 2 .588
Art Keller 1952 1982 31 271 177 87 7 .667
Mike Price 1981 2012 31 359 176 183 0 .490
Eddie Hurt 1929 1959 31 243 173 52 18 .7498
Buddy Benson 1965 1995 31 310 162 140 8 .535
Watson Brown 1979 2015 31[h] 348 136 211 1 .392
DeOrmond "Tuss" McLaughry 1922 1954 31 276 135 131 10 .507
Joe Taylor 1983 2012 30 333 233 96 4 .706
Don Nehlen 1968 2000 30 338 202 128 8 .609
Dan McGugin 1904 1934 30 271 197 55 19 .762
Dana X. Bible 1916 1946 30 272 186 65 21 .722
Bob Blackman 1953 1982 30 287 168 112 7 .598
Howard "Howdy" Myers 1946 1979 30 284 167 112 5 .597
Frank Howard 1940 1969 30 295 165 118 12 .580
Robert M. "Bob" Kolf 1929 1962 30 198 59 123 16 .338

See also

Notes

  1. ^ On July 23, 2012, the NCAA announced that all Penn State victories between the 1998 and 2011 seasons (111 wins) had been vacated due to the loss of institutional control during the Penn State child sex abuse scandal. Paterno was credited with 298 career wins, but on January 16, 2015, the NCAA restored his 111 victories.
  2. ^ 12 wins over the 2006 and 2007 seasons were vacated due to use of ineligible player(s).
  3. ^ Although Streeter held the title of head coach throughout the listed period, he did not coach in the 2004 season. John Campo served as interim head coach in that season.
  4. ^ Although Bagnoli has been a head coach throughout the listed period, he has only coached in 38 seasons instead of 39. His current employer, Columbia, did not play in the 2020–21 school year due to COVID-19 concerns.
  5. ^ Although Giancola has been a head coach throughout the listed period, he has only coached in 37 seasons instead of 38. His current employer, Montclair State, did not play in the 2020–21 school year due to COVID-19 concerns.
  6. ^ Although Murphy has been a head coach throughout the listed period, he has only coached in 33 seasons instead of 34. His current employer, Harvard, did not play in the 2020–21 school year due to COVID-19 concerns.
  7. ^ Mack Brown has not been a head coach throughout the entire stated period. He was an assistant coach at Oklahoma in 1984 and out of coaching from 2014 to 2018.
  8. ^ Watson Brown was not a head coach throughout the stated period. He served as an assistant in six seasons, first at Vanderbilt, later at Mississippi State, and finally at Oklahoma.

References

  1. ^ "NCAA Coaching Records" (PDF). NCAA. 2008. pp. 189, 192.
  2. ^ "All-Time Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on September 19, 2010. Retrieved June 20, 2010.